Why You Want To Start A Mom Blog Today

There are so many moms that want to start a mom blog and right now is the perfect time. This pandemic has hit hard for most families all over the world. Many working moms have lost their jobs due to company closures, or they have left their jobs to stay home to look after their kids that have been home from school. Many stay at home moms are needing to bring in extra income to help pay for bills due to a loss of family income.

It was amazing to have some fantastic business women join me live on Facebook and Youtube to share their knowledge and experience with anyone that wants to start a mom blog, as well as to answer questions from our fans – both in the comments and some guests that joined us in our live video. It was so exciting to have some of my readers join me in my live video so we could chat real time. What a mind-blowing experience.

A huge thank you to those readers that joined us and to Judy McGregor from Fun Mamma SA, Megan Kelly Both from Cup Of Faith and Lauren Kinghorn from Inspiring Mompreneurs. For those that missed the live video you can catch the replay at the top of this post, on my Facebook page or on Youtube.

***Disclosure -The links in this post may contain affiliate links and I may receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on a link.***

What Is A Blog?

This is often the first thing that people ask me when I say that I blog for a living.

A blog very simply is a website, or a section of your website, where you create blog posts. It can be sharing information on topics in your niche and it can also be you sharing your personal experiences or a combination of both which is what I do here on Kaboutjie.

A blog started off being an online journal or diary of sorts and it has changed and evolved over the years. In fact now many people blog without a website, choosing instead to be Youtubers and many bloggers also use other social media platforms as their blog such as on Instagram, LinkedIn or Facebook.

I choose to blog on my website and use my social media channels to back up my blogging efforts on my website and drive traffic to my website.

The day to day task of blogging is to create high quality content and monetize it – more details to follow.

How To Start A Blog

There are many ways to start a blog in South Africa from creating a free site on a platform like Wix or Weebly to buying your own domain name and setting up your website on WordPress and paying for hosting.

While setting up a free website may seem like a great idea, if you are serious about building a business that makes money my recommendation is to build a WordPress website on your own domain. The reason for this is that WordPress is the most widely used CMS and it is the most versatile.

There are many companies that simply won’t work with a blogger unless they have their own domain. In addition to this you will be very limited in what you can do with a free website, for example you most likely won’t be able to add Google Ads as an income stream to a free website.

Also like Judy states in the video it can be really hard to move your website and content from a free platform to a WordPress website when you need to, and you will need to at some stage if you want to be a serious blogger.

To start a mom blog this is what you will need to do in simple terms

1. Choose a niche (the topic for your blog)
2. Choose a domain name, set your website up on WordPress and sort out your hosting
3. Start creating content and sharing on social media
4. Through content creation and marketing you will start generating visitors to your website
5. Monetize your content in a variety of ways and start earning (more information given below)

What I really loved in the live video is what Megan said – the important thing is to get started. You will have a lot to learn and you will need to find your voice and figure out what works for you… but you need to take the plunge and get in there!

Why You Want To Start A Mom Blog Today

I am so passionate about blogging and making money online so I am of the opinion that every mom should start a blog and start earning online, however with the worldwide pandemic you might want to start a mom blog right now.

I doubt there is a family anywhere in the world that has not been negatively affected by this pandemic. So many people have lost their jobs and businesses. Children are at home and parents have to  make a plan to be there and help them with their schooling.

Blogging is something that you can start at home at little to no cost and you can work it into the spare time that you have. You can do your blogging at night when the kids are in bed and all you really need is a computer and an internet connection.

How To Make Money Blogging

There are loads of different ways to blog and lots of different ways to make money from your blog. Some of the ways that you can monetize your blog are as follows:

• Make money through advertising – you can do this through banner advertising, Google Ads or other advertising platforms that put ads on your website.
• Affiliate marketing – which is where you sign up with online stores that have affiliate programs and you market their products. When anyone buys through your links you earn commission. I am an affiliate of a number of different companies, including the Wealthy Affiliate program that I recommend you join to start blogging, Amazon, 4 A Kid, Neflorist, Mantality, The Papery and many more.
• Writing sponsored posts – this is where companies pay me to write content on my website and I add links to their products/ websites.
• Creating and selling digital products – these can be anything from online courses to ebooks and printables.
• Having your own online store – when you have a blog you already have an audience you can then add your own online store to your website and sell products that you create or buy in.
• Dropshipping – this is the same as having your own online store, the difference is that you don’t buy in the products and keep them in stock. The products go straight from your supplier to your customer, so you are the middleman (or woman) and keep the profit between the sale and purchase.
• Influencer marketing – this is where you are paid to endorse products through your website and/ or social media channels.

