Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!
Glad 17 KERFday!
At present is my weblog’s seventeenth birthday! I used to be just lately on a zoom name and advised the particular person my website was “16 or 17 years previous, I misplaced rely.” Afterwards I appeared it up – 17 years it’s!
A few of you might have been following me since these very, very early days. You most likely bear in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on high earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days after I wrote weblog posts between lessons, the Nice Harvest days, the BERF days.
If you happen to haven’t been round lengthy, try:
In that tenth anniversary publish, I had written 6844 posts. As of as we speak, that quantity is 7935 posts plus 382,493 feedback and 265,000 images shared. GEEZ!
In honor of 17 years, listed below are some ideas / enjoyable details / reflections about running a blog into the teenage years.
17 Years Of Running a blog
Selection Is Key
For me, writing about a wide range of subjects is such a key element of retaining issues fascinating. Lengthy-time readers know that I am going by phases based mostly on what is occurring in my life. I went by two large child phases, loads of Dwelling Neat Dwelling 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 site visitors and they aren’t improper. So it’s an excellent factor most site visitors is just not my finish recreation. However writing concerning the subjects on my thoughts means I’m writing creatively and never forcing it or becoming bored, which I do assume creates one of the best reader expertise.
Construct A Life-style, Not A Firm
Once I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely on the lookout for a inventive outlet. I had no concept it was potential to become profitable on the web, and I scoffed on the concept 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!) After all, as time went on, producing revenue to cowl my internet hosting prices and perhaps some groceries grew to become a bit extra interesting.
Just a few years in the past I listened to a podcast interview for one more blogger who began across the similar time as me. Within the current time, she had dozens of full-time workers working for her and a flowery workplace. For a cut up second I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her website have to be making to assist these issues, however then I had a quick actuality verify that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the life-style I didn’t need. What has at all times been most necessary 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 assist my household alongside the way in which. I’m eternally grateful for the flexibleness this job provides to let me greet the boys once 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 Muddle and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And lots of extra methods. Having range of revenue, platform, and income channel means when one thing is down, one thing else is commonly up. Who is aware of what’s subsequent!
Running a blog Has Gotten A lot Extra Difficult, However Additionally A lot Simpler
A contradictory sentence? Including the above branches has actually sophisticated issues. Weblog mates and I typically reminisce concerning the days once we “simply needed to weblog” 3 times 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 images 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 one of the best app/web site EVER INVENTED!
Flexibility Is All the time Prime Precedence
Lengthy gone are the times after I would come residence from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to write down a publish publish about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than the rest, I’m working not less than 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 greatest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take break day to journey or if my youngsters are sick. (I wrote this publish in 2018 after I was fascinated with going again into extra real-time posting.)
Leaning On Weblog Associates
Conversations with different bloggers are at all times so inspiring. I admire Anne, Brittany, and Teri for his or her willingness to share concepts and assets 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 quite than compete. The most effective colleagues are open books. All of us do issues just a little bit in a different way, however all of us be taught from each other.
Keep True To You
^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up all the pieces about working a weblog for nearly 20 years. On the finish of the day, it’s important to do you. Not everybody goes to love you – and that’s okay! You may’t fear about what different individuals are doing or power their fashion onto you. You may’t fear about what the trolls are going to say as a result of something you do is improper. You must be genuinely you.
Thanks
Thanks for following together with our household’s story. Thanks for displaying as much as learn posts, click on hyperlinks, go away feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The instances when you might have reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3
