Many thanks to our friend Amy, at the Go Pet Friendly Blog, for hosting this annual challenge. I think this is the 4th or 5th year we’ve participated. Not sure what it’s about? It’s sort of an evaluation of your blog, a sharing of dreams, and the opportunity to ask your fellow bloggers for advice.
So let’s get to it!
1) When did you start your blog and, for anyone who is just seeing it for first time, please provide a description of your site. Would you say your blog focuses more on sharing stories with your readers, or providing a resource for your audience?
I started this blog December 1, 2010. Initially, I had no idea what I was blogging about, but within a couple of months, I’d settled on my dogs. Mostly I share stories about the dogs. The trials and tribulations, the good and the bad, and I try like hell to find the humor in whatever it is I’m writing about.
2) What was your proudest blogging moment of 2016?
2016 wasn’t the best year for me, but I did agree to co-host the Pet Blogger Showcase. I can’t say I’m a great host, but it does make me accountable, and keeps me blogging and visiting other blogs
3) Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)
I love Urine Luck. It was funny (IMO), informative and I think I SEO’d the shit out of it. I think they (the people that say such things) call it Evergreen Content.
4) Year after year, one goal that we all seem to share is that we want to reach more people. What one tool did you use or action did you take this year that had the most impact on increasing traffic to your blog?
When I was actually working on the blog, I tried to be more interactive on my Facebook page. Honestly, I can’t keep up with the Social Media, and I think that was one (of many) reasons, that I struggled so much this year. I decided to focus on just one medium and it seemed to work.
5) Which of your blog posts got the most traffic this year? (Please include a link.) Have you noticed any themes across your most popular posts?
You know…I suck at the stat thing, but when I check the one that STILL gets the most traffic is one I wrote to Sampson on his 8th Birthday. “Happy Birthday My Love.” The post I wrote this year that got the most traffic was the Trick or Treat Giveaway Hop.
6) What blog do you find most inspirational and how has it influenced your blog? (Please include a link.)
I don’t visit nearly as much as I used to, but I love Life at Golden Pines. Kim and her husband Carl foster Golden Retrievers. Most of Kim’s fosters are older dogs, who through no fault of their own, find themselves looking for a home. Kim and Carl provide a safe place until a forever home is found, and sometimes…well sometimes they find that Golden Pines is their home.
Kim and her blog inspire me to be a better person, and to try and write my blog with as much love as she shows in her writing.
I’m also a big FAN of My GBGV Life. She posts five times a week, runs Nosework trials, has amazing photos, and just added a third GBGV to the pack. Oh, and did I mention, she works too? Honestly, I’d like to know how she does it all, or maybe she has a Time Turner, or doesn’t sleep. I’m not sure. All I know is she inspires me to try harder.
7) What is one thing your readers don’t know about you or your pets that would surprise them?
Guys, I pretty much lay it all out there. If there’s something you don’t know, odds are I don’t know it either. 🙂
8) What is something you’ve learned this year that could help other bloggers?
Self-care is important. If you aren’t enjoying your blog or blogging, it’s okay to take a break.
9) What would you like to accomplish on your blog in 2017?
I honestly have no idea. I think I’d really like to figure out if I want to keep this blog going, or if it’s time to let it go.
10) Now it’s your turn! You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there a question you’d like answered, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on?
Literally, I’m lost. I can’t seem to find the energy to blog lately. Don’t get me wrong, stuff is still happening. Sampson’s still struggling with his CCL tear, and he’s had Dr. visits. We’ve had DADO encounters, I mean life is still happening here.
The trouble is, I can formulate the posts in my head, but when I sit down to write, I just can’t. So what do you do for that? Is there a way to get past the block? How long does it go on before you just pull the plug? Those are questions I’d like answers to.
Welcome to the 7th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge.
Oh the struggle. I have to take a break, put no pressure on myself, and resume when I feel like it. I hope you find the mojo soon, love it here.
Oh heavens, we are so honored you find our blog so interesting! You will always be in our hearts and minds for your nose work posts which have morphed into almost an addiction to the sport and other dogs sports as well at our house! We are super busy here and don’t have a lot of down time, but I think our secret is that Mom has found that for her right now, life is dogs. She started her own business so she can work from home and hopefully make more money than she was, we do a lot of dog sports, have dog friends, and dog blog. Life is dog and right now it works for us. We certainly hope you don’t disappear from blogging, but we also know many people just need a break at some point. We have learned to not stress over what to blog about as something always comes up. We always love your posts as they typically make us really laugh! Our advice to you is to just let it happen and if it does, write about it.
Oh, Jodi, it just makes me so sad that you’re thinking of giving up the blog. I miss you, Sampson and Delilah, and hearing about everything that’s going on…..good and bad.
