Maybe you have some favorite blogs that you read every week or whenever they are updated, or maybe a friend or colleague has started a mommy blog and raves about all the upsides to doing so. Maybe you are just driven by a need or desire to help others be happy and succeed. But is a mommy blog right for you?
Investment
In order to get started blogging you are going to have to make at least a minimum investment. Purchasing a domain name, finding hosting, and setting up your site with a design or theme is essential.
Why not choose a free blogging service with a generic domain? Because if you want to do more with your blog later, like monetize it with ads or grow your audience significantly, you are going to need your own domain. You do not want to have to migrate it later on. Plus you can get the name you want while it is still available.
Hosting comes in two types as well, and while most smaller sites are on shared hosting plans, you may need a dedicated one eventually, so choosing a host that offers both will give you the option to upgrade if the need arises. Many common hosts like GoDaddy and JustHost offer both tiers of plans, but there are a lot of other hosting services out there as well.
Encouragement
Once you have invested in setting up your blog, one of the returns many parents get from a mommy blog is encouragement from other parents. Especially if you stay at home with your children full-time, you can often feel isolated and that many of the issues you face are yours alone.
When you share them via your blog, you will find that you are not alone, that other parents have faced similar issues, and that they can encourage you to endure through even tough times. These phases rarely last, so understanding there is relief coming can be truly encouraging.
Networking
Besides encouragement, you can network with other parents. This makes it possible for you to share things like play dates, clothing exchanges, and even just a friend to talk to. The more you can network with other parents, the easier time you will have, and a blog is a great path to that kind of network.
Besides in person networking, you can also develop online networking, consulting with parents around the world as well as offering them your tips and tricks on parenting, maintaining your life balance, and creative ways to make kids time at home educational and entertaining.
This network can also be invaluable if you ever decide to reenter the workforce or if you are still working outside your home and caring for your family. This network of people can help you overcome and work through many situations and transitions. If it takes a village to raise a child, your network you build can add population to that village, and make your life even more fulfilling.
Support
Besides encouragement and networking, a mommy blog can help you find support for many things you want to do. Want to grow your blog audience? Invite those in your network to contribute blog posts of their own on various topics. Not only does this increase the content you have on your website, but it increases your site's authority according to Google and other search engines.
Want to add advertising to your site? Those who encourage you, those in your new network may know advertisers who want to be seen on your site or may even work for companies where they have influence over where advertising dollars are spent.
Your audience will also share your posts on social media and tell their friends about your blog, so they will read too. Word of mouth is still the best marketing, and the biggest wins you will have will come from those who read your blog and share it often.
Accountability
Do you have goals personally or as a parent, or both? Using your blog to share them gives you an entire set of accountability partners, people who will ask how you are doing and set you up for success.
This is a level of accountability that cannot always be found in other circles, and you can even ask your audience to check up on you. Use your blog to record how you are progressing toward your goals, whether that is weight loss, more patience with your children, or pursuing higher education than your current level. Those who you share with and give permission to will hold you accountable to accomplishing whatever you set out to do.
Profit
While all of the above things are great, one big benefit of a mommy blog is that with the right strategy, you can actually make money with it. Your blog can earn you a profit with a few simple steps toward monetization.
- Native Ads: There is code you can add to your website that will allow ads to display there. You get paid whenever anyone clicks on one. If you have enough traffic and the ads are relevant enough, you can make good money from them.
- Affiliate Links: these are links to specific products or services, and you will get paid when anyone buys a product after clicking on that link.
- Sell Ad Space: As mentioned above, companies may want to be seen by your audience, and they will pay you for the privilege.
- Site Sponsors: You can also have site sponsors who will pay to be seen on your site on a regular basis. This can be a great source of regular income.
- Sponsored Posts: Companies will also pay good money to have sponsored posts placed on your site for a variety of reasons. These can be another good source of revenue that is not labor intensive at all.
The one thing about ads is don't overdo it. Your readers come to your blog to get great content, not to be sold to. Don't betray their trust by adding too many ads that clutter up the page and feel overwhelming.
Starting a mommy blog might be right for you. There are several reasons it can be a good thing, from simple encouragement to making some money on the side. Weigh your reasons, and the time and money you will have to invest to make sure it is the right thing for you. Happy blogging!
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<a href="http://mamaof3munchkins.com/why-starting-a-mommy-blog-might-be-right-for-you/">Why Starting a Mommy Blog Might Be Right for You</a>
