It’s time for the Pet Blogger Challenge for 2018, the eighth year in a row! This will be my sixth year to participate. The challenge is hosted by Amy at Go Pet Friendly. She creates most of the questions and organizes the yearly event. The challenge is made for pet bloggers, but anyone is welcome to read the ten questions and answers, and offer advice.
Without further rambling, here are the ten questions, and my answers.
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?
My first post was November 8, 2011, so I’m in my 7th year of blogging. My GBGV Life started out with just me, Emma, talking about my life, and the GBGV breed, but now I’ve changed the focus to more about how to live a healthy dog life, full of adventures. My younger sisters, Bailie and Madison, are working on the blog with me these days. Our top goal is to be a happy place where people go for a laugh or smile, and maybe to learn something.
2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2017?
For me, this was the most difficult question as it was not a real banner year for my blog in my furry opinion. I feel like I probably lost more opportunities than I gained because I simply didn’t have the time I needed for blogging. There isn’t one moment that stands out to me, but I do think my recipes were the best they have ever been, and I tried to get one out most months. People seemed to like what I was making, and I was able to create and share a lot of super simple treats, and dishes for dogs.
3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why?
My sisters and I have done a lot of traveling, but this summer, there was a three day trip with Bailie and Madison to Chicago. It was quite an experience for suburban dogs. Mom and my sisters has a blast, and enjoyed putting together a post all about their adventure and dog friendly experiences in the city. There were three posts total, but this was the first one.
https://mygbgvlife.com/2017/07/31/dog-friendly-chicago/
4. In terms of your blog, how do you measure success?
I like my readers to be happy and engaged. I hope to impart some knowledge that is useful to others dogs and their pet parents, so it is rewarding when I find out I have helped out others. It is also important to keep growing, even if not by much. So far every year our reach has increased.
5. In what ways has your blog changed during 2017?
I would say, we offered more advice about dog topics than we normally have done. With the three of us, more issues come up, and we have a variety of life stages. Madison is a puppy, Bailie as a young dog, and me as a senior. It is kind of fun to let others know about issues we have, and how we have effectively handled them.
6. What was the biggest blogging challenge you overcame in 2017, and what did you learn that could help other bloggers?
Mom started her own business last year, and all of the sudden in April it took off. Between all the work with the business, and our sports, time for blogging was limited. We still managed to keep up our five posts a week, but our promotion of posts was not what we like it to be. Setting priorities was our plan, and we had to really work on time management to get our posts written. Lack of blog topics wasn’t a problem, it was finding time to get the posts done.
7. When things get hard, what keeps you blogging? (Question submitted by Pamela Douglas Webster of Something Wagging This Way Comes)
Thankfully, we have never had a lack of motivation or ideas for the blog. Our biggest issue is to work on Mom’s business, and not the blog because we enjoy the blog so much more than her work! We never stress out about what to write as it always seems to just happen. Take this week for example. We had four posts planned but were wondering what to do for the fifth one and then this challenge popped up. Problem solved. Sometimes it is one of us doing something crazy, or a dog sports event. There is always something interesting to write about around here.
8. Looking forward to 2018, what are you hoping to accomplish on your blog this year?
I would like to work more with some of the brands we love. I need to push myself to get out there and hunt a few down to see if they are interested in working with My GBGV Life. Promotion is also something I need to work on, and do better. I feel like my posts don’t get the exposure they should be getting. A website revamp is in the back of my mind too, but we will see if we get that done or not.
9. In addition to what you’d like to accomplish, is here one specific skill you’d like to improve or master this year? (Question submitted by Jodi Chick of Kol’s Notes)
SEO is always a downfall for us. I don’t have a clue, and Mom isn’t real good at it either. We use the Yoast plug in and try for green, but there is so much more to it. “Some day” we would love to hire someone to help us figure it all out.
10. Now it’s your turn! You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there a question you’d like answered, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on? Share it here, and we’ll answer you in the comments!
