Pet Blogger Challenge 2015

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Keeping it Fun With Doga

For several years now I've been participating in the Pet Blogger Challenge, created and hosted by Amy at Go Pet Friendly. Today's answers to her list of questions take a very different approach to my prior years' versions. Having been dealt a fresh, yet unwelcome hand, I'm on a new track to focus more on my readers and less on my bank account. Bottom line; this seems to be taking some of the stress off of me, while I work to heal myself in other ways. Hope these answers are helpful to someone out there. Here goes:

1. How long have you been blogging? All Things Dog Blog was launched as an experiment in 2009, a spinoff of an organic living blog I started prior to this one. When All Things Dog Blog took off several months later, I decided to make it my primary focus in 2010.

2. Tell us one thing that you accomplished on your blog during 2014 that made you proud. Working with a professional yoga instructor, I developed a set of short, instructional yoga videos designed to help beginners learn simple yoga poses while engaging their dogs in joining in with them to form a stronger bond. Currently I am expanding the poses by sharing modifications to ease each of them. You'll find links to all of these posts at my Doga page.

3. What lessons have you learned this year – from other blogs, or through your own experience – that could help us all with our own blogs?  Balance is needed in life! While I don't regret pouring 12 hours a day for the past 4 years into this website, I'm now seeing that I've created a situation that is hard to course-correct. Intertia has me involved in a daily routine of blog management. I now am working slowly at redesigning my days to incorporate more time for things like yoga, doga, cooking, walking and camping with hubs and my dogs.

4. What have you found to be the most successful way to bring traffic to your blog, other than by writing great content? Create truly UNIQUE content. Event Barkers' Twitter Parties and exclusive Doga instructional series bring an unprecedented batch of unique content to All Things Dog Blog. We're trying to help our readers find new and relaxing ways to bond with their dogs, stay in shape, and win prizes. Our Fido's Freebie Friday giveaway linky is also beneficial for our readers to find all of your giveaways. 

5. What was your most popular blog post this year? Did it surprise you that it was your most popular? Surprisingly, it was 8 Things I Learned from Practicing Doga. This post is now in my top 3 of all time. Who knew?!!!

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Bonding, Stretching and Working on Balance

6. What was your favorite blog post to write this year? No great surprise here. It was the same post: 8 Things I Learned from Practicing Doga. The inherent lesson here is that when we do what we are passionate about, our words are more compelling to our readers.

7. Has your policy on product reviews and/or giveaways changed this year? While I am slowing up a bit on product reviews, I'm requiring better giveaways when I do these. By better, I mean that I don't run one without a minimum number of winners, or a more substantial prize. I want it to be worth my readers time to enter my giveaways.

If you do reviews, what do you find works best, and what doesn’t work at all? I do require a giveaway in order to run a review, and I always pre-check the product to assure that I'll have a largely positive message. In other words, I don't waste my readers' time with negative reviews. I take a pass on products that I don't like and hand select my reviews carefully.

8. What’s your best piece of advice for other bloggers?  If you're in this to make even a part time income, you'll need to do something seriously different in order to make a go of it. Think outside the box to create a site that offers something no one else has; then find a way to create it. Invest reasonably in your site if you plan to make it a long term, income-producing blog, while keeping in mind that what you offer must be desirable by the pet-owning public. Measure that interest and match it to your need for growth. By using surveys, you may be able to quantify interest in a specific segment of your writing that will help you bring a sponsor onboard. Finally, if you're trying to monetize your blog, you should be behaving like a professional. Enough said.

9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2015?  All Things Dog Blog is good therapy for me as I move through some troubling health issues this year. I need something to focus my energies on, and this is where my focus remains: (1) Doga is good for me and my dogs, so we'll continue to share this journey with our readers who would like to work out at in the privacy of their own home and bond with their dogs while they enjoy their practice. (2) Event Barkers Twitter Parties continue to be a big hit. I'm proud to be a founding partner and happy to have expanded my partnership with Paris to include a new associate, Diane Silver of ToDogWithLove.com. We look forward to seeing this venture continue to grow and prosper. (3) Finally, I'll continue to write about what I set out to share when I first began this site--tips on dog care that help to maintain a healthy lifestyle for both you and Fido. This includes training, nutrition, lifestyle articles, physical activities and more.

10. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be? Great question!  I'll gladly offer a phone conference consultation to the person with the best answer to my dilemma: As I continue to develop my Doga series, I need to zero in on ways to help my readers get past their body image issues and worries about not being able to accomplish a particular pose in the way it is photographed. I'm trying to get the message across that yoga is a journey, not a destination. The goals are simple: (1)  Gain strength and flexibility through incorporating a regular yoga practice into your lifestyle, and (2) Include your dog into your practice to build your bond with him. By making it fun for you and your dog, you're more likely to continue to work at your yoga practice frequently, while continuing to bond more deeply with your dog. It's a Win-Win! The comment link is open; I invite your thoughts and ideas.

