The accomplished pet bloggers over at Go Pet Friendly and Will My Dog Hate Me have teamed up to host the 2nd Annual Pet Blogger Challenge and are inviting all pet bloggers to answer eight questions about their blogs and publish the answers on January 10th. First-Timers like me can get instructions and the full set of questions here.
1. When did you begin your blog?
- August of 2011
2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
- My friends on Facebook (and In Real Life) kept telling me that they loved the products, advice, pet deals and contests I would find and share with them and that I should start my own blog to help other people find great deals and cool new stuff for dogs. I love the satisfaction that comes from finding bargains and saving money while still treating our pup Daisy to something special now and then, and wanted to share that with other pet parents! I also figured that starting a new blog was a great way to teach myself some new web skills and boy, am I learning a lot!
3. Is your current purpose the same?
- Yes, I’m blogging and tweeting all kinds of pet deals, coupons, freebies and giveaways. I’ve also started to do product reviews, as brands and companies discover my blog and invite Daisy and me to try their products. I’d also hoped to do posts on pet travel (since my professional background includes MANY years in the travel industry) but that hasn’t really come together yet. My blog is still pretty new, so I’m just trying to build my following with unique and useful content, get to know lots of other fun pet bloggers & parents and learn as I go!
4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
- I can’t always stick to a schedule because I post deals, giveaways, and coupons as soon as I find them throughout the day, since many are time-sensitive or have expiration dates. I’m trying to also work on outlining some more personal posts and tips, stories and ideas that I can write during my downtime and then schedule. Right now I average about 4-5 posts per day but would like to do more!
5. Are you generating income from your blog?
- Not yet. I’m learning as I go and have just started to join a few ad and affiliate networks. Daisy has received several types of treats and products to test, so if you ask her…she’s quite pleased with her earnings. I’d like to be able to cover all my costs soon, and eventually be able to afford to devote more time to working on my blog and expanding it as I figure out how to turn my passion into something that pays the bills! I’d also like to be able to afford to attend events like BlogPaws in the future if I can generate enough income to support my travel expenses!
6. What do you like most about blogging in general and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?
- I really like the feedback I receive from other pet lovers and deal enthusiasts on Twitter, Facebook and from those who comment on my blog. It’s rewarding to find a really great deal, new product, or cool promo code and see that it’s something that other people find interesting and useful, too. I like hosting giveaways and seeing how excited the winners are when I notify them. I’m enjoying learning new skills and meeting other pet parents and bloggers. I’m expanding my Web and Social Media skills and find it fun to keep up with what’s new. A year ago I didn’t know what Pinterest or Rafflecopter were and now I use both! I also just did my first blog makeover all on my own and am now running on the Genesis platform from Studio Press, which I really like. It’s been nice to get some compliments on my new design!
7. What do you like least?
- Finding enough time each day to do everything I want to do to keep improving my blog! I am also not really a fan of self-promotion but I find that I need to toot my own horn and work hard to publicize my blog in order to keep people coming back and to get new readers interested in what I’m doing. It’s worth it though because I find that the more new readers and fans I have, the more valuable feedback I get about what people want and need from a pet deals blog like mine!
8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012?
- I’m hoping that as my traffic stats and page rank continue to improve, that more sponsors will become interested in working with Daisy and me and that I’ll be able to bring lots more cool prizes and deals to my readers! I also plan to keep working on setting my blog apart from other deal and coupon blogs and providing a unique perspective and more value to my readers! Daisy is a Rescue Pup, so I also hope to become more involved in using my blog and Social Media profiles to help support animal causes, shelters and rescue organizations and make a difference.
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