What is the best way to promote a blog? Is it social media? If so, what is the best way to schedule posts? I don’t want to spend a fortune but if there is something reasonable, and simple for scheduling posts across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, it would be a real help I think.
Check out the other bloggers in the challenge! See what their answers are and perhaps provide them with some advice!
I am always amazed at your consistency in posting. The GBGV Life team is amazing! You should feel very proud.
I also think your pictures have gotten more amusing for your recipe posts. You and your sisters are wonderful models.
I use the free version of hootsuite for promoting blog posts. It’s how all my posts end up tweeted even though I hate Twitter and never visit it. A lot of people also swear by Buffer but I’ve never used it.
Here’s to another great year! And congratulations on the new business.
Thank you. My photographer is always working on improving. I didn’t know Hootsuite had a free version. I will check into that. We have 11000+ Twitter fans. It is easy to grow, but we don’t hang out on it either.
I loved your chicago posts too… and I bet chicago was so impressed to see you that they named a street after your sister (just between us, what has she done to get her own street? was it something difficult?)
We don’t know how she managed that one and Madison is not telling! Chicago was a fun trip. Now they need to find a place to go this summer.
Well, Emma, Mom said that this blog post was perfect timing because she wanted to write a special message to you. She said for me to tell you that because of your blog she thinks she is a better dog owner! To walk at night she got the lights you wrote about (last year we never walked after 4:00 in the winter! yikes!! now we walk all the time!); our blue booties, that you wrote about, saved our paws this past storm (again we probably would have just skipped walking) and just being sure to walk on a regular schedule — she says its your inspiration that guides us! So thanks Emma! Keep up the good work! your doodle friend Dash
Thank you so much! You guys are wonderful friends. We too learn things from other blogs and through blogging our entire lives have changed. Mom still doesn’t like us out in the yard in the dark but with our lights, she laughs every night when she sees the lights bounding around the yard in the dark! Stay warm and safe out there!
I have been very impressed with your Mom starting her new business and keeping the blog going all at the same time! I actually cut back one day a week when I got busy with the farm.
Pamela is right – your photos for your recipe posts are so great!
I’ve never thought too much about scheduling posts across social media, but I imagine that could be a great time saver. I’m going to watch your comments and think about that too.
I think I understand SEO, yet when I think I’m using it properly I can’t see where it makes a difference! So maybe I don’t understand it as well as I think I do. LOL
Keep up the great work!!
Mom met with an SEO guy right after we started blogging and learned a lot but things have changed, and he is long gone. It should help posts get found in searches, but we just don’t know if it is working or not. We know we should be posting our posts on social media for months after they go live (except time sensitive ones), to keep people interested, but manually it is so hard to do. I think we are finally ready to use a service to do it. We can try for a year and see if it makes a difference or not.
I’ve loved seeing the blog evolve to include your sisters (although as a big sister, myself, I know that it can be hard to give up some of that control to the younger siblings at times!). You all have such interesting, different experiences that I like seeing all of the different topics you cover!
Thank you. As I get older, it is nice to have the two crazy ones to help with the work load. We are all so similar, yet so different, it really helps keep things interesting. We are so happy you have a sister and we love reading about you two and your kitty. Even though it is essentially the same blog, it is different when there are multiple pets.
Your posts always make me smile! Your photography and creativity are amazing and I know I have said it before, but I am truly in awe that your pups will wear hats and glasses!
Congrats on starting your own business! I am amazed that you are also able to post five days a week. If we manage to post three times a week, it is a miracle.
In terms of sharing posts on social media, I use Hootesuite (though I am not very consistent). It’s inexpensive and easy to use. I need lots of help with SEO, too, so can’t be much help to you there.
The problem is, Mom wants to work on the blog more than at her job! Luckily, we do our photos in just a few minutes because the three of us love to pose and model, so it is quick. Photo editing takes the most time, and posts are mainly written in Mom’s head on walks and runs. It isn’t easy when work is busy, but we don’t want to cut back, so we haven’t. I think we might look into Hootsuite and try it for 6-12 months and see if we see any difference.