Pet Blogger Challenge: A Year in Retrospect

by Carrie Boyko, CEB


Jumping in here at the last minute, I have to admit I've just read and am plowing through these questions at the last minute. I'd like to report that my answers are well thought out, but in actuality what you are getting is "by the seat of my pants". With that said, here are my answers to the questions posed by Amy of Go Pet Friendly, the organizer of the annual Pet Blogger Challenge.

1. Last year's Pet Blogger Challenge may be found at this link. Although I began blogging in 2009, All Things Dog Blog was merely a diversion from my more serious topics at the time. Little did I know that my dog venture would take over my life and turn me in a new direction.
2. "What do I consider the most important goals I set out in last year's post?": Along with the continuation of offering a place for pet bloggers to share their giveaways on Fido's Freebie Friday, the Super Dog Sunday™ charity fundraiser for Petfinder Foundation and our growing social media event partnership with Dogtipper, Event Barkers, were and continue to be at the top of my radar.
3. "Have I made progress toward these goals, or have my goals changed over the past year?"  An excellent question!  With Event Barkers growth I have increased the hours of my part time employee and found myself still looking for ways to tweak my business in order to offer the grass roots pet solutions I endeavored to provide in the beginning. The addition of my Weekly Wag 'bonding with your dog' column in January, 2012, has been a popular one. This year I decided to continue it and have modified the method of participation, trying to make it simpler to join in. Last week's comments were assuring that I have taken a good step in the right direction.  On another note, I've learned from experience that our Event Barkers Twitter Parties are not just a way to monetize our pet brand relationships. Much to my delight, my readers have shared their thrill with participating in and learning from the Tweets, product reviews and parties that are all part of the package of events included. This has been music to my ears.
4. "How often do I post?" Sometimes lately I feel I'm really lagging here, as I spent the Fall busily participating in one of my kids' weddings and seemed to have dropped the ball in terms of quantity. When I look back at my mention of posting once per day, I am excited to say that my actual average for 2012 was 1.4 posts per day. I guess I was not as far off as I thought. Thank you to the organizers of the Pet Blogger Challenge for helping me to become aware of this statistic. I feel better already!
5. "Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed? What do you do for inspiration? How do you know what topic is post-worthy?".  Yes, I've changed my scheduling strategy.  As I write this I'm surprising myself. Being such a schedule-driven person, I never thought this would come to pass. I have found that my posting during the past year has revolved largely around events and themes that I have chosen to write about and participate in. There is definitely a lesson in there that will drive my decisions going forward. Motivation and inspiration seem to come from themes; form follows function.
6. "How much time do I spend writing my blog each week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share my tips for staying on top of it all." Absolutely no clue! With so much of my pet industry work revolving around brand representation and social media work, it's hard to say how much time I actually spend writing on the blog that is not related to Event Barkers. Maybe a time log is in order, but I'm doubtful that will happen. Next year I'll still be saying "who knows!" To answer the second and third question I must first stop and put my tail properly between my legs. I spend little time visiting other blogs, not because I don't want to, but because I need sleep and wish to stay married to my husband of 35 years. I do have my priorities, despite the fact that I work 60 hours or more each week. Tips? Seriously? Ask someone who's better suited to give you a helpful answer. My inspiration is driven by a passion for helping dog owners make their lives easier and more fun, which generally equates with fewer turnovers to shelters. There is no staying on top of that!
7. "How do I measure the success of a post and of my blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)? Do I look strictly at the numbers or have a way of assessing interactions?" My answer to this question has changed dramatically over the period since I began. Now I see my blog as a tool for not only sharing pet solutions and inspiration with my readers, but also as a place to share the events I have going on, in order to encourage participation. I have seen a significant increase in engagement with readers both on the blog and in my email. The few relationships I once cherished are now many. This is endearing to me and key to my continuing energy for this effort. I spend much less time tracking traffic and rankings at various social media venues these days. It seems less important to me now than the participation of my readers and fellow bloggers in the events I create and produce.
8. "If I could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue I'm concerned about, what would it be?" Now you've opened a can of worms. Let's see if I can find them all some rich soil in which to burrow. This topic is not so much related to MY blog as it is to the pet blogging group in general. After 3 years of participating regularly in several industry and social media conferences and conventions, I've learned one thing that is startling and was unexpected. There are some pet bloggers out there that can be downright catty, so wrapped up in their own tiny niches that they can't see the forest for the trees. We are a small, yet very nichey group, with as many blog goals and themes as you can imagine.  I am sometimes surprised when I hear negative comments about bloggers who choose to monetize. We do all live in a capitalistic society, and we all have to pay our bills. Can't we all play nicely in the sandbox like the worms? 
9. "What goals do I have for my blog in 2013?" I may answer this differently each day of the week, so here's today's answer for what it's worth. I get great pleasure out of a good challenge and meaningful work helping pet owners find the products that solve the problems in their life-with-dog lives. Helping to connect brands with the pet owners that need them will continue to be a focus, along with inspired and useful pieces that pursue my objective to make life easier and more enjoyable for dogs and their owners.

