Zen And The Art of Mommy Blogging™

Occasionally, the stars align. And for the Mommy Bloggers out there, now is the time. In the April 10 issue of the Wall Street Journal, Sue Shellenbarger interviewed, Heather Armstrong, Aka Dooce. The media world, looked on in amazement. It hit the AP wire, like anthrax. Even small town papers picked up the item.

Actually, its not so amazing. I kind of looked for it to happen, sooner or later. And there is a powerful army of mommy bloggers following or jockeying for position right behind her. Dooce has jumped up to #43 in Technorati’s Top 100 Blogs. Blog reactions, as does her email (according to Heather), range from kind words of encouragement, to “hate” mail. We all get those, though.

What’s amazing about this phenomenon, known as Mommy Blogging is that they’re gaining power like no other niche group. Poised to be the next big “it” on the internet, they’ve got a few things going for them.

1. Content. They have a sort of built in source of inspiration. Husbands, kids, schools, households, play groups and the like. Not to mention just plain outright funny stories. These bloggers write in a style that connects them to their audience, usually emotional and full of personality. Most niche writers only wish they had this talent.
2. Work at Home. Or not. It doesn’t take an advanced degree to be a blogger. And if they’re stay at home moms, that means not having to leave the kids. Big plus. They can do their writing while the kids are napping or at school and still feel a part of the technological revolution. If they are employed outside the home, there’s no need to quit the day job. Great gig if you ask me.
3. Social Skills. Get a group of moms together, any age, and POW. You’ve got instant conversation on a plethora of topics. Give those same moms a network…and you’ve solved the Theory of Relativity.
4. Buying Power. Moms are generally the purchasing agents for their homes. They want to know what works, what doesn’t, what the costs are and they want to share their opinions on these items. Advertisers are finally wising up to this and targeting this niche. Get a mom who likes your product, blogs about it and you’ve harnessed lightning.

Dooce and several other bloggers have hit the media recently. Right now, it seems strange that the media would focus on this niche. But it won’t be long, I promise you. The old song lyric, “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world” could soon become “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the Internet”.

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