Welcome… If this is the first you’ve heard of the Pet Blogger Challenge and you’d like to participate, you can find the questions in this post.
Questions for Repeat Offenders
1. How long have you been blogging and provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.
I have been blogging about five years, how is that possible??? wow, and here is last year’s post…
http://celiasue.com/2012/01/10/pet-blogger-challenge-2012/
2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?
having fun writing, every day, ok, well, been slacking on the writing every day blog posts but I did start a couple of other blogs this past year, too, so there… pfffttt to my inner critic…
3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?
I think that writing good quality blog posts is important for my blogs and I’ve expanded the content/focus of what I’ve wanted to write about this year… eclectic… particularly important to me were political issues that popped up and felt important to me… so I added my voice to women’s issues that people were talking about and of course, the presidential election that went on forever. All in all, I think as a writer being flexible and willing to change, also as a human being at this time of momentous change on the planet, is important… so going with the flow of my passions and what needs expressing should be in there in my goals.
I now have between 300-500+ visitors a day, sometimes 1,000, my biggest day was 8,878 or something CRAZY (up from 200-300 a day) and I’ve definitely expanded the groups, people, I communicate with on a regular basis. And I’ve had a number of folks guest blog for me which is always FUN.
4. How often do you post?
As I said above, the goal has been to blog every day, but I have cut down to maybe 3-4 times a week, except when unusually inspired. Branching out to other subject matter leaves less time, too.
5. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed?
Don’t think it has changed much. As a writer, it is good discipline to write every day about SOMETHING.
If you don’t publish on a schedule, why? How do you think your decision affects your audience? How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”
6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your tips for staying on top of it all.
It ebbs and flows… average, I’d say it takes 10-20 hours a week writing and maybe 3-5 hours visiting other blogs.
7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)? Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of assessing the quality of those interactions?
Hmmm, good question. I look at numbers and comments AND I think how often do people interact with me (on a regular basis, every blue moon) counts too. Sometimes I am passionate about the topic or think something is hysterically funny or interesting and no one else does, ok, I can live with that. And there are always controversies that brew up and create lots of traffic out of nowhere. Sometimes that is a real pain frankly. And sometimes it is affirming. So quality depends upon who I am interacting with and how I value them. Are they credible or some troll ? Is it another writer/blogger or a fly by night visitor? I LOVE that I have almost 200 subscribers and would like that number to increase, of course to 2,000, then I will know that I have ARRIVED… LOL…
I watched a movie about the author Jackie Suzanne last night. She wrote Valley of the Dolls in the 70′s and a few other books. What was inspiring to me as a writer was how she sold her books everywhere and made her book #1. She created her own opportunities and went for what she wanted in a BIG way. She had chutzpah and created a public persona. Ok, writing diva here I come, LOL…
8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
Another great question. I’d love people’s input on topics they find that generate the most comments/traffic at their blog. I prefer to focus on POSITIVE topics and not so much on cuteness of my dog… AND there is a time and a place for funny photos. where do YOU get your funny photos and pet news (besides from living with your furry friends)??? How can my blog be more relevant, I guess. Since Cici and I are not traveling much anymore, does it matter that I do not write that much about traveling anymore, do you care? thanks.
9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?
My blog is helping to expand my writing opportunities (income and creative-wise). It is becoming more innovative and FUN to read. More pertinent and relevant. And I’d love to have my blog have more impact, positive impact, upon how animals/pit bulls are treated and seen by the public at large. It is important for me that Cici is seen as a great ambassadog, even when she is being naughty. And to make more friends with people who blog and writers who blog about writing/romance fiction.
Whew, we survived another Pet Blogger Challenge… now join the fun, thanks to Amy at Go Pet Friendly for this year’s …
http://gopetfriendlyblog.com/third-annual-pet-blogger-challenge/