Pet Blogger Challenge 2016

Welcome to the 6th Annual Pet Blogger Challenge 2016! After participating in a couple of previous challenges and heavily enjoying doing so, I am delighted to be participating again this year.

1. How long have you been blogging? And, for anyone who is visiting for the first time, please give a quick description of the subject of your blog.

I have been blogging for 2 years, 8 months, 4 weeks and 2 days, and have loved the experience each and every time I have blogged since then. My blog is all about the adventures, daily lives and competitions of my beloved and talented Border Terriers, Earl and Ethel. I aim to update my blog daily, missing only one or a couple of days sometimes, sharing photos, writing about experiences, dog products and doing show reports.

2. What is the one thing that you accomplished during 2015, either on your blog or because of it, that made you proud?

There is more than on thing that made me proud on my blog in 2015, including starting and growing a Facebook page for my blog, which is something I put in my New Year's Resolutions at the beginning of 2015. This has given me a sense of achievement and pride, plus giving microblogs the opportunity to connect with us easily. Also, I recently made some online partnerships with canine related companies; something that I can make money from and grow my blog as more than just a personal writing space.

3. Which of your blog posts was your favourite this year and why? (Please include a link.)

I enjoy writing each and every blog post on my blog, however, I really enjoyed writing 'The Reward Is In The Find' in 2015. I think this is because it was a brilliant opportunity to add on-the-go photos of my dogs being dogs and enjoying doing something that comes naturally to them as a species. I also really enjoyed writing about this natural instinct in dogs and how fulfilling searching is for them, and how tiring it is both mentally and physically for our eager canine companions.

I enjoyed writing and photographing for The Reward Is In The Find.

4. A common theme from last year's challenge was that many of us wanted to increase the size of our audiences. Whether or not we intend to monetise our blogs, it seems we'd all like to reach more people. It feels good to know that we're connecting with others, sharing a laugh or supporting a cause, and it's motivating to see those numbers grow! What is one thing you've done in the past year that has brought more traffic to your blog?

The 2015 Pet Blogger Challenge saw me resolving to create my blog a Facebook page for additional interest and somewhere for more people to be able to access my blog. Also, I wanted to be able to access microblogs and vice versa. During 2015, I put my idea into action and created a Facebook page for my blog, which is currently a growing page, incredibly close to it's milestone amount of Likes, which is 500. For a new page, it has become fairly popular and enjoyed by many people, both old blog fans and new Facebook only fans, who have also rapidly become fans of the blog itself.

5. Which of your blog posts got the most traffic this year? Why do you think it was so popular? (Please include a link.)

I really enjoyed writing and creating the visually appealing side of this! 'Why Are Our Dogs' Paws So Important?' has totalled up the most traffic here on our blog this year. I think this is because it was so visually appealing with a fun and creative style, giving information to my readers in a more exciting and enjoyable way. Sometimes we all become a little bored of reading huge paragraphs, and therefore this really appealed to people! Also, it was a hit on our Facebook page because it immediately sparked an interest as soon as it was seen, directing users from our page to our blog through the given link.

The visually appealing side of 'Why Are Our Dogs Paws So Important?' made it popular with fans.

6. What is one blog that you read religiously - other than your own - and what makes you such a devoted reader? (Please include a link.)

There is a wide variety of pet blogs that I read on a regular basis, however, one of my favourite blogs is My GBGV Life. This blog is written in a fun, friendly, and informative way, in the voice of Emma, one incredibly characterful little dog. The writing style used is a pleasure to read, and the photography is always high quality and beyond brilliant. The post topics are always interesting, and the blog covers a wide variety of canine (and sometimes feline) areas.

7. What resources do you rely on to enhance your technical, writing, photography, social media, or other skills that improve your blog?

Although a high quality, high technology camera is not the be all and end all of good photography, my Nikon DSLR is something I now rely on for professional photographs. Although the eye and passion of the photographer is more important for outstanding photographs, I have NEVER seen a professional photographer using a phone or small camera to take photographs! Of course, BlogPaws is an informative and friendly resource for a huge range of blogging advice on a constant basis. And BlogPaws isn't simply a blogging 'resource'; the wonderful bloggers of the BlogPaws Community are always there with new schemes, advice and more in the Pet Blogging world, and I feel privileged to be a member and a part of this wonderful community of dedicated pet bloggers.

8. What is the best piece of advice you can offer other bloggers?

Don't lose your inspiration or love of blogging over being an original blogger, because it isn't the only thing that will impact how popular or liked your blog is. Sometimes, if you're desperately trying to come up with something that NO ONE else has ever written about before, you'll never write anything. As long as you have adopted your own, personal writing style, write about whatever you like. Sometimes, popular writing subjects in the blogging community of blogs with the same niche as your blog are read more. If you put your own spin on a popular topic, you can keep or grow your blog's popularity while enjoying the writing experience. To sum this up, give your writing a uniqueness that will drive people to read more of your content. Be unique, but not necessarily original all the time in what you write about.

9. What is your vision for your blog in 2016? Do you have specific goals?

My main priority for my blog in 2016 is to continue growing the partnerships I have with other companies, advertising more, and possibly earning some money while doing so. Also, I would like to see myself relaxing when it comes to my blogging schedule. I plan to continue to post on a regular basis, however, I want to be able to post only when I can commit to making each post excellent quality. In other words, I plan not to post for the sake of doing so. I will still be posting on the majority of the days of the week, however, I may miss one or a couple of days when I have nothing in my brain or am tight on time! I am more likely to miss a couple of Mondays, Tuesdays and/or Thursdays on some weeks. Hopefully, this more relaxed approach to my blogging schedule will help you, my fans, enjoy our blog even more! All in all, I'm open and willing to see where 2016 takes me!

10. You have the attention of the pet blogging community - is there one blogging challenge you'd like to help with, or one aspect of your blog that you'd like to input on?

Again, I am open and willing for anything! Although it may sound a little odd, part of the excitement of a brand new year is the wondering what may be. If there's anything at all where my help and input would be welcomed, all I ask is an email! When you're a blogger, willingness and flexibility is all part of being a member of the blogging community of similar niches.

We're participating in the Pet Blogger Challenge 2016, run by Go Pet Friendly Blog. Thank you guys!