Such a fun post and visiting your blog always makes us smile a lot!!!
Yay! We want to always be a fun place to go, and rated “G” too. Once and a while we have to post something sad, but we try to be happy around here.
I am always amazed at your consistent posting, and your fun fun photos. I love that you cover so many different topics with the dogs, and I have certainly learned stuff I would never have known. Like scent trials, and what that involves. And SEO, ugh….
I have to say blogging really makes one a better pet parent. We have learned so much about dogs and other things from reading blogs. Now if we could just win a lottery so we could hire someone for SEO, travel the country for dog sports, and find a mentor to help improve our photos, we would be set. The only problem is, we don’t play the lottery! Your blog also has a lot of variety, but is also pretty photo based. We are all about photos telling stories, so I guess we both enjoy photos and variety.
Three cheers for your blog, Emma , which is continually evolving and makes my day! I do not see how your mom had time to help you out, but I love your cooking and your adventures and sports. It is kind of you, and amusing ,to see you share your blog with your sisters and Bert. I share your blog with my friends and wish you the best for 2018!
I’m so glad I saw your post I almost missed it this year! It’s hard to imagine that it’s been a difficult year for you, your posts are always so engaging with your amazing pictures. Good luck with the SEO that’s what we’re working on too. Sandra and Dolly
We only found it because of other posts in our inbox on the weekend! Usually we grow more than we did this year, but we just ran out of time to put more into sharing the posts. SEO is always our nightmare. Good luck on that too.
This past year has been difficult for us but we are looking forward to a great 2018. You know we love your blog and your recipes are always pawsome.
We think you guys are doing just fine! It’s sad as a lot of bloggers have disappeared in the last year or two, but we don’t ever want to quit, and if we did, we would let others know. So many blogs we have followed or have followed us just up and went away with no word about it. We will all strive to be better this year and keep up our empires, right, Bentley?
Your blogging consistency is amazing. Do you have any secrets for keeping to your schedule? I love your pictures and hearing about your adventures in Nosework. Besides Pinterest I haven’t had a ton of luck with social media driving traffic back to my blog. By far my biggest traffic driver is from search engines so if you have any specific questions about SEO please don’t hesitate to send me an email. All the best to you in 2018!
We need to really start from scratch and try to learn SEO from the ground up I think. Mom feels like she kind of gets it but is missing a big piece of the puzzle. At our house, we are kind of obsessive about things and keeping to a schedule which is why we have to post the M-F weekly. If we start skipping one day, it could become two, then three, and poof, we are no longer blogging. Since we enjoy it and have fun, it is easy to keep on blogging
Great questions and answers. I think you do a great job on your blog and I often wonder how you fit everything in. I cut back on my posts as I feel I have less and less time each day so good for you to keep at it. Really enjoy your adventures.
It can be super hard to find the time to fit everything in, but we make it work. We have tried to create shorter posts, but that never seems to work, so we just keep blogging along.
Emma I have always enjoyed your blog starting with you in England and now in Minnesota. I enjoyed learning about GBGV’s and all your adventures. I really try not to miss any.
I really didn’t intend to stop blogging because I really love it, but everything started going wrong. Mica couldn’t make the walks and neither could John and so many other things. I was going to tell everyone we were pausing for a short time until we had something to blog. I really miss my adventures with Lexie and Mica so very much and hope I can have some great fun with Aspen this summer.
We miss seeing your posts too. I’m sorry things have gone wrong for you. Everyone has to do what they feel is right, but we always worry when bloggers just stop and we don’t know why. Hopefully Aspen can have some great adventures for you to post about this year!
On my face book page I downloaded the December 2010 winter woods walk in nice deep snow. Lexie with Mica they were so close
Heck Emma, I’m amazed at your posting and answering of comments. You post five times a week, comment on other blogs AND respond to comments on your own blog! I see mom posting those photos of you snoozing on Facebook, but I think they can’t be true…you must never sleep with all you accomplish! I wish I did half of what you did.
