When I began blogging, I think I just had these dreams of doing creative things in my condo and sharing them with the world. I wasn't sure what I expected would come of it- no readers? 5 million readers? I really had no idea and no plan. I just typed. And through the months my focus has changed a bit. My blog has moved from a DIY/design blog to more of a design/lifestyle blog since I realized I now have a platform to talk about Alopecia, and life in the city, and other things that people might enjoy. It has really been a great adventure and I have learned a lot.
In one year I have had:
- 51,000 page views
- 268 posts
- 40 subscribed followers (and other friends and family who tell me they read daily!)
- 688 comments
- 377 spam comments
- 10,000 typos
The best part about blogging, though? The people. When I first started out in this little blog world, I was excited to have my projects out there and to write pretty posts and such. Never did I expect to be so embraced by this blogging community. Once I joined Twitter it exploded. I have this amazing group of bloggers that I chat with every day and I feel so blessed to have them in my life. We laugh and commiserate so often and I feel like we are real friends, even if I haven't met them in person!!
A big question posed to bloggers is "Why Do You Blog?"
I blog because it gives me a creative outlet.
I blog because it forces me to get off my butt in the evenings and do something constructive
I blog in order to get feedback on ideas from my peers
I blog to belong to an amazing, supportive community
I blog to spread awareness of Alopecia
I blog to spread awareness of teeny tiny condos
I blog to share my life with my family and friends
I blog because it is a challenge (but also fun!)
I blog for so many other reasons I cannot even articulate!!
I make no money off this blog. In fact, I am pretty sure it costs me a lot of money because I keep buying things for the condo now :). I am really just here typing away because I enjoy putting content out there every day! I hope to take what I have learned this past year and put it towards improving the blog for another year so hopefully I can meet some more great bloggers and expand my blogging circle!
2nd year goals:
- New header and some other webpage tweaks (in progress!! hopefully soon!)
- Bathroom reno will finally get under way
- More organized posts so I am not always scrambling to write something last minute
- More small space posts- I live in 400 sq ft, unlike most bloggers, and I need to showcase that angle!
- Increase in tutorials and craft ideas
- Get back into sewing!
- Less typos (ya, girl can dream!)
- Better photography
- If you are a blogger, why do you blog?
- If you are not a blogger, why do you like reading blogs?
- What ideas do you have to improve my blog next year? (Be honest!)
Hugs and Butterfly Kisses,
Casey
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| Photo Credit: Lisa Wilson |
Happy Blogiversary! I must admit, I'm slightly jealous of your stats for the past year. I'm coming up to my second blogiversary and I don't have that many posts, pageviews or comments. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and I can't think of anything I would change. :)
And to answer your other question, I am a blogger and I blog because it gives me something fun to do, something to challenge me to find the good in my life, it's an outlet and reminds me that my life is exciting and worth living even if it isn't going as I had originally planned.
I'm so glad I met you Casey!
I am glad I met you too Jennie!! I love reading your posts!
DeleteOh and Im pretty sure half of the comments are me just replying to people :) haha
I reply to my own blog posts all the time, so it scews my numbers! You were the first random person to comment on my blog, so you and Waffling hold a special place in my blog world :)
ReplyDeleteI blog for a lot of the same reasons you do - because it gives me a creative outlet and is a motivator to get projects done. Since my blog has more of a financial twist to it, blogging also keeps me motivated to pay off my student loan debt and maximize my money. I also blog because my friends read, even if they don't comment often.
Keep up the good work!
I cant remember how I found your blog- did you find me first? (FYI, I always fist pump when you post about knocking out another debt. haha Im rooting for you!)
DeleteYou are so cute! Happy Blogiversary, Girl!
ReplyDeleteThanks! And congrats to you on your engagement!! :)
DeleteHappy blogiversary Casey!
ReplyDeleteI blog for many of the same reasons as you (even if I have been falling off the blogging wagon with startling regularity lol).
Kudos to you for tackling the hard issues and blogging about something more serious, like small space awareness; something we should all be more aware of, because small spaces affects an ever-growing number of Canadians annually, most of which don't even know where their nearest container store is.
Looking forward to reading along in the future! Keep doing what you're doing and have fun ;)
bahahaha I laughed at the container store part!! I DO know where mine are!!
DeleteHappy blogiversary!!
ReplyDeleteI blog for many of the same reasons you do (if less frequently). Definitely for a creative outlet, and for the support of our tweeps.
I can't think of anything you should change! (Honestly!) :)
I have so much fun with u guys on twitter. my productivity at work has dropped like 50%
DeleteI have so much fun with y'all on Twitter, too!
DeleteAlso, oopsie! ;)
yay congrats!!!! you're a rockstar.
ReplyDeletelove you!