Wednesday, January 23, 2019

2019 Pet Blogger Challenge

   I am participating in the 9th annual Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by Amy at GoPetFriendly.com. We have joined the fun in previous years and thought it'd be awesome to check back in this year. It’s a wonderful way to discover new blogs, help and support fellow bloggers. These questions are designed to help us and our readers better understand and offer help to one another. Thanks!
 1. For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?
   Answer: We celebrated five years of blogging on December 13th and are looking forward to year six. If this is your first visit, I blog with The Bayou Boys a.k.a. Bentley, an 11-year-old spoiled Basset Hound and Pierre an equally spoiled West Highland Terrier-ist. They keep us laughing and hopefully do the same for our readers. My husband does all of our photography so Barking from the Bayou is truly a family affair.
 2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2018? 
   Answer: 2018 was filled with new and exciting changes due to the fact we moved from Louisiana to Texas in the spring. I think one of my proudest moments was when Bissell enjoyed one of my blog’s photo that I shared on Twitter so much they sent me a free Bissell Revolution Pet Pro steam cleaner!
 3. What was the biggest blogging challenge you faced in 2018, and how did/will you tackle it?
   Answer: The biggest challenge of 2018 was continuing to blog during our move. It was a huge undertaking since we had lived in our previous home for over 25 years! That is a lot of junk to go through and donate/throw away. I tried to stay a week ahead but also refurbished some popular older post.
 4. Which of your 2018 blog posts was your favorite and why? (Please include a link.)
Answer: I have several blog posts that I really enjoyed writing but I think my favorite is TV Shows We’d Like to Watch. One of my goals in blogging is to make my readers laugh and these alternative shows did just that.
 5. Which of your 2018 posts was most popular with your audience? Why do you think it does so well?
   Answer: My most popular blog post of 2018 was Life is Better With Treatibles PCR Hemp and MCT Coconut Oil. I believe it is so popular because pet parents want to know more about the use of hemp in treating their dogs and cats. I am an affiliate for Treatibles and have shared information about their full spectrum CBDs several times, but this particular post was #1 for last year.
 6. Did you implement a new series, feature, or practice on your blog in 2018 that you’re enjoying?
   Answer: I have made a number of memes this year and they always receive positive comments. It was a great way to entertain my readers while I was busy packing. They are also fun and easy to share on all social media.
 7. As the social media landscape changes, how are you promoting your blog posts and connecting with new readers?
   Answer: Things have changed so much that it is difficult to keep up with everything. I focus mainly on Facebook and Twitter but have been trying to up my Instagram and Pinterest following.
 8. Looking forward to 2019, if you accomplish only one thing through your blog, what do you hope it is?
   Answer: I hope to build my readership in our new area and make local contacts in the pet industry.
 9. What steps are you planning to take to ensure you reach your goal?
   Answer: I follow and interact with many of the local dog rescues/shelters as well as the Houston television stations and personalities. This summer we plan on attending some of the dog-friendly events to meet other dog lovers.
*Now it’s your turn! How can we help? Is there an area where you could use some advice, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on? Share it here, and we’ll answer you in comments!
Answer: I have been hesitant to change my blog over to https because I have read horror stories of people having trouble with the process. As you can see, I use Blogger and am happy with it. They recently changed where you can have an https with a custom domain name. I’m not sure how to change my Feedburner which delivers my blog via email. I’ve searched for an answer but if you’ve done it, please let me know how you did it.
Badge announcing the pet blogger Challenge January 20-26, 2019
   We hope that you join us for the worldwide Pet Parade blog hop hosted by Dash Kitten and co-hosts Bionic Basil and me! You can share a wordless or wordy post or tweet to be shared on social media. All DOGS, CATS and any other pet blog is welcome. If you want eyes on your post, don’t let the Parade pass you by!
Pet Parade Blog Hop Badge
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28 comments :

  1. we love you and your blog and I agree moving&blogging is like to move a mountain...in any way ;O) but you accepted that challenge to and you mastered even that mountain ;O)

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  2. You can change it at feedburner.google.com - we had to do it when momma changed my url to kinleywestie.blogspot.com instead of whitleywestie.blogspot.com. It's not too hard.

