Five Reasons Why Mom Blogs Are the Blogs to Watch

Continuing with my week of relaxation here is another post that previously appeared as a guest post back in May that I'm reposting this week while I'm enjoying the sun and sand of Alaska in December . . .

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In the Wall Street Journal's April 10th issue Sue Shellenbarger interviewed Heather Armstrong (known to millions of fascinated fans as Dooce) and a gasp of surprise went up from print media around the country (even my hometown paper The Anchorage Daily News picked the article up off the AP wire).

But I'm here to tell you that there's nothing surprising about Dooce's super-stardom and in fact not only is it to be expected but other mom blogs are following in her wake. Mom blogs as a group are poised to become the next big "It" when it comes to the internet--they're gathering power like no other blogging niche and will only get bigger and better. Here's why:

1. Moms can blog at home. You don't need a PhD, an office or a small business loan to start up a blog and this especially appeals to mothers who are looking for ways to bring in extra income while they're at home with their children. It's a job that they can do while the kids are napping or away at school and allows women like me who have left the work force to raise a family to feel part of the tech age--always a benefit when your days are filled with diapers, dishes and drool.

Mom bloggers don't have to leave their day jobs, they don't have to make enough to live off of--all they need is a little extra to pay for soccer lessons or a family vacation.

2. Moms need the sociality of the net. I couldn't possibly count the number of days that I've spent without the live interaction of another adult (except maybe the clerk at the grocery store). Women want--no we crave and demand--social interaction and for those of us whose office is our home the internet and blogging opens up a new world of friendship, debate, learning and conversation. No longer do we have to pretend to hold conversations with Steve on Blues Clues just to talk to another adult, now we can blog. Women need to read about other moms' struggles and disasters--it's how we feel that maybe our own traumas aren't so bad--and there are more and more moms daily that are discovering how the world of mom blogs helps them feel connected to other women.

3. Moms have a wealth of material to use. Tech blogs are just about technology, celebrity blogs are strictly about celebs but a mom blog could focus on parenting, protecting the environment, politics, crafts, food, homeschooling, gardening, household products, design, travel or just funny stories.

They're usually written with an emotion and personality which connects with readers in ways that other niches often can't and they speak about subjects that naturally carry strong emotions: home, family, marriage, children, the environment--all of which encourage dedicated readers. A blog about the latest techy gadget, while interesting, doesn't carry the emotional weight that a post about home and family does. While other bloggers may sneer over moms posting stories about life with little ones and the oddities of every day life there have been plenty of writers from Erma Bombeck to Dave Barry to Jerry Seinfeld that have built careers on noticing life's quirks and inconsistencies and mom blogs are cashing in on this.

4. Moms are record keepers. Blog means "web-log" and most blogs are started as online journals. Moms naturally tend to be the record keepers for their families whether it's a newsletter, scrapbook or photo album and more and more women are turning to blogs as an easy way to keep their family's diary. Staying in touch with Grandma, recording a child's growth, these are the reasons women are turning to blogs and even though 99% of them will never see traffic outside of their family those who blog read other blogs. And who are they going to read? I'll give you a hint: it's not Tech Crunch.

5. Mom blogs wield economic power. In Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point he writes of the importance of mavens--those who are trusted for their opinions and who pass along information on what products, services and ideas are the best--and mom blogs are the maven nesting grounds. Moms want to know which products work and which don't; they want to give an opinion on what's worked for them and share their experiences with others and advertisers are just beginning to discover this advertising pot of gold.

Because women are generally the buyers for their homes in everything from clothing to food to minivans mom blogs talk about things that can be bought and sold, products that can be promoted and services that most households need. Proctor and Gamble, Sony or General Electric can throw up their logos on PerezHilton and that might make them look rather hip but if they can get Dooce to say she liked their stuff that's when the sales start rolling in. You've heard "The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world"? Well she who does the shopping then blogs about it rules the net.

Mom blogs are growing and it's not going to be too long before Dooce stops being an anomaly in the blogosphere and becomes the matriarch of mom blogs everywhere.

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Congratulations to Jill at The Diaper Diaries for winning this weekend's giveaway, and congratulations to Ryan in Anchorage, Alaska who won the Horizon Hobby mini remote controlled helicopter from the week before. This next giveaway will have three winners and it's a great package--think "healthy."

Sponsored by Dimples and Dandelions--for the Serena and Lily Bedding Collection for Children.

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