Fourth Annual Pet Blogger Challenge 2014

I'm pleased to be participating in the Fourth Annual Pet Blogger Challenge sponsored by Amy Burkert of Go Pet Friendly and Edie Jarolim of Will My Dog Hate Me.   

It's a wonderful way to get to know other pet bloggers and share information about improving our blogs and inspiring each other. 

Here are my responses to this year's questions:

1. How long have you been blogging? Please tell us why you started blogging, and, for anyone stopping by for the first time, give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I've been blogging since November 2007 and this post is my 1,868th post.  I began Talking Dogs blog because I have a pet related business (For Love of a Dog Jewelry) and every business resource read advised having a blog.  Since I've always thought posts about simply "hawking my wares" would be incredibly boring, my blog has been more than that since the beginning.

For the past four years I've blogged daily, sometimes posting twice a day.  My blog is about dogs and includes adoptable dogs, dog related causes, a bit about my own dogs, my jewelry, pet product reviews, book reviews, and useful information about canine health.  I have a weekly feature, Dog Song Saturday, which highlights dog themed music videos.

2. Name one thing about your blog, or one blogging goal that you accomplished during 2013, that made you most proud.

In 2013, I made a concerted effort to participate in more blog hops and blogger community events.  This pushed me to visit even more blogs and, most importantly, leave comments.  I've always read LOTS of blogs, however I'd share via social media and rarely leave a comment.  These days, I'm still big on sharing, but I am leaving more comments.

However, the thing I look back on with the biggest smile on my face, is the month long birthday celebration I did for my dog, Jeffie, as he turned seven and entered the ranks of senior pets.  It was much more time consuming than I'd imagined, but I just plain had a whole lot of fun and I think others did, too.  

3. When you look at the post you wrote for last year’s Pet Blogger Challenge, or just think back over the past year, what about blogging has changed the most for you?

My energy, time and enthusiasm.

4. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own sites? If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be? 

Last year I said my biggest problem was time.  It still is and, in fact, I'm finding it an even bigger problem thanks to #2 above, as well as some changes in my life.

5. What have you found to be the best ways to bring more traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content?

Social media, especially Twitter.  Pinterest.  Giveaways, especially of my own For Love of a Dog jewelry.

6. How much time to do you spend publicizing your blog, and do you think you should spend more or less in the coming year?

Any promotion of my blog goes hand in hand with promoting my business.  The answer to the question:  too much and not enough.

7. How do you gauge whether or not what you’re writing is appealing to your audience?   How do you know when it’s time to let go of a feature or theme that you’ve been writing about for a while?

I rely on my web stats and page views. 

8. When you’re visiting other blogs, what inspires you to comment on a post rather than just reading and moving on?

I tend to comment if the blog is part of a blog hop I'm participating in, plus I personally find it easier to make a comment to an upbeat post.  If the blog post deals with a subject and I disagree with the author, I usually don't comment.  I'm just not into controversy or drama these days.

This year there's been an added factor for me.  If the post is about death and dying, I read, but rarely comment.  I'm reminded of a brilliant post Edie wrote about caregivers.  By the end I was crying too much to comment; it really hit home.

9. Do you do product reviews and/or giveaways? If so, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all? If not, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way? 

Yes, I do product (and book) reviews and/or giveaways once in awhile.  I do not charge a fee, nor do I require a product for giveaway, but I'm super selective about what I choose to review.  The product must be one I honestly would like to try and either keep for my own dogs or donate to rescue.  Product reviews and giveaways are a whole lot of work for me, so something about the product has to be fun and appealing to me personally.

This year I did a few giveaways of my own For Love of a Dog jewelry.  I've always donated pieces to rescues for fundraising events, but had not actually done a giveaway.  I found this to be fun and an extra treat for my followers and customers.

I use Rafflecopter for my giveaways and, though they're a bit complicated for some folks, they make the giveaway process super easy for me.

10. When writer’s block strikes and you’re feeling dog-tired, how do you recharge?

Play with my dogs.  Seriously.  A break can be a very good thing, whether it is measured in hours or days.

11. Have you ever taken a break from your blog? How did that go? Have you ever thought about quitting your blog altogether? What makes you stay?

When my mother passed away this year after several years of coping with cancer, I pretty much went AWOL for almost two months.  I feel as though I spent the rest of the year trying to catch up (and never did.)  Some of my blog readers and blogging friends are aware that my husband has been dealing with life threatening health issues for the past 18 months.  If I did not have a business which relies on my blogging, I  would have already ended the blog.

12. What goals do you have for your blog in 2014?

Truthfully, my goal this year is to keep on keeping on, while trying to reduce the time spent related to blogging, as well as my business.  With the loss of my mother and the health challenges facing my husband, my life priorities are necessarily changing.