Happy tails,

Pet Blogger Challenge 2012

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Looking back over last year's Challenge for All Things Dog Blog, I anticipated a drowsy, incoherent answer to many of the questions. I had just returned from a 30+ hour trip home from Thailand when I realized the deadline was imminent. To say I wrote the Challenge in less than 30 minutes may sound ridiculous, but it is true.  So I was pleasantly surprised to reread it and see that I didn't come off as a complete drunk. Let's move on to this year's version:

1. My Pet Blog Challenges! is my post from 2011. 
2. What do you consider the most important goals you set out in last year's post? Networking, increasing my postings, and getting involved in some blog hops.
3. Have you made progress toward those goals, or have your goals changed over the past year? Happily, I have made some progress. Global Pet Expo 2011, Blogpaws 2011 and Barkworld 2011 were all on my agenda this year, allowing me to get out and meet more of the people in our industry. I have a long way to go, but the journey has commenced. Postings are daily and often I manage multiple posts, although not daily. I continue to be amazed at those who can do more without staff! Participating in blog hops has been fun, yet sometimes disorienting. I have to remember not to let them rule my schedule and planning for my own blog and my goals for it. Fido's Freebie Friday giveaway blog hop, co-hosted with Doggies and Stuff, highlights pet products and pet lover items. It has grown slowly, and hopefully will continue to do so. This is a wonderful way for bloggers to show off their pet-related giveaways and prizes of all sorts.
4. Has your opinion of blogging on a schedule or as the spirit moves you changed? Which are you doing now? Do you still worry about lost traffic, momentum, etc? I continue to follow a schedule as a general rule, but sometimes have a change up when needed. New features and the schedule itself are, to some extent, designed to help with traffic issues. I've also learned to use the slower days to my advantage.
5. Are you generating income from your blog? Has this changed since last year? Income from the blog has grown markedly, allowing me to get help with repetitive tasks. It feels good to be one of those small businesses that is providing a part time job to the lagging economy.
6. If you are generating income, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)? All of the examples listed here are in play. More are in the works.
7. If not currently, do you hope to in the future--and how? By sticking to my niche I hope to grow my opportunities to be of service to brands that I believe in and increase event promotion planning that began in late 2011. New ideas are in development and I am excited about growing this service for Charity fundraising, as well. Super Dog Sunday is a charity photo contest and blog hop that will benefit Petfinder. Dogtipper is joining me in this effort, and all proceeds will go to the Petfinder Foundation.
8. Have your likes and dislikes about blogging changed since last year? My answers to #7 last year on this topic were not very clear; jet lag was definitely taking hold. Although I enjoy the occasional post at 5 Minutes for Fido (in Tanner and Oliver's voice), I have learned that this is not my forte'. I suppose their silliness will remain a small part of my blogging efforts. As for my desire to protect dog parks from closing and work to build more, I am frustrated by a lack of inspiration on how to move forward. Time is a huge issue here. Perhaps I have too many irons in the fire and should put this project on the back burner until my intense growth spurt plateaus and I am more easily able to take on another project. This is likely what will transpire for now.
9. Overall, are you pleased with the progress you made in 2011? When I reflect on the progress I have made in 2011 I cannot help but be thankful for good luck and some good advice. When I first started out following tips from an author in another genre, my methods may not always have been met with a smile. I learn and grow, and cannot be more pleased with the six-fold growth in my traffic since this time last year. The relationships I have with loyal readers makes it all so very worth it! Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I recall that I started this fledgling as nothing more than a way to give my days a lighter side. It's funny how things work out sometimes.
10. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2012? After hitting the #1 spot at Technorati's Pet Blog category, I've learned that holding that spot is nearly impossible. Staying in the top 10 for several months has been a complete surprise. However, I also learned that it is that growth of content and relevance that appears to be a factor in my meager success. Each new feature I have added to the blog has helped it along, and this is how I plan to continue my growth, by adding features and services that fit my niche. This year I'll continue to develop a Twitter Party plan that I can grow with. This new venture, EventBarkers, with Dogtipper, has been fun and challenging, giving me new hope for the future. Next year, who knows?!

