Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!
Completely satisfied 17 KERFday!
Right this moment is my weblog’s seventeenth birthday! I used to be not too long ago on a zoom name and instructed the individual my website was “16 or 17 years outdated, I misplaced depend.” Afterwards I appeared it up – 17 years it’s!
A few of you will have been following me since these very, very early days. You in all probability bear in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on prime earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days once I wrote weblog posts between courses, the Nice Harvest days, the BERF days.
When you haven’t been round lengthy, take a look at:
In that tenth anniversary submit, I had written 6844 posts. As of at this time, that quantity is 7935 posts plus 382,493 feedback and 265,000 pictures shared. GEEZ!
In honor of 17 years, listed here are some ideas / enjoyable info / reflections about running a blog into the teenage years.
17 Years Of Running a blog
Selection Is Key
For me, writing about quite a lot of subjects is such a key element of retaining issues attention-grabbing. Lengthy-time readers know that I am going via phases primarily based on what is going on in my life. I went via two large child phases, loads of House Neat House phases, some entrepreneur phases. What I really like most about my weblog is that I’m not restricted to 1 area of interest subject. The consultants would inform me that’s hurting my visitors and they don’t seem to be fallacious. So it’s a superb factor most visitors isn’t my finish recreation. However writing concerning the subjects on my thoughts means I’m writing creatively and never forcing it or losing interest, which I do assume creates the very best reader expertise.
Construct A Life-style, Not A Firm
Once I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely in search of a inventive outlet. I had no thought it was doable to generate profits on the web, and I scoffed on the thought of doing so when my dad introduced up placing advertisements on my website. (He inspired me to look into it, and I’m glad I finally did!) In fact, as time went on, producing revenue to cowl my internet hosting prices and perhaps some groceries grew to become a bit extra interesting.
A number of years in the past I listened to a podcast interview for one more blogger who began across the identical time as me. Within the current time, she had dozens of full-time staff working for her and a elaborate workplace. For a cut up second I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her website have to be making to help these issues, however then I had a quick actuality test that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the life-style I didn’t need. What has all the time been most vital to me is to have the ability to put my inventive vitality and time into one thing that might assist or encourage others whereas additionally incomes cash to help my household alongside the best way. I’m eternally grateful for the pliability this job gives to let me greet the boys after they get off the bus every day or make a journey when the invitation arises.
Studying to Pivot
All through the years I’ve pivoted and branched out in methods I couldn’t have predicted coming. When my advert community contract with Foodbuzz ended. When model sponsorships moved from blogs to Instagram. Once I joined Beautycounter. Once I created Digital Litter and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And plenty of extra methods. Having range of revenue, platform, and income channel means when one thing is down, one thing else is usually up. Who is aware of what’s subsequent!
Running a blog Has Gotten A lot Extra Sophisticated, However Additionally A lot Simpler
A contradictory sentence? Including the above branches has actually difficult issues. Weblog associates and I typically reminisce concerning the days after we “simply needed to weblog” thrice a day. There wasn’t all of the social media amplification and so forth. However in some ways issues have gotten a lot simpler. I used to take all of my pictures on a Canon Mark II that I haven’t touched in years now that iPhone cameras are so nice. Apps like Asana and YNAB have made monitoring duties and accounting so organized. Canva is the very best app/web site EVER INVENTED!
Flexibility Is All the time Prime Precedence
Lengthy gone are the times once I would come residence from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to put in writing a submit submit about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than anything, I’m working at the least a month forward on seasonal / evergreen content material. After which I write extra time delicate posts the week of or the week after the occasion. I even have the world’s finest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take day off to journey or if my children are sick. (I wrote this submit in 2018 once I was desirous about going again into extra real-time posting.)
Leaning On Weblog Mates
Conversations with different bloggers are all the time so inspiring. I admire Anne, Brittany, and Teri for his or her willingness to share concepts and sources all through the years. Within the earlier days, I used to be a part of a gaggle known as “KABU: Kick Ass Blogger Union” (haha) and we supported each other slightly than compete. The most effective colleagues are open books. All of us do issues a little bit bit in another way, however all of us study from each other.
Keep True To You
^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up every part about operating a weblog for nearly twenty years. On the finish of the day, it’s important to do you. Not everybody goes to love you – and that’s okay! You’ll be able to’t fear about what different persons are doing or drive their type onto you. You’ll be able to’t fear about what the trolls are going to say as a result of something you do is fallacious. It’s a must to be genuinely you.
Thanks
Thanks for following together with our household’s story. Thanks for displaying as much as learn posts, click on hyperlinks, depart feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The instances when you will have reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3