The beautiful thing about blogging is that you can make use of all of the above ways to monetize your website, or you can pick and choose the ones that appeal to you. I have personally made money from every one of the above ways to make money from your website. I love having multiple streams of income.

The beauty of this is that I can attend to work that comes in such as influencer campaigns or sponsored posts when that work comes in and when that is quiet I can continue to create content and earn through affiliate marketing, ads on my website and creating digital products.

Blogging With Integrity

When I asked Judy to join me for this live video and I told her the topic she immediately said she wants to talk about blogging with integrity. I was so happy when I heard that and it is one of the reasons I really enjoy Judy’s blog and the work that she does. She stands by her beliefs and she is so authentic.

It is so important as a blogger to be true to yourself and to be authentic at all times. If you blog there will be times that someone will offer you a paid opportunity that will go against what you stand for.

On my rate card and media kit I have a section about blogging with integrity, it is important to me to work with brands that are in line with what I stand for.

As someone that has an influence and a following online it is important to understand that comes with responsibility. Make sure that you use that influence for good and that you do not cause damage.

Take Kim Kardashian promoting appetite suppressant lollipops for weight loss on Instagram. That is completely irresponsible in my opinion and even more so because someone like her does not need extra cash to feed her family. She is swimming in money which makes it even more callous.

Answering Live Questions

We had so many questions from Kaboutjie fans during our live video and it was fantastic to have so many moms wanting to know more. It is going to be impossible to add all of the questions into the blog post or I will be typing for the next week since the live video was a whopping 2 hours and 50 minutes long!

However I wanted to add a few of the questions that were asked with the answers and if you have some time on your hands I do highly recommend you watch the entire video, since it was packed with information and so much experience from the guests, along with some awesome debate and differences of opinion too!

Do you need to spend money to start blogging?

It depends on what your goal is. If you want to blog and start sharing things with the world because you want an outlet for your creativity and you are not interested in making any money then a free platform like Wix or Weebly will be perfect for you.

If you want to make money from your website then  I recommend that the very least you do is pay for your own domain (approximately $15 a year) and that you host your own website which can cost you anything from $3.50 to $30 and up a month depending on the type of hosting you choose.

If you are serious about making money online once again I highly recommend that you invest in your blog by signing up with Wealthy Affiliate because you will get training, tools and support which will make you start earning money much faster than if you try and figure it out on your own. The premium account is $49 a month and you will get a free keyword tool, free hosting for your websites (up to 10) and top notch training and support.

How do you become an influencer?

When you start gaining readers on your blog and followers on your social media channels you are already an influencer because you influence people. All you really need to do is get started creating content.

Start reviewing the products that you love and use regularly and start sharing about them on social media. You will naturally become an influencer in this way.

How do you start working with brands? Do you have to find them or do they contact you?

This is a bit of both. Through blogging you will naturally get brands contacting you and asking to work with you. I also regularly reach out to brands that I love and ask to collaborate with them.

How do you get people to your website?

Through content creation and social media marketing. When you create content on your website you will start to generate visitors through search engines. You will also get people visiting your website when you share your content on social media.

I also highly recommend that you start building an email list as soon as possible so that when readers come to your blog and sign up you will be able to bring those visitors back to your website.

Does a blog have to be a thing that is very long and detailed? I do not have time to write long blog posts

There are lots of different opinions on this. Yes long, detailed blog posts will rank better on search engines and will benefit your blog more. The recommended length for a blog post is 1800+ words but it is not always possible to get every blog post to be this length, especially when you first start blogging and you are not used to writing.

What I love about blogging is the freedom to do what I like when I like and trying to stick to all the so called rules can be exhausting and take all the fun out of it.

The most important thing in my opinion is to get your content out there, to write good content that is useful to your readers and to love what you do. This is what is going to shine through.

I have written some blog posts that are only 300 words and did very well.

If this is what is holding you back then think about this – writing short blog posts will benefit your business immensely in comparison to not writing at all.

What if my spelling and grammar is not perfect and tenses etc? Seeing as I am Afrikaans…

Don’t let this hold you back!

You can make use of Grammarly which will check your spelling and your grammar for you and it does not cost a thing. There are plenty of bloggers that are not English and they do well. It is not about being perfect – besides as you write you will get better at it.

If you are self-conscious about it you could always write your post in Afrikaans and get a translator to write it in English for you, you can hire a content writer to write for you or you can hire someone to proofread and edit your content.

Another option is to write in Afrikaans if your audience is Afrikaans.

