More than 10 years ago, Heather Armstrong launched a blog to joke about pop culture, her job, and life as a single woman. As the years passed, she got married, had kids, suffered from extreme postpartum depression, dealt with broken washing machines, decorated her home, cleaned spit-up, changed diapers, and wrote about it all. Over time, all that blogging landed her book deals, media appearances, and $30,000 to $50,000 per month in ad revenue alone.
'She is one of the few bloggers who wield that kind of clout,' New York Times' Lisa Belkin wrote. 'Typically, there are 100,000 visitors daily to her site...where she writes about her kids, her husband, her pets, her treatment for depression and her life as a liberal ex-Mormon living in Utah. She is the only blogger on the latest Forbes list of the Most Influential Women in the Media.' Talk about impressive!
Who are they, where are they, and what do they do?
According to a recent market research study by Scarborough Research, 14 percent of American moms self-identify as bloggers or regularly read blogs. That number translates to a whopping 3.9 million women.
Mommy bloggers share core demographic and personality traits. They tend to be in their late 30s, educated, and politically active. They're 'socially conscious' and highly involved in their communities as volunteers.
And they're influential. By writing about their personal experiences, they create trust with their audiences. With this trust, it’s no wonder a statement from a mommy blogger can heavily influence the purchasing decisions of other moms.
They're the ultimate entrepreneurs.
Mommy bloggers often write beautiful and creative stories from even the most mundane and ordinary experiences. They build online communities of people who love their work, and they're able to do it with minimal resources: server space, an elegant design, and social media.
Not to mention, they do it from home while raising a family!
'You don't need a PhD, an office or a small business loan to start up a blog and this especially appeals to moms who are looking for ways to bring in extra income while they're at home with their children,' said Michelle Mitchell of Scribbit.
Want to become influential online? Listen to mom.
Without a doubt, any marketer would love to attract an audience like Armstrong's or any of her counterparts.
So, what makes mommy blogging so successful?
Mom bloggers engage their readers on an emotional level. They don't invest money in fancy market research, and they don't spend their days reading about marketing best-practices. They just focus on what they love most: their kids, family values, and great writing. It's the passion and creativity alone that fuel their success.
They write with 'an emotion and personality which connects readers in ways that other niches often can't, and they speak about subjects that naturally carry strong emotions,' said Mitchell. 'A blog about the latest techy gadgets, while interesting, doesn't carry the emotional weight that a post about home and family does.'
As always, moms are reminders of what matters most in life, business, and everything else in between.
Who are your favorite mommy bloggers? Which ones do you follow?
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