I'm back friends!
After taking a month long break (except for the post I worked on for March 9th), I feel rejuvenated and ready to get back to work! And what better way to start off the month of April than with a celebration! Exciting news - it's Fiddling on the Farm's 1 YEAR BLOGIVERSARY!
*Throws confetti* *Shoves cake in face* *Shouts of happiness* *Tears of joy*
It's hard to believe, but on this day last year, April 1st, I launched my very first blog post - Welcome to my New Blog... Fiddling on the Farm! So much has happened since that post, and I feel as though I have grown as both a blogger, writer and designer!
To start off the celebration, I thought you may enjoy taking a look at some of the blog stats in the past year! Also, stick around till the end of this post, because I have some exciting news to share! :)
Blog Stats
3 MOST POPULAR BLOG POSTS -
Welcome to my New Blog... Fiddling on the Farm! (100 VIEWS)
Q&A with Pearl @ The Homeschooled Girl (81 VIEWS)
MOST POPULAR PAGE (besides the Homepage of course) -
TOTAL SUBSCRIBERS - 27
BLOG VIEWS - 1,747
TOTAL POST COMMENTS - 90
VISITING COUNTRIES -
Canada, New Zealand, Chile , Slovakia, Singapore, Australia, Germany, Togo, Ukraine, Iraq
I also thought I'd share a little bit of my personal experience with blogging below. Although I am nowhere near a professional blogger, I have been in the 'business' for a year and a half, so I have learned a few things that can hopefully help you prevent problems before they get started, as well as encourage you when it gets difficult...
What I've Learned from Blogging
//THERE IS NO 'RIGHT WAY' TO BLOG //
One thing that I've learned since starting this blog is that there is no manual for the 'perfect' blog, or the 'correct' way to blog, it's all based on the author. One blogger may enjoy different content, design, and writing than another, AND THAT'S OKAY! We shouldn't compare ourselves to others, because blogging should be about writing what interests us, not what another person is writing about or getting tons of views on. Now, it is definitely okay to get ideas from other bloggers, and write about what your readers will enjoy, but make sure not to loose the most important part about blogging... HAVING FUN!
// DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHER BLOGGERS //
This is something I struggle with often, and is not a healthy habit to get in to. Comparing yourself to other bloggers and their blogs can get you in a rut of dissatisfaction. You can get into a constant game of "they have a better ______" design, builder, following, exposure, etc. I will admit to comparing my Wix blog to other (and in my opinion, prettier) Wordpress blogs. It was unhealthy and it caused me frustration that I wasn't getting more followers, and that certain things weren't working when I started. After taking a few weeks to readjust my blog layout, I realized that I can do just as much with Wix as Wordpress!
Just be thankful for the current website you have, and play around with different tools, you can often do more than you think!
// POST ABOUT WHATEVER YOU ENJOY //
This is another thing I fell into before I started Fiddling on the Farm... when I had my previous blog, I began noticing that the blogs that were getting the most traffic or had the most followers were ones who posted about one particular subject (I'll keep the subject unnamed for now). Well, because I was a beginner blogger, I soon began posting about this same thing. Now, although I didn't dislike this particular subject, after a while I didn't truly enjoy posting about it any longer, and I felt locked in to write about this ONLY, otherwise I would look like a sporadic and unorganized blogger... thankfully, soon after I decided to start Fiddling on the Farm, and I now enjoy posting about things I find cool or interesting, as well as things I hope you guys enjoy reading! So, the main point I want to make is this: don't post about things on your blog to get more traffic or followers, post about things you enjoy writing about! It's your blog after all! People come to your blog to learn about you, and that's what they should find.
// DON'T DESPERATELY TRY TO GET FOLLOWERS //
This can be very easy to fall into as new bloggers, as we are trying to get as many people to read our blog, comment and subscribe. But just take a step back, be patient and followers will come in time. Again, I did this when I first started. I commented ENDLESSLY on other peoples blogs, hoping they'd visit and subscribe. I would even go so far as to ASK them to check out my blog sometime. But over time, I realized that I didn't need to do all that to get people over to my blog. Sure, commenting is a very effective way to get your name out there, but readers will visit you blog WITHOUT you asking! XD There are many ways people can hear about your blog, so continue dropping genuine comments on posts you enjoyed reading. Also participating in collaborations and guest posts are a great way to get exposure.
Don't fret to much - your blog audience will grow with time.
What I Love About Blogging
// THE FREEDOM //
One wonderful thing that blogging offers is the options to share whatever you feel like sharing! You can post about whatever you please and whenever you please! The website is yours, so you should be all over it! :) It also offers me freedom to express my personality and my interests, all in one website! One week I may feel like posting about books, and the other maybe animals, the options are endless and open...
// THE CHALLENGE //
Let's admit it, sometimes, sitting down to write a post for the week can be daunting. It's been busy, your tired and uninspired, but you have to get out a post, or your followers will leave (or so we think...). We've all experienced this, right? To put it in a nutshell, blogging is a challenge. And challenges build responsibility and perseverance. Blogging has been a wonderful challenge for me personally, even from the beginning, when I first began getting used to Wix and playing around with the design of this blog. There were times of frustration, but in the end, here we are! When you begin blogging, it will be hard, but continue on, keep putting those posts out, and it will give back.
// THE OPPORTUNITIES //
Wow! One of my favorite highlights that I LOVE about being a blogger is the opportunity to connect with fellow bloggers and get to know people like yourself. I quickly realized after launching my blog that there are so many girls out there who strive for the same goals I do, have similar interests and believe what I do! It's been wonderful to be able to collaborate with these girls on several occasions, and also give back to them. Blogging offers a door into a community of people like yourself, and also encouragement when struggling with your own site.
An Exciting Free Offer!
Well, as I said at the beginning of this post, I have a exciting offer for new and existing subscribers! I have been working on a free PDF for you all, and IT'S FINISHED! I'm very proud to present...
10 Ways to Keep Busy When Life Isn't
10 WAYS TO KEEP GOING WHEN LIFE HAS GONE INTO STAND-STILL
Now, when you subscribe to the blog, you will receive a thank you email with a link to this free document, full of 10 creative ways to stay busy inside.
*Also, for existing followers, I'll be sending out a group email including the link to the pdf as well, so no need to subscribe again! Thank you for sticking with me through this journey so far!
You can sign up at the NEW subscribe page here!
Thank you all for visiting the blog once again, and I hope you've found encouragement from reading about my (many) beginner mistakes and how to start differently as a blogger! I'd again like to thank everyone who follows this blog regularly, your support means so much!
I hope you'll join again next week, friend! You all have a lovely week! <3
Your turn!
When is your blogiversary? How do you enjoy celebrating? How long have you been blogging? Would you like to start a blog?
Let me know in the comments below!