Pet Blogger Challenge - Paws to Reflect

Once again, Amy from Go Pet Friendly has put us to the task of reviewing our goals and achievements with the third annual pet blogger challenge.This is open to all pet bloggers, so grab the questions, put on your thinking cap, and join the linky!

1.  How long have you been blogging? Provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.

 I've been blogging 5 or 6 years

Here's last year's post! 

2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?

Last year I challenged myself to step it up with more useful content, topics that will help other pet parents or get them thinking.

 3.  Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?

I’ve added Brooks’ Books (book reviews), more guest posts, and a feature called Pointer and Counterpointer, discussing two sides of an issue.  I’ve also started a newsletter, PPP’s Pawsitvely Pets which is kinda like a short, cool ezine, where I share good news, dog treat recipes, and popular posts, and I’m having so much fun with it, I hope you check it out!

 I don’t tend to take on really controversial topics on the blog, but I think I’ve been successful in steering away from obvious topics that may be common knowledge to most pet blog readers who, as you know, are very smart already.  In my effort to avoid controversy, however, I think sometimes I play it too safe. I may brush the surface instead of revealing my deepest thoughts. I still marvel at some of my favorite bloggers (you know who you are!) and wish I’d said that.

4. How often do you post? 

Minimum of 3 days/week, up to 6 days/week

5. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed?

I love having a schedule!

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

As a freelance writer, I have multiple projects going at all times, so I have to stick to a schedule or I’d have papers and notes flying all over the place and no idea what I’m doing. (Haha reality isn’t much different.) I have a general editorial calendar for the year which is subject to change as the need arises. Then I have a schedule of what specifically I plan to write for a couple months, and I try to post at least a week in advance. I love it when I get several posts scheduled ahead, so that takes the pressure off a bit. The key is being flexible, because I often have to shuffle things around.

I have to admit that I’m never stuck for inspiration, I always have more to blog about than there is time to blog. Kelly and Brooks aren’t always in the midst of exciting blog-worthy stunts, so I read the newspapers and check out pet websites to see what catches my eye and what people are talking about. I receive quite a few requests from companies and individuals asking for reviews or offering guest posts, which I also welcome.

 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.

Agh! The answer is too much and never enough. Most days I visit other blogs and leave comments, and this takes 2 or 3 hours every morning. It could take even longer because I have so many wonderful blogs in my Google reader that I would want to keep up with, but I never can do it all. I love connecting with so many other bloggers and always feel like I’m missing out when I fall behind.

 I have no idea how long it takes to write the blog, it feels like I’m doing it on and off  all day-- between scouting ideas, writing, designing, posting. Book reviews are the most time consuming because it takes a few days to read the books first.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?

I feel really good when I get a lot of comments because that means the content was engaging enough to initiate sharing of thoughts and opinions. When I don’t get many comments, I try to analyze if it was a boring topic or was it because I hadn’t had time to connect on all my social media networks? I have no scientific method of analyzing this however! I actually don’t check my stats often, and envy those who analyze posts and are so smart about it all. I check my overall pageviews once in a while and I’m really happy with how well they’ve grown!

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

Great question! Actually, if I may, I’d like to ask for help with two issues

*Do you enjoy reading product reviews?
 

*If you’re familiar with my Wednesday Pet Roundup, do you have any tips for how I can improve it? Do you click on the links? Are there too many or too few links? Too much or too little details? Should I move it to a different day of the week? Anything else?

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?

My goal is to be more personal, to dig deeper, and to focus on quality posts that say what I really want to say. I will continue to support pet adoption and focus on healthy lifestyles with pets. I am so grateful to this community of bloggers and their pets, some of whom we lost this past year, and I thank you all for being a part of my world. I’m looking forward to continuing to celebrate, support, share and grow together in 2013.

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Pet Blogger Challenge 2012

Thank you to Amy from Go Pet Friendly and Edie from Will my Dog Hate Me for hosting the 2nd annual Pet Blogger Challenge! The best part of the Pet Blogger Challenge last year was learning from each other--sharing our high points and commiserating about our challenges. Here we go again!

       1. Provide a link to your post from last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge so we can refresh our memories.

My 2011 Pet Blogger Challenge Post

2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year’s post?

My most important goal was to share interesting posts. My posts aren't always the deepest, or the most news-breaking, but I try to write something fun, interesting or helpful. And to write from the heart. Another goal that is important is to promote my books, which I hope also contain interesting, useful and entertaining information.

3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year?
My definition of "interesting" has developed and refined. My new goal is to write more posts that are helpful and useful to readers. I'm more willing to dig into a tougher topic. Yet, I still want to balance that with lighter posts, cute pictures and things that will make people smile. 

4. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed? Which are you doing now?
I'm still blogging on schedule. I'm kind of compulsive about it. This year, I even made an editorial calendar for the whole year!

Do you still worry about lost traffic, momentum, etc?
Yes. The hardest part is when I get busy on assignment and with other projects, and have less time to go visit other blogs. Then I feel like I'm losing traffic, and I feel less connected to readers and other bloggers, and I really miss that connection.

5. Are you generating income from your blog?
Yes, a little.

Has this changed since last year?
Yes! This actually was not one of my goals, but I was approached by an advertiser, and I got started with Social Spark. Although I'm selective about which leads I accept, I've made enough to cash out, and it's going pretty well. I am open to other opportunities like affiliate sponsors, but I don't feel I know enough about it at this time.

6. Have your likes and dislikes about blogging changed since last year?
Pretty much the same! I still like commenting and reading comments, and the sense of community. And I still dislike how time consuming it all is.

7. Overall, are you pleased with the progress you made in 2011?
Very pleased. I ran an awesome blog book tour to promote my first book, Dieting with my Dog, in which more than 20 bloggers participated. (Thank you everyone!) I also took on some new ventures, such as co-hosting an 8-week k9kamp with fellow blogger Kol's Notes.(Keep an eye out for our second annual k9kamp this year!)

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012?
I'd like to find ways to grow in followers, and to continue joining in with bloggers' challenges, contests and hops. I'd like to be even more useful to readers. I've been considering changing the name, but I'm not sure if that's a good idea or not. And...I'll soon be announcing my next book, being released in February! And I'd like to "make new friends but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold!"

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