Friday 22 May 2015

Is the Parent Blogger market saturated?

Is the “Parent Blogger” market saturated? There are now thousands of us out there churning out blog posts left, right and centre. But how many more great parent bloggers will come forward trying to be the next super high profile power blogger? All clamouring to be called up to write opinion pieces for well known media sources or even the TV Mecca, an appearance on This Morning! There is certainly a wide pool of genuinely talented writers out there, all willing to write pieces for online newspapers for free in the ambitious hope that the exposure will send them stratospheric. (Those papers have it sussed! Great content, written for free!)

Where will it end? Will we all just implode into some big blogosphere black hole leaving a sorry trail of burnt out lap tops, tablets and PCs behind us?

Sure, lots of us SAY that we are just blogging for ourselves....as a little hobby or some “me” time or as an online diary for our families to read or whatever. But who, really, is gonna turn down having a piece published in say, The Daily Mail?! Because even tho most of us hate it....most of us still guiltily read the side bar of shame and covet the opportunity to write articles which we all think we could have written better, whilst simultaneously bashing out the least bitter compliments we can muster to the successful fellow blogger currently filling your screen... (or is that just me....)

I wonder if Carrie Bradshaw is to blame? The image imprinted on most of our brains of her puffing away on the now forbidden (shriek!) Marlboro Light, writing up her column in her cool NY apartment, having had a night of cocktails and hilarity with her mates in some super cool venue! Isn’t that what at least SOME of us fantasise about when we’re stuck in our grubby, kids snot covered PJs, cradling luke warm tea, greasy haired and bleary eyed, writing up our latest BRILLIANT piece?! That’s gonna be me! I’m gonna be as cool as Carrie! When I’ve lost all this baby weight (that I seemed to have before babies) and when my kids are at least in full time education, and I’ve had more than 4 hours sleep in one go and we have won the lottery so that someone can clean my super cool house in New York whilst I write up my latest COLUMN (it will be a proper column) for the New York TIMES!

No? 

Essentially though the parenting community is lovely network to be a part of. It’s vast and varied and incredibly supportive. Any bitterness at other’s success is unlikely to be aimed at others...just an internal envy...why couldn’t it be me?! Why aren’t I that funny/clever/savvy?!

 And I’m in no way denigrating this community by suggesting there maybe too many of us. That would be pissing on my own doorstep! It has helped me through a hell of a lot of tough times in my parenting career so far, and I hope this continues. There’s always someone online at any hour to chat to on Twitter or Facebook, awake for probably the same reasons as me. I’ve really had great advice and learnt tons and tons about parenting from being in touch with such a great lot.

Of course there really are some parent bloggers who are just happy to blog away with no ambition other than to entertain themselves and their readers. Parents who like having products to review, or running competitions, or running linkies, or just posting gorgeous pics of their kiddies. Not everyone is as cynical and competitive as me!

But there are just so many of us bloggers aspiring to the adulation of the masses out there! We’re multiplying faster than wet gremlins. (Old skool reference there). People are realising that it’s a very easy, fun, potentially ego-boosting way to occupy your time. And when you’re breastfeeding, your little ones are having a nap (like mine RIGHT NOW), or when they’re finally asleep at night...all you have to do is fire up the old laptop/tablet/PC and tap out some of your funnier or more entertaining experiences of the day.

Who knows where the Parent Blogging phenomenon will end up.... I will be interested to see if it’s still going strong in 10 or even 5 years time. And what will be the thing to usurp it? Vlogging seems to be getting more popular. Maybe there’ll be a TV channel just for parents? Live streaming parenting? All I know is that I’ll probably still be there at the back, desperately trying to get to the front and have my OPINIONZ IN YOUR FACE!!!!! Watch out world, Mrs Helicopter is coming to get you!!!!!

UPDATE 14-07-2015: OMG I predicted it here first! One word: Periscope! SPOOOOOOKY! I can see into the future! 

