Welcome to the 5th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by Go Pet Friendly.
This is my third or fourth year participating in this challenge. Seriously I could look it up, but right now I’m too lazy, so let’s just say three and jump into the questions, okay?
1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about.
I celebrated (with no fanfare mind you) my fourth blogaversary (really, how do you spell that?) on December 1, 2014. Heart Like a Dog is a personal blog where I write (mostly) about life with my two lovable labs, Sampson and Delilah. At times there is drama and sadness but I do try and infuse my crazy sense of humor when sharing some of the (let’s call a spade a spade) bizarre outrageous insane situations I find myself in with these two nutty dogs.
Who you calling nutty?
2. Tell us one thing that you accomplished on your blog during 2014 that made you proud.
In September the Caring for Critters Round Robin took place. Forty two bloggers participated with over fifty posts! Those posts are all linked on the Community Page of this blog. I’m so proud at what we accomplished together and while I’m sad when someone needs to use it, I’m so grateful the page is there for those looking for some support.
3. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own blogs?
Have I learned any lessons? (Honestly, I’m quite dense sometimes.) Can I read everyone else’s response before I answer this?
4. What have you found to be the most successful way to bring traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content?
Shit! This is a lot harder than I remember. Truthfully when I stopped expecting this blog to make money, I stopped worrying about the traffic. BUT I have discovered that you have to expose your blog to many different venues. What I mean is, don’t be afraid to try new things. Join a different blog hop, add your voice to a Round Robin. Also, if you have a feature on your blog you’re not loving anymore, let it go. If your heart is in what you are doing, it will show, and it will bring traffic to your blog.
Reach out to other bloggers and bounce ideas off them. See if you can combine your creativity.
5. What was your most popular blog post this year? Did it surprise you that it was your most popular?
My most popular post was Five Pills in One Gulp. Don’t ask me why it was popular, maybe a lot of my readers give multiple pills to their dogs? And yes, it did surprise me. I have some damn funny posts and that one was serious!
6. What was your favorite blog post to write this year?
I like writing the funny posts and to me, nothing is funnier than poop, so I’d have to say, “The Grimm Business of Poopies.”
7. Has your policy on product reviews and/or giveaways changed this year?
My policy on product reviews has not changed. I really feel like I should be paid for sharing a product with my readers, HOWEVER if I really love the product or the incentive is great I will do a review. This past year I think I had four reviews, which is a lot for me.
If you do reviews, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all?
If I’m not getting paid to do a review, I do like to be able to offer something to my readers in the way of a giveaway.
If you don’t do reviews, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?
8. What’s your best piece of advice for other bloggers?
Stay true to yourself and if you aren’t loving what you are doing, don’t be afraid to try something new.
9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2015?
Ideally it would grow, really, really big. So big I’d be making mad money and I could stay home and spend time with the pups. Baring the blog exploding, I think it would have to be continue to develop and grow my readership.
10. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
How do I get my blog to grow really, really big? 🙂
Awesome post and I love the idea of this challenge! I’m going to do it!
Ha! Great answers. I think a lot of people would be asking that same last question…. Really, really big would be amazing!
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Can we work together to get our blogs really big, explode, and sit around in all our money all day at home? Sure wish there was a secret to that! We love your humor, don’t ever lose it!
This is our second year doing it – I love your answers!
Monty and Harlow
You realize if your blog gets enormous you’d never have time to spend with Sampson and Delilah because you’d always be supervising employees and trying to make it even bigger, right? 🙂
I’m going to read every challenge post to see if there is anyone out there NOT surprised by which posts get the most attention. I can’t tell you how many posts I’ve read on blogging websites telling you to write stuff people want to read. Well, duh.
Of course my blog stats show me that lots of people are looking for sites on having sex with dogs (ugh) and I’m not going there.
Keep being Jodi, my friend.
Thanks for sharing and your honesty about how challenging getting lots of visitors is. I’ve visited 20 blogs on the hop so far and can say you/we are not alone!
I love you!!! If you find the answer to your question please let me know!
Love love love your answers! I am so proud of you also for the round robin you did and that you talked me into it. I so enjoyed that post and you did a great job with setting it all up and the community page.
Jodi, if you get the answer to your last question, please share with me.
The title of this post… so true, my friend.
You are damn right to be proud of Caring for Critters – that was an amazing event and I’m sure that you helped so many people. As always, your generosity of spirit and desire to help others and create a community continues to inspire me.
I wish I had some advice on shooting your blog into the page views stratosphere, because you totally deserve it. This blog – and you – are simply amazeballs.
I (Frankie Furter) have been Blogging since Oct. 2008..
It has been a FUN FILLED RIDE…
WE love to read about the FUN stuffs that S. & D. do.
