Getting the Word Out About Your Mom Blog

Over the course of these tutorials, you have chosen a blog host, created a name, and decided the direction you would like your blog to take. Now it is time to get it out there and share your blog with others.

Gaining a slew of readers is, without a doubt, no easy task. In fact, doing so requires hard work, tenacity and thick skin. In the beginning you will find you probably only have a small trickle of loyal readers, but as you blog more often you will find yourself actually making friends in the blogosphere, watching your blog stats rise and communicating with people all around the world who are not only interested in what you have to say, but who also share your thoughts and opinions about everything from parenting to politics. These are the people you will need to find and introduce yourself to.

It may sound a little intimidating at first but be sure to comment on blogs that you enjoy reading and that you can draw a little inspiration from. Bloggers love to know that something they have written has touched a reader or has challenged someone to think about an issue in a totally different and unique way. Introduce your blog to bloggers you admire by commenting on their posts or by dropping them a personal email. A blogger from London did just that to me this week and now we will be exchanging blog links. That is how your circle of blog friends gets started and your readership grows.

If you put detailed thought, new ideas, and a creative slant to your blog, other bloggers will quickly spread the word about it. This is not only flattering, but remains a fantastic way of attracting blog readers quickly. In all, be sure to take your time when building your blog. You want to make it as interesting as possible to attract readers and potential accolades.

If you want to start blogging, this five part tutorial will help any blog novice. I have been blogging for about three years and it has been a lot of fun and I have met a slew of fantastic people. If you have been teetering back and forth over whether you want to start your own mom blog, give it a try. Chances are you will like it.

Content is Key: Finding Your Niche and Sticking to It

Two things all of the super bloggers have in common are they all have the gift of being great writers and they have a firm handle on what they are going to write from day to day. Sure, some of their ideas change from time to time, but their overall theme is always solid and that makes for great reading.

No matter what anyone says, there is no precise equation that all bloggers can use to gain thousands of readers, ad dollars, and the confidence of the media. But if you don't have great content you might as well throw any chance of becoming "big time" out the window. Content is key to any publication and the same holds true for blogs. Great content equals a throng of readers -- plain and simple.

While the "content theory" holds true for the most part, some bloggers use unconventional styles to attract visitors. They may link out to a myriad of different blogs that are in their same genre. Others like staying on top of the news and giving their hard-line opinions and commentary about it. Sill other bloggers are purely political and cover elections and candidates like nobody's business. Some of the biggest and most well-known blogs are --you guessed it, celebrity-driven -- and have gained tens of thousands of readers in a relatively short time and can bask in the glory of blog fame. The one thing all of these bloggers do, though, is choose a theme, identify their niche audience, and round everything out with great content.

The main point about this lesson is you must decide a theme for your blog and stick to it. A lot of bloggers, including myself, have a tough time with this simple tip because we always have so much to say. But as a blogger for about three years now, I've learned that if you pick a content area and stick to it, readers are more able to follow your writing and can better decide whether they want to become a regular readers, link to your blog, write about your blog and recommend your writing, the highest form of blog flattery.

Show and Tell: Topics to Avoid on Your Blog

Now that you've chosen a blog host and have created your blog name, it's time to determine how much you are willing to divulge about your life and your family on your blog.

Some mom bloggers choose to put everything out there, like Dooce who shares A LOT about her life with her readers. Other mom bloggers aren't quite as eager to even put their real names on their blogs for fear they won't be able to be as honest as they'd like, or because they want to maintain their privacy.

Before you write your first post think long and hard about how you will present yourself and your life on the Net. Here are a few questions you'll need to ask yourself before your begin blogging.

1. Do I want to use my real name or a pseudonym?
2. Do I want to put pictures of my children on my blog?
3. Should I talk about my marriage/ husband or love life or simply not touch it at all?
4. Should I talk about my family -- including everyone from my mother-in-law to my great, great uncle?
5. Should I cuss on my blog or keep it clean?
6. Should I divulge where I live?
7. Should I blog about my annoying neighbors?
8. Should I discuss other bloggers on my blog?

Honestly answering these questions will help you set the tone for your blog as well as establish boundaries for what you are and aren't willing to share with your readers. Remember, these simple, yet golden rules of blogging:

If you're willing to offend people, be willing to be offended.