My Pet Blog Challenges!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Flying home from Thailand today took 29 hours... 32 if you include travel back and forth to airports. Needless to say I'm a tad bit jet-lagged, but excited to see that I can still get in on the Pet Blog Challenge. My answers to the questions posed by our hosts, Will My Dog Hate Me and Go Pet Friendly, may be a bit slanted, given my latest excitement--an injury on vacation that will affect my ability to walk my dogs for a while. That said, here goes:


1. When did you begin your blog?  February, 2009


2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog? All Things Dog Blog was started as a lighter, 'comic relief blog', in response to my heavier blogging topics--green and organic. With the growing readership and general interest in All Things Dog Blog, I have given little attention to my first two blogs since late last Summer. When I first made the decision to move my efforts largely to All Things Dog Blog, I felt a little guilty, but my dogs and dog lifestyle are such fun topics, and an important part of my life, that it has felt better and better as I go along. Because of my green and organic lifestyle, my dogs live largely green and organic, as well. This slants the blog's topics in a direction that gives me some satisfaction for giving such minimal attention to my first two blogs: Organic-Journey-Online and New Kid on the Green Block.


3. Is your current purpose the same?  No. Having started All Things Dog Blog to give my days a little fun factor, I have clearly moved away from this blog being a sideline. It is now my daily bread.


I'd have to say that my blog's primary niche has not changed, though, although it has widened a bit to allow for more reader involvement. Also, with the addition of my Ask the Vet column and my Ask the Dog Trainer column, I am able to offer a broader version of my purpose: helping owners make dog ownership work well for their family and their dog. 


If so, how do you feel you've met your goals? My plans for All Things Dog Blog have included only minimal efforts at bringing an income, initially, in favor of growing a loyal blog following first. I'm lucky enough to be able to put off bringing in an income, which has allowed me to put all my efforts toward good content. 


4. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you? Cool question! I typically have a pool of posts written ahead, and schedule out my Vet and Trainer posts at a 2-3 times a month spacing. My readers have responded well to these columns written by professionals. I don't seem a problem with writer's block, so I guess I don't have to wait for the 'spirit to move me'. I have been running 4-5 posts  each week since early Fall, 2010. My plan is to increase my postings this year, after I recover from a holiday injury, starting with getting involved in the Saturday Pet Blog Hop.


5.  Are you generating income from your blog?   Yes, minimal at this time. The income from these are growing, with the growth in my subscribers.


If so, how (e.g. sponsor ads, affiliate relationships, spokesperson opportunities)? I have sold a few sponsorship ads and use Amazon and Google Adsense to help cover my expenses.  I have been asked to consult for a number of newer bloggers, and this provides some income as well, although I do not plan to make a regular diet of this. I am a pet blogger first and foremost, and want to keep my eyes on my goals.


6. What do you like most about blogging in general, and your blog in particular (bragging is good!)?  This blog has become a part of me largely because I love to write AND I love to help people be successful and happy dog owners. It makes me so sad to learn that a family gave up a dog because it was misbehaving or shedding too much, etc. So many of these dog/owner problems can be minimized with a bit of help. That's where I try to come in with examples, professional advice and tips to help dog owners make "LIFE WITH DOG" work well for them and their families.


7. What do you like least?  There will come a point when I'll need to work toward developing an income stream in order to accomplish my goal of working to protect dog parks from closing, and seeing more open more where they are needed. Socializing and exercising a dog is so critical to a successful family life that I would like to see more owners place these two items at a higher priority.


As a part of my All Things Dog Blog efforts, I started another blog in my dogs' voices, 5 Minutes for Fido. The comments and emails on my dogs' opinions, commentary and feelings abouts what is going on at All Things Dog Blog have been quite positive, although the traffic remains low.

© Carrie Boyko

Tanner and Oliver Offer Goofy Commentary

at 5 Minutes for Fido

8. How do you see your blog changing/growing in 2011? After I get through recovering from a holiday injury, I hope to bring on a little help to assist with the technical side of things. This tech assistance should help me better determine where I can expect to go, but
more importantly can help me get there.


I added a good many new columns during 2010 that I will continue to develop. I'd like to add to my resource pages that offer general information in many categories through sidebar links. 


The biggest change will be that this year needs to be more of a networking year for me, where I get the word out about my blog. I see this as my greatest challenge, or conversely, my weakest link. It will take some conscious effort on my part to work harder at networking, but I do look forward to this challenge. One way I will work at this is through another appearance at Blogpaws in 2011. 


Tanner, Oliver, my writing and photography, reviews, tips, professional columns, and continued giveaways....all these components will continue to be the mainstay of my blog. 
Got a dog question? I'll get you an answer!