I can remember when COMMENTS numbered 25 to 40 for every post… That has surely Dropped OFF… I just did an Average for my entire Blog and it is now down to 23…
WE love having you as a Furend.
I really enjoyed reading this – I love the honesty and humor that you write with! I’d love to join you this year bringing in mad money from the blog!!!
I think the key is to focus on what you love and the readers will find you. But it doesn’t happen overnight and growth just takes time…unless you win the lottery and can sponsor lots of giveaways 😉
I think we’d all like to know how to get our blogs to grow really, really big. When you figure it out, let me know! 🙂
In the meantime, keep up the great work! You’ve got a fine blog here and I look forward to reading more this year!
Yes, blogging definitely can be challenging! But you sure seem up to that challenge. I am certainly not one to know the answer to your question. But I do agree with your idea of putting heads together with other bloggers and coming up with something. Plus, it’s just more fun to work on something with someone else!
I share your dream of my blog growing so big that I could stay home with the pups. I think I might have believed that dream was possible when I first started….but now I realize that it’s just a hobby that makes me a little extra income sometimes! It’s not such a bad thing, because before that I watched a lot more TV because I didn’t have anything else to do that interested me. So now we’re following our dreams to write, even though more for enjoyment, and I think that’s a great thing too.
I’m so glad Caring for Critters exists – it’s such a great resource to have for when we find ourselves having to face those challenges ourselves. It’s so much more insightful than just googling an issue and reading about the symptoms – I love knowing first hand what it’s like, and what I can expect. I love your blog – I fell in love with your humor instantly. It’s a real gift to be able to make people laugh out loud. I’m a complete newbie to blogging so unfortunately I don’t have any really spectacular advice on growing a blog into something really, really big. Since you have such an amazing wit I think you should consider doing a few guest posts on some big dog blogs or magazines. I believe the Bark & Dogster take submissions. I could imagine your guest posts doing really well and bringing in a bunch of new viewers to your blog.
Maybe read “How to Grow Your Blog For Dummies?” 🙂
I come here to hear about Delilah’s crazy antics, and to listen to an honest voice. A lot of other bloggers said “Stay true to who you are.” You don’t need that advice– this blog is 100% Jodi Stone, and that’s the best part about it. <3
BOL! I loved your last answer – if you figure out an easy way to make the big bucks by blogging (alliteration not intended), please share! 😉
I didn’t realize our blogaversaries were so close! I celebrated for years on November 29, 2014 (that was my first post and less than a week after I adopted Gretel). See you at BlogPaws this summer.
Personally, I love your two nutties. They’re lucky to have you, too! Your site is so awesome already, and the Caring for Critters cinched it as a must-go-to…you can be damn proud of what you’ve produced here. We all seem to really want to grow, maybe we can concoct a new method of increasing our readerships? It’s definitely the goal for 2015, though; I’ll be sharing your posts to help your explosion dream come true!
Who you callin’ nutty, lady?! =)
I love that when I come here I can always count on you to make me laugh – even when the subject is the challenges of blogging. I love that reading your blog is exactly like talking to you. And I love that your dogs are a constant source of entertainment. (Wait. Did I say entertainment? I’m sure I meant inspiration … yeah, inspiration, that’s it!)
The Caring for Critters Round Robin was fabulous! Thanks for creating that – it’s a great resource for people who are struggling with their pet’s health issues and need to know they’re not alone. And for taking the Challenge and for being so “Jodi.” The blogosphere is a better place with you in it!
I think growing is a challenge. With hops it is easy to grow among the pet blogging community, but reaching past is a bit more difficult. I have done a little this past year, although FB is a PITA these days. Always asking you to pay them to promote your posts and burying them if you don’t. I am going to spend more time on other social media and see what I can do there. Congrats on a fabulous year!
Great post Jodi. I so wish I had an answer for you for this one: “How do I get my blog to grow really, really big?” I’ve been asking myself the same question for years…
This has been a wonderful challenge! I really enjoy learning how other bloggers go about things.
Oh and if you find out how to grow your blog really really big…..let me know! 😉
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
I have enjoyed getting to know you. Keep up the good work and never give up – excited to see you in May at BlogPaws.
Hi Jodi! Nice to be back visiting your blog. Sorry I haven’t been around the blogosphere much these past couple years. I’m hoping to get back in the groove this year.
I hope you meet your goal of growing really, really big so you can spend your days hanging out with the pups. Funny thing is as time has gone on I feel like my blog has exploded a few times and not in a good way.
Unfortunately, I don’t have the magic bullet for becoming really, really big 🙁 If you find the key I’d like to know as well.
Best of luck to you and the blog in 2015!