If you're willing to gossip about people, be willing to be gossiped about.

If you're willing to divulge information about your private life, know and understand that someone reading may know who you are.

And always remember, Google does exist! Just because you take your blog down, people can always and forever find you online...somewhere.

Sink or Swim: Choosing the Perfect Blog Name

One of the most important things you can do before typing your very first blog post is create a great blog title. A blog title can literally make or break your blog. It says everything about who you are and what you are all about. And, it tells your readers what they can expect from your writings.

From your blog title alone readers can deduce whether you are funny, serious, creative, crafty, a mom, an entrepreneur, single, divorced, happy, sad, or cynical among many other attributes. So make sure you think long and hard about what your blog name says about YOU.

Keep these ideas in mind when you create your blog name.

• Remember, your blog name reflects who you are.
• Choose a name that will not embarrass you or your family now or in the future.
• Create a title that's easy to remember and gets a lot of instant attention.
• Make sure you create a name you can live with because it will automatically become your online handle. People will remember your blog name more than your real name.
• Don't try to copy anyone else's style.
• Don't create a "blah" blog title.
• And most importantly, give it a lot of thought. It's more important than you think.

Good luck! Be creative.

Getting Started

One of things I have been receiving email about recently is how to start a mom blog. So, I decided to dedicate a few tutorials to mommy blogging in general. I am writing these short tutorials specifically for any mom who may feel a little intimidated and clueless about starting a blog, but still thinks it would be fun to do. The first step is to simply get started.

There are several companies (blog hosts) you can use to start your very own mom blog. Some of the companies are more prominent than others, but there has not been a single blog hosting company I've run across that has totally inept online tools and software. Most are going to offer the same perks, some just have more users and greater online visibility.

The three main players in the blogging world are Blogger (now owned by Google) and Typepad, and Wordpress. Blogger and Wordpress are free and Typepad is very inexpensive. I have blogs with all three companies and I have to say I like Typepad (in the SixApart family) slightly above Blogger. There is a simple ease of use to Typepad that I find appealing. The learning curve is minimal and there are several sidebar amenities you can easily add to your blog to render it more interesting to your readers. In all fairness, Blogger has revamped their blogs and now offers automatic save, which saves your draft as you blog (very helpful indeed), as well as a slew of sidebar options.

Although Blogger, Typepad, and Wordpress virtually rule the blogosphere, there are others you may want to consider such as:

* Blogsome
* Blogeasy
* Easy Journal
* SquareSpace
* Vox

Why Moms Blog

Mothers begin blogging for a variety of reasons. Some look to journal their pregnancies or the growth and development of their newborns. Others like to share with families and friends the daily goings-on of their children and family in general. Still others write about their lives as moms and their thoughts about everything from what they cooked for dinner the night before to important public policies affecting the lives of women, children, and families.

It's safe to say that blogging offers mothers a creative outlet to voice their opinions and commentary on a plethora of ideas and topics. As the ideal communication tool, blogs help mothers connect with like-minded and even not-so-like-minded people in a time when communication is easier than ever before and in a climate where everyone's opinion counts and can literally make a lasting difference in the vast blog community.

Want to get started blogging today? Here's how.

1. Choose a blog-hosting company where you would like to house your blog. There are several to choose from, each with their own benefits and advantages. We suggest Blogger, WordPress and Typepad , although there are a host of others from which to choose. Type in "blog hosts" in Google to find others that may interest you.

2. Take a look at other blogs and glean ideas about how to make your blog interesting and fun to read. There are several theories about what makes a successful blog. For certain, one of those things is regular updates (sometimes two and three times per day). If you're going to gain a following, your blog must have intelligent, focused writing and a unique style and feel. Avoid rambling posts about daily minutiae unless you are a gifted writer because as soon as readers can click on your blog they can also click away.

3. Place your blog in directories such as Technorati, Blogarama, Blogwise , and of course, The Mom Salon directory. Directories are a great way to get your blog indexed in search engines. They also serve as avenues for finding like-minded blogs.

4. Let other bloggers out there in the blogosphere know you're blogging. Most do this by commenting on blogs and linking out to blogs they enjoy reading. Introduce yourself to other bloggers. Email them even, especially when something they've written has affected you in some way.