10 Tips for Becoming a Mommy Blogger

10 Tips for Becoming a Mommy Blogger
Mommy bloggers dominate, cash in.

By Jacqueline Bodnar

Did you know that “mommy bloggers” are what advertisers now have their eye on? It’s true! Moms who
have taken to blogging about everything from the brand of diapers they use to what toy they are buying for their next birthday gift are reaping the benefits. And many of them are not only cashing in and earning money from it, but are also being flown across the country to spa retreats, being sent boxes of toys to review, and are receiving a supply of perks that, a decade ago, one could only have dreamed of.

Advertisers and companies are realizing what we moms have known for years: that we are a driving force behind everything from what our families do on a Friday night to what brand of toothpaste is stocked in our medicine cabinet. And with the Internet giving a nation of moms a way to share their thoughts about products, those moms are helping to influence minds and create trends. If you want to get on the mommy blogger bandwagon, it’s easier than you think! Just keep these 10 tips in mind:

Choose a topic. You will need to narrow the focus of what you want to blog about. Will it be about children’s products, cooking, or movies? Give some thought to topics that would hold your interest and that others would like to read about.
Identify a reason. Do you want to blog because you are passionate about a topic or because you want to make money? Some topics will be more lucrative than others, so if you want to blog about something simply because you love the topic although you may not make much money from it, know that from the start.
Pick a platform. You will need to decide where you want to set up your blog. There are places where you can do it for free, such as Blogger.com and there are others that charge a yearly fee, such as TypePad.com or WordPress.com. Each offers a different set of features, so research to see which one best fits your needs.
Get a URL. While you could use a long domain name that includes the publishing tool you are using, such as Blogger.com, it is actually much easier and more professional-looking to go with your own domain name, such as yourname.com. You can purchase a custom name for about $10 per year through places like GoDaddy.com.
Start writing. You will need to be creative and think of a variety of posts to offer your audience. Another thing to consider is how often you would like to post. Some people post once a week, while others post once a day. Typically, a blog post will be at least 200-300 words in length if it's written content.
Build a following. You will need to get the word out about your blog. There are many ways you can do this, such as word of mouth, adding the blog name to your e-mail signature, and/or setting up a Facebook fan page. Blogging on a regular basis will also help attract traffic to your site. Some people even offer prizes and contests to keep people interested.
Exchange links. The more sites that link to yours, the better, when it comes to search engines. If you can find sites with which you can exchange links, it’s a great way to cause your blog to show up in search engines and to drive more traffic your way.
Use SEO. When you write your blog posts, using search engine optimization (SEO) will help to bring people to your site. SEO entails using the key words that people would use when they are conducting a search. Google offers a key-word suggestion tool, so that you can see how many searches per month are devoted to any given term. This is a good way to make sure that you have sprinkled in some of the words you need in order to reach your audience.
Stay legal. If you are making money from the site (as you may if you end up selling advertising space), you will need to keep track of how much you make, versus your yearly expenses. That information will need to be reported on your taxes.
Keep at it. The mommy bloggers who are most successful are the ones who keep at it. If you blog on a regular basis and write about things that interest your audience, you will have a successful blog. Just be patient, be persistent, and give your blog a chance to grow.