There are literally thousands of parenting and mommy blogs out there. Every day, more set up shop. How can you make sure yours is different? What can you do to ensure that, of all of those thousands of other blogs out there, yours is the parenting blog people most want to read?
By now you’ve heard or read all the same basic pieces of advice: photos are good, design is important, content is king, link out, social media, self promotion, etc. At this point, it’s all white noise. Isn’t there anything else you can do?
In fact, what matters isn’t that you find some hidden or magic technique that hasn’t yet been used to draw eyes into your site. The real trick? Using all of that tired advice – but using it in your own way. Here are a few examples.
Use Photos
Using photos, graphics, or images is definitely in your best interest. Your site will look more interesting. Photos help break up blocks of text to make them easier to read. Still, not all photos and images are created equal.
For example, let’s say that you want to write a post that talks about strollers (the reasons why aren’t important here). Anybody can post a generic photo like this blue one.
A better photo is one that involves your own child, shows some personality, and potentially brings a smile to someone’s face, like the one on the left with your child in it.
Using photos that are personal, particularly photos you’ve taken yourself, gives readers insight into your life and adds context to the post you’re writing.
Use Videos
While you were trying to figure out what to blog about, YouTube went and took over the world. Using video in your posts or even in place of your posts will definitely help you build an audience and encourage people to visit your site over and over again.
You don’t have to make every post video-based, but including relevant videos by others in your written posts or posting a link to a video-based blog post (or vlog) that you’ve recorded yourself is always in your best interest. Like photos, videos add context and, in the case of vlogging, literally show people who you are.
Don’t worry – the more you record them, the less awkward it feels.
Develop Your Own Voice
This will take some time. Some bloggers spend years perfecting their voices. What this means is finding a way to express yourself that is uniquely you. Certain turns of phrase, certain types of humor, the way you structure your posts, etc. – all of these things can help create a blog that is uniquely yours.
Try to let the voice you hear in your head or your own style of speaking dictate how you put words down on the page. This isn’t English 101. You don’t have to sound dry or academic or newspapery. Blogging is, at heart, a personal medium. Let yourself shine through.
These are just three things you can do to help your parenting blog stand out from all the others that are vying for internet users’ attentions. What are some things you’ve tried that have helped you build an audience? What are some of the mistakes you’ve made?
Erin Steiner is a blogger, vlogger, and avid Twitter user from Portland, Oregon. In addition to building her personal internet presence, she also writes professionally (about just about everything) for a variety of clients.
