New Year’s is always a good time to take a look at where we were and where we want to be. Thanks to Go Pet Friendly we take the time to look at our blog with the Pet Blogger Challenge. I’m a Pet Blogger Challenger veteran having taken part in the Challenge in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014(I was a little late with this one), and 2015.
1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone who is visiting for the first time, please give a quick description of the subject of your blog.
Wow! It’s hard to believe but 2007 was when I took over a little piece of the Internet to start Pet Product Review(can you guess what it was about?). And now just last week Pet Product Review transformed to this site, Pet Faves. My how our blogs grow up. Why the change? I wanted to do more than just reviews and felt bad doing it on PPR. I also worried that since I was on the .net that someone would come along and start a site on petproductreview.com that would confuse people(The .com is for sale, but for way too much money.) It is also nice having a much shorter name. All my social media accounts can match. PPR was too long for some accounts(One more letter! It’s all I needed!) so I would use petproductrevue and that is just too meh. Pet Faves will still continue to do reviews, but I will also share cool, fun, and new pet products for pets and their people.
I love the ideas of blogs and couldn’t stop at just one. afFURmation was started shortly after PPR as a general pet blog. Then I started NEPA Pets as a hyperlocal pet blog. Now that I know I can do it, I’ll be combining the 2 into 1 soon.
2. What is the one thing that you accomplished during 2015, either on your blog or because of it, that made you most proud?
I got all my posts and pages from PPR transferred to Pet Faves all by myself! I find doing things like this scary, but lack of money can propel you to learn a lot of things(I can also fix the toilet).While a low blogging budget is one reason I attempted it, I also like knowing how to handle what is going on under my blog’s hood.
3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)
5 Gift Ideas To Give Instead Of A Pet Rabbit For Easter is a favorite of mine. Easter is notoriously a bad time for bunnies. People often get them as an Easter gift for their kid. Months later, they decide a rabbit isn’t for them and shelters get overrun with them. This post was a way I could help deter someone from getting a rabbit.
4. A common theme from last year’s challenge was that many of us wanted to increase the size of our audiences. Whether or not we intend to monetize our blogs, it seems we’d all like to reach more people. It feels good to know that we’re connecting with others, sharing a laugh or supporting a cause, and it’s motivating to see those numbers grow! What is one thing you’ve done in the past year that has brought more traffic to your blog?
I wish I could say I did something but I didn’t. I find juggling all the social media, the blog, the job and the critter crew a little difficult and I tend to let it overwhelm me then I do nothing. This year I’m going to work on scheduling more social media posts ahead of time to help improve my traffic.
5. Which of your blog posts got the most traffic this year? Why do you think it was so popular? (Please include a link.)
My Breezeguard review is one of my most popular posts. I think it’s popular because people looking for a way their dog can enjoy the wind in their face will riding in the car, but stay safe.
6. What is one blog that you read religiously – other than your own – and what makes you such a devoted reader? (Please include a link.)
No way I could pick one. I have so many blogs from a variety of niches in my feed reader. Some I read to learn about something. Some I read to laugh with. Some I read to keep up with my fellow bloggers. Some I read because they have something I’d like to bring to my blog. I might read certain blogs first while others don’t get read until I have a ton of free time, but each has something that earned them a place in my reader.
7. What resources do you rely on to enhance your technical, writing, photography, social media, or other skills that improve your blog?
A lot of the blogs in my feed reader are there because they are a big resource for my blogging. I also like Facebook blogging groups to ask questions and learn about more resources. Then there is Google. Google was a big help in getting my blog moved, learning about how to modify my theme and get my site back up in the search ranking. Thank you Google!
8. What is the best piece of advice you can offer other bloggers?
Change is going to happen whether it is forced on you(I’m talking about you Facebook) or something you decided to do(like change your blog name and site). Don’t let it stress you too much. The stress isn’t worth it.
9. What is your vision for your blog in 2016? Do you have specific goals?
New blog. New beginnings. I’m still working on getting the site set up so haven’t really set goals. I’d like to work on getting my social media scheduled on a regular basis, on posting regularly, and on getting better at promoting my own stuff.
10. You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there one blogging challenge you’d like help with, or one aspect of your blog that you’d like input on?
I’d love to know what type of pets everyone has. If you have a moment, please let me know in this quick survey.
Congratulations on transforming PPR to Pet Faves! I know you said not to, but I always stress out about making big moves with my blog. I can’t wait to see what you have in store and I always enjoy reading a good pet product review. I filled out the survey. Best of luck in 2016!
Thank you Colby! And thanks for taking my little survey! It is hard not to stress because there is a lot to stress about, but I always try to think about the positive aspects.
I love meeting so many new bloggers through the Pet Blogger’s Challenge! This is my first time visiting your site but it was so nice to meet you and learn a little about your blog. Here’s to a wonderful 2016!
Nice to meet you Elaine! Welcome to my blog! The Pet Blogger Challenge is a great way to meet new bloggers and it keeps getting bigger each year. I’ll be sure to stop by your blog and say hi as I make my way around this week.
I love your new name and think the site is looking really great! Amazing how much you are forced to learn on a tight blogging budget isn’t it! We have been pushed to figure out all sorts of technical things we never would have expected when starting the blog!
I have never heard of the breezeguard before – what an awesome idea! I have always worried about letting the boys stick their heads out the open window!
Thanks Kevin! It does make me feel good when I learn how to mess with my blog, but there are times I wish I could just hand it off to someone else and not have to deal with it. Someday… 🙂