[The Productive Mommy Series] How to be a Mommy Blogger

 

As a mother of three young children, I was surprised to find that each of my children were so very different from one another. With each child came his or her own unique challenges, therefore leading me to constantly try new parenting techniques to overcome these issues. By the time my youngest child was one and half years old, I had gathered up an enormous mental list of all the tips and advice I could share with other mothers that would benefit them through the stages of pregnancy through parenthood. As a result, I decided to take my knowledge and parenting experiences that resided within my mind and transfer them into blog posts for others to learn from.

In the first of my series of articles, I will share my top ten tips on how to be a successful and productive blogger mommy. Look out for my future articles; they’ll be full of tips on how to be a productive mother, whilst balancing all the key duties of Muslimah.

When I first started my blog, I decided to use WordPress as my blog platform, although there are many different platforms to choose from, such as Blogger and Tumblr. Starting a blog is free of cost, and there are countless themes and templates to choose from. Social media is an excellent tool to use in order to spread the word of your posts and attract readers from around the world.

Keep in mind, that the role of a mommy blogger is not an easy one to say the least, for it requires you to work around your children’s schedule and let’s face it, that’s never a breeze! However, with the proper planning and scheduling, it can it possible to balance being both a mommy and a blogger, with all the other roles required of a Muslim woman. Of course, you don’t have to be a mommy to be a blogger – just a productive Muslimah with an idea!

1. Have sincere intention, desire and passion

Intention is everything! You can combine many intentions for maximum reward: for example, have the intention to help others, the intention to better yourself through creative expression, the intention to share beneficial knowledge. If pleasing Allah is our main aim, then we have already succeeded, no matter how many people read your blog.

The second thing you will need to become a mommy blogger is a strong internal desire and passion for writing and sharing your experiences. You must genuinely love to write and want to connect with others; this desire and passion is what will help motivate you  to publish a blog post regularly.

2. Write down your ideas

It is key to write down an idea for a blog post as soon as it comes to mind. Being a mom can mean your thoughts are all over the place, so before you lose a great blog post idea, write it down in a notebook or your phone/tablet, so you don’t forget it. You can also put it on your social media platforms, or ask your friends to also help you online and open their website to post ideas and share along.

3. Set realistic goals

Writing down goals will motivate you to meet them. Consider your situation and be realistic in how many blog posts you are able to publish every month. If you have young children, or children who require special attention, then set a goal for publishing one blog post every week instead of two posts a week. Consistency over quantity!

4. Stay connected with other sisters

Get connected with sisters who follow your blog through social media; Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter are great ways to communicate with your followers and a excellent tools for sharing your blog posts. Furthermore, your followers will give you feedback on what posts they would like to see from you, providing you with ideas for future posts.

5. Get the housework done

Try to get the housework done earlier on in the day, this way you have the rest of the day to spend with your family and work on blog posts. The less housework there is, the less stress you will have as a mommy blogger.

6. Create a schedule

Create a schedule that allows you to allocate your time wisely. As a mother, the best time to draft for a blog post is right after you put the kids to bed. Schedule in one hour for all the other things that come with blogging; connecting with your followers on social media, checking e-mail, etc. Moreover, try to find pockets of time within the day for blogging, for instance staying up after Fajr prayer is a great time for productivity, and perhaps after Dhuhr prayer (when the kids are napping) would be an ideal time to edit a blog post.

7. Get inspired

If you feel uninspired and don’t know what to blog about, then take inspiration from your surroundings, from people around you, and gems from the Qur’an and Sunnah. Blog about a pivotal moment in your life, how you’re feeling, what your stance is on an important situation, how motherhood has changed you, what your children have taught you, how your faith has changed since becoming a parent, and so on. Furthermore, get creative and publish your blog posts in different formats. For the days that you don’t have time to write a lengthy and detailed post, try posting a simple visual or a short poem instead.

8. Seek assistance and take a break

As a Muslimah mommy, it is normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time; that’s why it is key to ask your loved ones for help. Ask your spouse or family members to watch the children while you work on a few blog post ideas, or just take a break from everything altogether. Often times, taking a small break refreshes your mind and gives you new ideas and instant motivation to get back on track.

9. Network with other blogging sisters

Get in contact with other mommy bloggers and have them write a guest blog post for your blog. Guest blog posts are great if you are not able to write a blog post yourself in certain situations, i.e your children are sick or you are feeling unwell yourself. Also, don’t be afraid to ask other mommy bloggers for advice and tips, and consider reposting some of their blog posts (always ask for permission first) on your blog.

10. Surround yourself with positivity

Be in the presence of individuals that remind you why you started blogging in the place, people who will encourage you, and tell you you are doing a great job! Make lots of du’a to constantly purify your intention, read good books for inspiration and use the stories of pious women as examples to juggle all the different roles we have as Muslim women.

Now you’re ready to pick a topic, theme and title…blog away and remember to share your first post with me! If you have been motivated to start writing or are already blogging, share your inspirations and links below!