How do you link your blog to your social media?

On your social media channels there are places to add your website link. On your WordPress website you add a social media plugin to your website and add your social media channels in your settings. This will enable your website readers to follow you on social media and you will be able to add social share buttons to your content.

I have different social media plugins on my websites but I am currently loving Simple Social Share because it is so simple and offers me everything I need. Go to your plugins section in your WordPress menu and choose add new then search for simple social share.

Does blogging not impact the way people see you as a professional? If you talk more personal things?

Well you make the rules here. You can share deep down and personal or you can keep things professional on your blog.

I feel that people trust others more when they share about their personal experiences and feelings. When people trust you they are more likely to continue reading your content and to buy from you.

What would be the best advice/approach to get brands to collaborate with you?

Firstly be authentic. This is really important.

If you want to get a paid collaboration with a brand you can always start by reviewing some of their products on your website or social media to get them to notice you. You can also contact them directly and tell them what you love about their brand and why you feel you would be a great fit.

How often do you suggest a blog should be written and posted?

Once again there are no hard and fast rules. The beauty of blogging is that you have the freedom to be a mom when you need to and you are able to write in your spare time.

To keep your website active and busy it is recommended to post 3 times a week. However don’t push yourself to post 3 times a week and the quality of your posts suffer for it. Rather create a schedule that suits you and that will allow you to create quality content, even if it is once a month.

The only rule here that I follow is quality over quantity!

I am worried about running out of content…

That is not something that I ever worry about, I would love more time to cover the topics that I come up with!

There are many ways to come up with ideas for content and here are some of them:

• Pinterest – it is a gold mine out there. Type in your niche into the search or some broad topic ideas and you will see so many awesome content ideas.
• Your favourite niche bloggers – follow what they are writing about. Make sure never to copy what someone else is doing, simply use it to spark your inspiration.
• Take note of what your customer and readers are asking you on your website, via email and on social media. You can get a lot of ideaas just from this.
• When you do keyword research (which you should be doing by the way) take note of all the awesome keywords that you come across but are not using for the content you are currently researching. I find so many things to write about this way.
• Go into your Google Search Console and take note of the search terms that your readers are using to find you. Chances are high that you are ranking on search engines for keywords you have not even targeted. When this happens create content for those keywords and you will find a huge boost in traffic!

Is there an ugly side of blogging?

Unfortunately yes. The fact is that as soon as you decide to put yourself out there you are at risk of being targeted. It is part and parcel of being so visible online.

There are plenty of internet trolls out there and at some stage you will probably get trolled. I’ve had it plenty. Be prepared for it and brush it off.

Another thing that I have seen and that Judy mentioned in the live video, is that some bloggers get stuck in such negativity and seem to only moan and groan on their platforms.

Yes it is about being authentic and real, so when things are doom and gloom, like when I had my miscarriage – share about it honestly.

However don’t get stuck in the darkness. Be positive and use your platform to help others and inspire them, even when things have been challenging.

About The Guest Speakers

Megan Botha

Megan started blogging 8 years ago as a beauty blogger, then as a mommy blogger when she had her baby and later relaunched as ByMeganKelly. Over the years as a blogger she has gained a lot of insight into digital marketing and she launched her career into digital marketing and she works for one of the leading digital agencies in South Africa. She is a strategist and works with more than 60 brands. Her passion is helping small businesses.

Megan now runs Cup Of Faith, an award-winning Christian blog and online network for Christian women. Our platform is designed to share, inspire and encourage fellow Christian women through blog posts, community reading plans, product reviews and much more!

I met Megan many years ago when she was blogging about her parenting journey and Kaboutjie was my online baby store. She reviewed the window skins that I was selling.

Judy McGregor

Judy has a website called Blog Boss which assists up and coming bloggers to get the right information and to get themselves out there. She also has Fun Mamma SA where she blogs about parenting, life and everything else that comes along being a mom of 7 in Cape Town.

I met Judy in person last year at a blogging event that she also attended with her youngest son. We hit it off immediately, so it was fantastic to have her join us in this live video.

Lauren Kinghorn

Lauren launched her first niche website 4 years ago – Happy Human Pacifier which is all about breastfeeding. Shortly after that she launched Inspiring Mompreneurs which has become her biggest brand online, where she interviews mompreneurs. She does a lot of sponsored posts and is moving into affiliate marketing. One of her big focuses at the moment is course creation.

I met Lauren shortly after she started blogging – we met through the website Wealthy Affiliate (we are both still members) and we have been firm friends ever since and regularly collaborate on projects together.