2019 Pet Blogger Challenge

To kick off 2019, I decided to participate in the annual Pet Blogger Challenge, hosted by GoPetFriendly.com.  I learned of this challenge shortly after starting my blog and I knew I wanted to participate this year.

I hope that by doing this challenge I can better connect with other bloggers and we can learn from each other along this wonderful pet blogging journey.

1. For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?

I am a new blogger.  I started blogging in October 2018.  The main topic of the blog is anything German Shepherd related.  My goal with this blog is to help new German Shepherd owners navigate the unique hurdles that come with owning these wonderful dogs.

2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2018?

Starting the blog was my proudest moment of 2018.  I have had the idea for quite some time, but I let other things get in the way of officially launching.  I only wish I had started sooner.

3. What was the biggest blogging challenge you faced in 2018, and how did/will you tackle it?

The biggest challenge I faced in 2018 was finally allowing myself to make starting the blog a top priority.  As I said in the previous question, I had a lot of things going on with work and personal life that I let prevent me from starting sooner.  I am a part-time student, who works a full-time job and a part-time job, and help take care of a disabled family member.

I tackled this challenge by setting aside some time where I shut out those outside distractions (as much as possible), bought the domain and allowed myself to take the time to work on the blog.  I made that decision on October 1^st and haven’t looked back.

4. Which of your 2018 blog posts was your favorite and why? (Please include a link.)

My favorite blog post from 2018 was entitled “How to Find a German Shepherd Vet Near Me”.   I went from having a less than stellar vet with my previous dog to an incredibly awesome vet with my German Shepherd, so I know from experience the difference a great vet makes.  My German Shepherd has been back and forth to the vet more often than me (or my bank account) would like to admit but having a caring and knowledgeable vet who genuinely loves your dog makes everything so much easier.  Accordingly, this post was my favorite because I want to help other owners know what to look for when selecting a vet so that they can avoid the struggles I had in the past.

5. Which of your 2018 posts was most popular with your audience? Why do you think it does so well?

The post “9 Indestructible Dog Toys for German Shepherds” was my most popular post from 2018.  Since my blog is new and I don’t have tons of traffic yet, the race between 1^st place and 2^nd place was a close one.

I think this post did well because finding dog toys that will last longer than 5 minutes with a German Shepherd is a tough challenge.  When I first got my dog I wasted money on toys only for them to be destroyed shortly after my dog’s piranha teeth got hold of them.  I think the subject matter of this post is something every German Shepherd owner has looked for at some point in time.

 

6. Did you implement a new series, feature, or practice on your blog in 2018 that you’re enjoying?

No, not really.  Since my blog is so new, everything I did in 2018 was kind of a new practice:)  One of my future goals is to do a series on German Shepherds who have jobs to highlight the amazing capabilities and talents of the breed.

7. As the social media landscape changes, how are you promoting your blog posts and connecting with new readers?

I am currently just getting my feet wet in the social media world.  As of today, I am only on Twitter and Pinterest.  I definitely think that social media platforms open up more potential to reach your audience, so I am looking forward to doing more on social media in 2019.

8. Looking forward to 2019, if you accomplish only one thing through your blog, what do you hope it is?

I hope to be able to grow my traffic in 2019.  In the beginning stages of blogging, you sometimes feel that no one is seeing your work because your traffic is almost non-existent.  I look forward to the increase in traffic so I can reach more people and get more engagement from my target audience.

9. What steps are you planning to take to ensure you reach your goal?

Right now, I am focused on getting as much quality content onto the site as my time allows.  I think that is the key to long term traffic growth.  After I get more content posted, I plan to focus more on growing my social media following.

10. Now it’s your turn! How can we help? Is there an area where you could use some advice, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on? Share it here, and we’ll answer you in comments!

I know I have to be patient, but I’m just curious how long it took everyone to start getting a steady amount of organic traffic from Google?  Thanks to all!