The Rising Culture of the Mummy Blogger
I started our blog back in June 2012 shortly after the birth of our twins. Writing is a passion of mine and it’s always been something that I have enjoyed. I consider myself to be quite creative, so as well as writing, I enjoy making my own products and I could easily spend an afternoon making something crafty. When I first started my blog I did so because I wanted to share our experiences of IVF. During our treatment I found that there was a lack of personal accounts of IVF online. I could find many factual articles, but nothing about the ins and outs and personal emotions and the wellbeing of those actually going through this journey. In addition to sharing our experiences, I wanted to create a place that other people could use to share their IVF experiences. I also wanted to create a lasting memory for our twins. Something that they can look back on when they’re older.
Within a few months of entering the blogosphere, I was offered the chance to review a few products and over the last year I have tested and trialled some amazing things. Most recently I have been lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to write and host some sponsored articles. This is something that I enjoy because I feel that the articles I agree to post on our blog are beneficial to our readers. I have turned down a number of offers that I feel don’t fit in with the theme of my blog and therefore means my readers wouldn’t benefit from it either. Sadly however, this is not the case for everyone.
I have found that some of my favourite blogs have started to lack the personal touch. This is because they are accepting so many sponsored posts and reviews that to me their blog isn’t something that I find interesting anymore. Day after day that’s all there is, sponsored post after sponsored post. I have also seen a rise in the amount of people who have started blogging purely for the monetary benefits. Whilst this is something that I occasionally enjoy, I feel that the blogging world could soon become something that loses its credibility due to this.
Blogs offer many benefits to brands, small businesses and parents. For parents, blogs can offer support as well as a place to share stories and exchange tips with one another. I’ve even heard the phrase ‘a new wave of feminism’ being bandied about as the majority of bloggers are female, but that doesn’t mean that the men aren’t getting in on the act either! More and more dads are taking to their laptops in a bid to give us mummies a run for our money! For brands and small business, mummy blogs are a valuable place to promote their products or services. After all mummy blogs are trusted by parents, they’re popular and they are big influencers. There are so many mummy bloggers out there now and it appears that a lot of them are jumping on the band wagon just to receive freebies. A simple look at the PR Request hashtag (#prrequest) on Twitter reveals a stream of people asking for all sorts of things. Clothes, home ware, toasters! It’s starting to get silly. I can appreciate the value that a blog brings to a brand. We have a trusty, faithful audience and our opinions matter to them, but are we in danger of ourselves?
Are we getting greedy and more brazen in our requests for products to review? After all we are a nation of savvy shoppers and extreme couponing! We love a bargain and with online shopping putting popular high street chains out of business, is it any wonder that more and more people are turning to those who have had a chance to test drive products first?
Blogging conferences are becoming more and more popular with brands seemingly willing to throw everything at mummy bloggers and mummy bloggers just as willing to pay high prices for tickets to these events in order to socialise, meet fellow bloggers and attend workshops to improve their blogs. It seems that what once started out as a hobby is fast turning into a business for many.
What do you think?
