Third Annual Pet Blogger Challenge- All About Me!

I can’t believe that I started to think about developing Wag The Dog UK over two years ago. I had an idea however I needed to do my research to see if my love of travel and dogs was something people would be interested in reading about.

I’ve never blogged before and it was a whole new world for me, and I jumped right in to share our experiences and goals and learn from the pet blogging community. I’m still learning and love it… It really has been a Pet Blogger Challenge!

1. When did you begin your blog?

Wag The Dog went Live on February 12, 2012 and here is the link of my very first post:

Cold Dog Feet

It’s been a challenging year due to many things changed for us this year. First I am currently in Switzerland, however am moving home this April. My site, twitter and Facebook were all hacked and I had to deal with keeping my site live. (hacking was a personal attack) In Fact I wrote about here:

Who Keeps Kicking my Dog

So besides starting a blog this year, we had a lot of upset just keeping it going!

2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?

We had two reasons:

Wanted to share our experience about traveling around the world.
To share our thoughts and ideas on all things dogs.

3. Is your current purpose the same?

I think our current purpose is the same, however we really expanded into things we find Wag Cool and interviewing all the new people and companies we have met over the year. We also enjoy our guest bloggers, due to they bring fresh new thoughts to our blog.

If so, how do you feel you’ve met your goals?

I must say we are very pleased with our first year. I love writing and discovering all the wonderful pet related blogs, forums, companies and information that’s on the inter-webs. It has really kept us motivated while we develop our own unique products and keeps us focused.

4. How often do you post?

Personally, I usually write about 2-3 posts on my own per week, however this can change from week to week. This year we personally wrote 158 posts, which stuns me that we wrote that many post! We also featured 60 guest posts to our blog as well. Right now I am documenting my move back home via my Travel Journal, Also we are going to start posting on my weight loss plan due to I think I had a bit too many treats over the holidays.

5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?

We actually try to blog on a schedule and try to update our three main topics of travel, food and care weekly. However my wagging spirit will always want to post something that I sniffed out and will post at will.

If you publish on a schedule, why? How strict are you about your publishing deadlines? What do you do for inspiration when it feels like you’ve covered every topic?

I like to keep my blog current and always have something new each week. I love writing and I find it exciting when I post.

How do you know when a topic is “post-worthy?”

To be truthful, I don’t know if a post is “post-worthy” I post on things that interest me and hopefully my readers. If I learn something new or want to know something new, I like to share it with my readers.

6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your tips for staying on top of it all.

I spend about 10 to 15 hours per week thinking, research and writing my blogs. I also spend time daily on my social networks. In the last five months I stated spending more time reading other people’s blogs and feeling much more confident in commenting as well.

I usually schedule my day by answering emails, checking out the latest pet related news, and checking out my stats in the morning. Afternoon I start researching, reading and commenting on other blogs and checking into my social sites, and of course starting a post or two. In the evening, with a glass of wine, I make my idea list and the never ending to-do list.

7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?

I usually gauge the success of a post by the number of shares I received, and the quality of the comments. If I have written a post that has actually helped someone, personally to me, I feel really proud and feel it was a success. However as a whole, I also check my stats on Google Analytic and Clicky.

Do you look strictly at the numbers, or do you have a way of accessing the quality of those interactions?

I believe that the numbers and interactions go hand in hand.

8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

I’d Ask: