Celebrating 17 years of running a blog!
Blissful 17 KERFday!
Right this moment is my weblog’s seventeenth birthday! I used to be lately on a zoom name and advised the individual my web site was “16 or 17 years previous, I misplaced rely.” Afterwards I seemed it up – 17 years it’s!
A few of you will have been following me since these very, very early days. You most likely keep in mind bowls of oatmeal with a peanut butter spoon floating on prime earlier than I went to my PR job, the RD days after 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 publish, 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 information / 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 matters is such a key element of retaining issues fascinating. Lengthy-time readers know that I am going by way of phases based mostly on what is going on in my life. I went by way of two huge child phases, loads of House Neat House phases, some entrepreneur phases. What I like most about my weblog is that I’m not restricted to 1 area of interest matter. The specialists would inform me that’s hurting my visitors and they aren’t improper. So it’s factor most visitors just isn’t my finish recreation. However writing in regards to the matters on my thoughts means I’m writing creatively and never forcing it or losing interest, which I do suppose creates the very best reader expertise.
Construct A Way of life, Not A Firm
After I began my weblog in 2007, I used to be solely searching for a inventive outlet. I had no thought it was potential to earn money on the web, and I scoffed on the thought of doing so when my dad introduced up placing adverts on my web site. (He inspired me to look into it, and I’m glad I ultimately did!) After all, as time went on, producing revenue to cowl my internet hosting prices and perhaps some groceries turned a bit extra interesting.
Just a few years in the past, I listened to a podcast interview for an additional 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 break up second, I had a twinge of jealousy over how a lot cash her web site should be making to assist these issues, however then I had a quick actuality examine that going to an workplace on a regular basis was precisely the approach to life 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 would assist or encourage others whereas additionally incomes cash to assist my household alongside the best way. I’m eternally grateful for the pliability this job provides 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. After I joined Beautycounter. After I created Digital Muddle and Bloom. When Beautycounter closed. And plenty of extra methods. Having variety 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 Sophisticated, However Additionally A lot Simpler
A contradictory sentence? Including the above branches has definitely difficult issues. Weblog pals and I usually reminisce in regards to the days after 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 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 At all times Prime Precedence
Lengthy gone are the times after I would come dwelling from an occasion and keep up an additional hour to jot down a publish about it. Since I worth flexibility greater than the rest, 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 greatest digital assistant, Hillary, who helps me behind the scenes in so some ways, so I’m able to take day without work to journey or if my children are sick. (I wrote this publish in 2018 after I was enthusiastic about going again into extra real-time posting.)
Leaning On Weblog Pals
Conversations with different bloggers are all the time so inspiring. I respect 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 referred to as “KABU: Kick Ass Blogger Union” (haha) and we supported each other relatively than compete. One of the best colleagues are open books. All of us do issues slightly bit in another way, however all of us study from each other.
Keep True To You
^^ This tremendous corny phrase actually does sum up all the things about working 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 possibly can’t fear about what different individuals are doing or power their type onto you. You possibly can’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, depart feedback, and write private emails and DMs. The occasions when you will have reached out have meant a lot to me. Thanks KERF household <3