I wish I had an answer for you, but I haven’t experienced that block yet, at least not for more than just a day or two. Have you tried working on your book at all, or are you blocked everywhere? Maybe start a daily journal, just write what you feel, and see if that helps?
Sometimes taking photos helps me too….just capturing something silly or cute the dogs are doing and sharing something simple like that.
Whatever it is, I hope you find the answers. ♥
Sorry you are struggling so much. What if you try different type of writing like a daily journal or your book until you feel the inspiration start to grow again for the blog.
Thank you for being a cohost for the Pet Blogger Showcase! I really appreciate it!
Oh my gosh, I LOVED the Urine Luck post; it’s classic Jodi all the way!
I was thinking, a good way to overcome writer’s block might be to try something different for a few posts. Maybe try shaking things up with a poll/survey, recipe, DIY project, poetry, infographic, etc. OR, how about a video interview with a local DADO, lol!
Anything you find fun and refreshing would probably reinvigorate those creative writing juices.
I think self care (that’s the nice term for it. My brain is much meaner about it when I do it!) is the reason S’more Dogs became a string of Wordless Wednesdays in the latter part of the year.
OK from now on if I ever mention SEO in any context whatsoever it’s going to be “SEO the shit out of it.” I think you need to trademark that right away 🙂
I so wish I had an answer for how to get back the block. I go in spurts where my motivation to write fades, even if I have plenty of ideas. A couple of methods that have worked in the past for me have been to record ideas/posts & then type them out or get a fancy gadget to translate them into something mostly legible (probably has to do with lazy talking or something on my part), or trying to write in a different location. Sometimes the simplest little distraction can lead me astray (Laika nudging my hand non-stop or the boyfriend asking me how to make noodles….), so occasionally I’ll be the weirdo that locks myself in a spare room to get some writing done.
I love the Urine In Luck post! One of my favorites of all time!
Over the year I’ve found that I enjoy blogging much more when I’m writing things that I enjoy rather than writing for SEO. Sure I’ll still throw a few of those posts in there but I won;t let it consume. That’s what I did last year and it really helped me have a good blogging year.
Staying focused is one of my biggest obstacles. All of my ideas tend to come at once and then I’m overwhelmed with where to start!
Absolutely loved that Urine Luck post. It still makes me laugh just thinking about it. I know that sometimes the creative juices seem to evaporate or the muse within us goes on long term disability. When it happens to me, I find I have to be extra gentle and not put additional pressure on myself. Selfishly I’d be sick if you stopped blogging but understand a ‘girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do.’ I for one will be right here with my fingers crossed you don’t stop. Hang in there❣️
I can’t imagine life without HLAD, and I hope you don’t give it up; but, like Monika, I know a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do”. Not being a consistent blogger myself, I’m hardly qualified to give you advice. I find I just have to stick to my plan of only blogging when “the spirit moves me”, or I’ll end up giving up altogether. And I’d hate to do that after setting up the new blog in Callie’s honor last year.
Wow. I didn’t realize that we, literally, almost started our blog the same day. I posted my very first blog post on November 29, 2010! I do hope you choose to stick around. I really like your honesty and humor. I get that it can be hard to sit down and write though. What helps me is to just start writing with no “rules”. I mean, I try to stick to the topic but I don’t pay attention to grammar, spelling too much, or structure. It’s just like a brain dump. At least then I have something to work with. I can usually massage that into a post I’m happy with. Sometimes I split it into two so I actually started TWO post drafts. Good luck to you in 2017.
I understand your struggles and frustrations. As you say, life still happens, it just doesn’t spark inspiration anymore for some reason. There are very few times I sit down and complete a post in one continuous setting … I usually get stuck … then check the weather and the news and social media … get a couple more lines, then repeat the checking … sometimes I feel like I’m trying to milk a rock. I’ve learned a lot about self-care this year. While I’ve been blogging for two years, I only really joined the blogosphere (commenting on other blogs) 7 or 8 months ago. Blogging is the one job where you are NEVER, NEVER done. There are always more blogs to discover and comment on … more posts in the draft folder that we mean to get back to … more design ideas we’d like to incorporate on the blog itself … it just NEVER ends. Blogging can suck up just about every single second of every single day if you let it. And I fell for it and lost any joy from creating or commenting. Cutting my blogging schedule was the first step back (from 7 to 4 days) … then I decided I would only visit other blogs on the days I post. I still find myself more stressed than I should be. For me, stress absolutely destroys my creativity – so then I’m struggling to create content … leading to MORE stress. I feel like I’m babbling … but I think we’re at similar places right now. I wish I had the answers for both of us!
Hi, just come along to say hello, and say how wonderful it is to meet new friends and see what gives them inspiration and focus. Have a wonderful week. purrs ERin
I always love getting a peek behind the scenes! Your posts almost always make me laugh. I hope you get inspired to blog more.