So glad you took the challenge!
Thank you. Mom says we are a home of busy beavers, whatever that means. We love blogging, so it is always our priority. We try to be courteous with others too. Sometimes it is exhausting but worth it.
Frankly–and I wish I had enough time for that–I believe the best way to promote a blog is getting backlinks to it. Which means writing guest posts. Wanna start by guest-posting on mine? 😉
Interesting. We never really thought much about backlinks. Our readers have never been much for guest posts on our blog, so we don’t accept them and therefore don’t think it is fair to ask others to let us guest post. This is something we will need to think over. Thank you!
Emma – where do I begin? You and your mom were my first blog to follow. I fell in love with you at the kitchen counter and I’ve loved you ever since. Your mom was a tremendous help when Leo passed away, she checked on my regularly. I laughed with her when Bailey arrived, felt her pain when Katie passed and rejoiced at the shenanigans of Madison. Although we’ve never met, I feel as if we are old friends, and that warms my heart.
We love you guys too! So many blog friends have disappeared, we are happy you are still around and doing so well. You and the boys really make a difference in your real life community as well as online. Thanks for being friends, and one day hopefully we will meet.
Thanks so much for participating in the Challenge again this year, Emma! It sounds like your 2017 was a busy as ours, and I’m amazed that you were able to blog so consistently through it all.
In my opinion, the best way to promote your posts is through Pinterest. You have such fantastic photos, they’ll pop on that platform and drive traffic back to your site. Sign up for the free version of Tailwind and you can easily schedule all your pins in advance, which makes life so much easier.
For the other platforms, I recommend Buffer. Again there is a free version, but I pay $10 per month for the upgrade so I can pull in 15 RSS feeds (including my own). It even brings in pictures, which make your posts more compelling, and you’ll be posting consistently across the most popular platforms in just a few minutes a week.
I hope that helps, and that you have a wonderful 2018!
Pinterest does get traffic for us, and we did try to add more pinnable images last year, but we should maybe focus on that more. Twitter and Instagram don’t seem to do very much for blog traffic. If we do schedule social media, we would go with one that allows images as only words isn’t worth it in our opinion. Thanks for the tip about focusing on Pinterest and for hosting this yearly event!
Honestly Emma, the fact that your mom works, takes the girls to sports AND gets to write here 5 days a week is a miracle in my eyes. She is basically a super hero, particularly since she still seems to manage to get around and comment on everyone else’s posts too. I think she’s too hard on herself to be disappointed in that.
I want to +1 Amy’s Pinterest advice. It can be a real game changer for traffic – especially with DIY, recipe and how to style content. The key is having an awesome text overlay to draw people in.
Thanks, Jodi! We are super busy around here, but sports and blogging are what makes us happy, so we make the time for those things. I think the Pinterest idea is really what we need to try. We are going to work on growing our following there and make even more pinnable images.
Your photos are always so impressive to me. My favorite posts of yours are your posts about running and walking …. and the Vikings.
I don’t have any advice on social scheduling because I do mine all manually. I will be curious if you like using them once you choose one. I could give you some simple SEO advice if you ever want it.
Thanks for the advice on the toe grips. Ace still uses them and I think they at least help a little.
Skol.
If the Vikes make it all the way, I may have to change to a purple color scheme! We have our paws crossed that this is the year! Mom and I had a meeting and have decided to skip the auto schedule idea and work on Pinterest. It is a good way to get traffic and we have a start, so we are going to try that first. Twitter and Instagram don’t seem to do much for blog traffic.
That’s my plan too, with Pinterest I mean. Instagram and Twitter don’t bring That Mutt traffic either. But Pinterest does.
I am so impressed with your insane posting schedule AND starting a new business. I think your posts are downright PAWsome for Pinterest and will probably drive tons of traffic to your site as your content is perfect.
Thank you. We are trying to be more active on Pinterest starting this month to see if we can build up a better following there.