BritMums


21 comments :

  1. Love this and the sound of live streaming for parents, I think the opportunities for us all are endless!

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  2. Hehe! Look forward to the streaming of glamour and tantrums coming from your house Vicky!!! Xxx

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  3. Interesting! I am not sure it'll ever end really. I enjoy blogging and would love to be successful. I think if I had more time I could do better with it. It's more than a blog; it's socal media and a community too. Who knows what the future holds. vlogging is big but you can't beat the written word! x

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    1. Ha! But you are a bit biased because you're a total book worm!! Xxxx

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  4. So interesting. This very thought has been occupying my mind recently. There is so much parenting content! I blogged last year about the Carrie Bradshaw effect :). Read a fab piece for brands/companies recently about why bloggers should charge and be paid. Content is so valuable. But maybe there are too many of us doing it now... Thanks for reading my mind :)

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    1. Oooh tweet me the link to the Carrie Bradshaw post! Great minds! ;)

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  5. Interesting. I am a new blogger. I started, and in fact continue for therapy... but if this is just therapy, why do I bother checking readership stats? I don't know where my blog will end up but did the moment I'm enjoying the journey. X

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    1. Because it IS fascinating and flattering to think that someone else in the world is interested in what you have to say! It becomes addictive! Watch out! ;) Xx

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  6. To say I'm just in it for myself would be lying, however, I don't want to be famous. Having a little recognition would be lovely.

    I love the community and think there's enough room for us all. We all have different perspectives on life. I'll be keeping my eyes on you Mrs. You'll be up there with the rest of them in no time!

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  7. haha! I doubt it but thanks for the leap of faith! ;) Xxxx

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  8. You are so correct in this blog. I started blogging a couple of months ago, and I love it, and hell no....I am not going to say no to a guest blog in a big paper. But I am competing with a gazillion other mothers to do so too. I am happy writing and if I give my few readers (not many) a laugh, that makes my day. I am cool with that.

    One day, when the world is about to end and everyone else is flying to Mars freedom, you know they are going to say "All the Mummy Bloggers can stay". And we all know they will get rid of a lot of people then :)

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  9. Mummy in Training6 June 2015 at 14:00

    This is something I have wondered too to be honest. There are an awful lot of us out there but maybe we all bring something different to the table? After all no family is the same. Great post #brilliantblogposts x

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  10. I'm new to this 'business' but definitely feel like there's new blogs all the time. Some people will fade away though, once they realise how much hard work it is!!!! But I'm all for there being millions of us for we all have something different to offer. And there's nothing I love more than finding a new blog (like yours) that makes me laugh, cry or nod in agreement. Jess x

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    1. Yeah i love finding new blogs too. Especially as i am so fickle and keep changing what i am interested in!

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  11. Great post! I don't think it'll ever end! I think blogging will continue to grow and increase with more and more of us out there!

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  12. Hi Jess, been nosying around your blog as a fellow Selfish Mother and I love this post (and lots of others too). Ever since I started writing for SM last year I have been umming and aahing (if that is how you spell that) about setting up my own blog and the same thoughts go around in my head - there are so many 'mum' blogs so why would readers suddenly want to read mine? and how would I be able to keep it relevant and current? And the little imp of self-doubt creeps in and convinces me again not to embark on my own blog. But then I think , its nice to have lots of options an lots of places to go to read so maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing. And I think you're absolutely right there is a little bit of all of us that wants a post to be picked up by a national rag and they push us onto that podium and suddenly discover what awesome writers we are:-) xx

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    1. Go for it! If you're being published on Selfish Mother then you obviously have a talent for writing (that's what i tell myself!) so you have an advantage already starting your own blog.

      And i love a good stalk so you snoop away! :D

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    2. Thank you Jess x Maybe I will bite the bullet and set myself up this year, who knows. I will keep snooping in the meantime ;-) x

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    3. Good luck. Find me on Twitter or Facebook if u want any help xxxx

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