Women Bloggers Catching the Popularity (and Money) Wave
Friday, August 15th, 2008
According to the New York Times, the number of visitors to female-oriented websites has nearly doubled in the last two years. Along with this unprecedented growth, a few big name women bloggers are cashing in on lucrative advertising deals.
Heather Armstrong, author of the wildly popular ‘mommy blog’ dooce.com is on track to make seven times the revenue that she did in 2006, due mostly in part to the advertising heavily laced throughout her site.
Ranking within the top 500 blogs in the world, part of dooce’s appeal is Armstrong’s authenticity; she doesn’t mince words and isn’t afraid to throw in the occasional obscenity. Her passion shows through, even though most of her posts are waxing poetic on daily life in Utah with her husband, daughter and dog. “It’s really raw and unfiltered, not run through a committee of 12 people who need to approve what you say. It’s the real deal,” she proclaims of her writing. Because of this unwavering honesty, she has established herself as one of the most respected voices in the world of mommy blogs.
Besides blogs focusing on motherhood, makeup, fashion and relationship advice have proved to be the most lucrative topics embraced by women. Part of the sudden push by blogs to cater to women’s needs hinges on the fact that they make most of the decisions regarding household purchases. And, earning their trust (and some of their buying power) is irresistible to advertisers.
For the most part, advertisers are steering clear of blogs promoting serious topics like politics in favor of lighter fare including fashion and celebrities because they’re what women are clamoring for. They claim that these are tried-and-true since they’ve been the staples in women’s magazines for years.
Many women including Armstrong have hit the big time; they’ve been given the opportunity to quit their day jobs and stay at home with the kids in exchange for sharing their daily anecdotes. Advertisers can’t get enough of their candidness and who can blame them? These bloggers’ stories don’t come from a movie script; they’re real life experiences that we can all relate to.