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  3. We always look forward to reading your blog first thing in the morning. Making changes is a tough thing to do, but we are not savvy at websites, so we always hire someone to do it for us. If we knew someone on Blogger, we'd share that, but we only know WP peeps. Keep up the good work boys, and we always love your dad's photos.

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  4. Anything tech-like I leave to my elder and betters. And when Mrs H can't do it I ask Marjorie at Dash Kitten–she's ace at all these things.
    Purrs
    ERin

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  5. I loved your alternative tv shows. I would definitely watch them.

    Sorry I don't know much about Blogger. But I did get my ssl certificate for my WordPress site. It's worth the effort because Google will eventually show your site as unsecured and it would probably depress your traffic.

    Is there a Blogger support group (perhaps on FB or somewhere) where you could find someone who has done it and can walk you through the process? Oh, and make sure you back up your site first. That's always good advice no matter what platform you use.

    Have a great 2019.

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  6. Congrats on pawticipating in the Pet Challenge again. We always love your posts and look forward to more fun with the Bayou Boys.

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  7. You had quite a year but you pulled off that move without a hitch!

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  8. I'm thinking of having business cards made up, with my blog info on them. I attend lots of rescue and animal events, but it's the lone person who you strike up a conversation with in the produce section of the grocery store whom you want to read your blog!

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  9. We love your blog! It touches on so many subjects and we learn so much from you.

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  10. We will follow you and your spoiled dogs (are there any other kind?) into year 6. And we love the products you recommend.

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  11. Thanks so much for joining the Challenge, and congratulations on your move. Exploring your new community will be fun with Bently and Pierre! I wish I could help with the Blogger question, but we've only ever been on WP. Perhaps you could find someone on UpWork who has experience and could help you with the project?
    Wishing you much luck and success in 2019.

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  12. I'm still in awe over the free steamer. GOOD JOB!

    I also use Blogger. It's easy, but I've heard from readers that they can't seem to comment. And I'm wondering if my drop in readers is from the change they made a while back.

    I always enjoy catching up with the boys.

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  13. Thanks for sharing. We always love stopping by your blog. You have some really pawsome posts. We hope your 2019 is another great year of blogging. We are ready to get you 6th year rolling. Have a wonderful day.
    World of Animals

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  14. 2018 sounds like a busy year ! We enjoyed reading your answers ! Purrs

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  15. Concats on the successful move AND the free steam cleaner. We both have the saem goal to make people laugh. You know, when I switched to https, I didn't do anything with feedburner. One day I looked and it was going to the https all by itself. Since they're both google, maybe they work together?

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  16. Wow, that's amazing about the Bissell steam cleaner! I could use one of those, LOL! I'm glad the move went well and that you are settling into your new home and state. Moving is exhausting, but it sounds like you all handled it well.

    I switched over from blogger to WP and like it very much. I was still on http on blogger so can't help you there.

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  17. Great job on your blogger challenge! I'm super jealous that you received a Bissell! What a fabulous product.
    Love & Biscuits,
    Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

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  18. Hi I love memes I'm going to have to look yours up. It's a pleasure to meet you through the Pet Blogger Challenge. Here's to a great 2019.

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  19. We love your memes! You and Skipper are such a great team, and it seems you work very well together. I'm always too chicken to try to do the big things on my blog, so I hired someone to help me with the SSL. While I hate spending the money, it was far less stressful for me!
    You had a great year and keeping the blog going through your big move was impressive!
    Jan, Wag 'n Woof Pets

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  20. Oh my gosh! I can't imagine going through 25 years worth of stuff. We're planning on moving sometime in the next 3 years and I'm already dreading it. Regarding https, I read all the instructions and horror stories and although I consider myself technically proficient I felt it was a better idea to pay someone to take care of it for me rather than risk bringing down my site for a few hours/days.

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  21. Blogging on the move must have been a huge challenge, but I see that the pups are enjoying toy reviews already ;-) We moved half way around the world having spend only 15 years in London and THAT was bad enough!!!!

    I hope you are settled in now!

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  22. I agree that I would not want to make big changes without specialist help. Which is I need SEO help! When you DO make the move invest is someone who can rescue you if it all implodes! Peace of mind is utterly priceless and back up first (I sound like something from 'Into the Woods').



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  23. Blogging and moving is always an adventure! We did that in 2016--thankfully, I'd only been in my apartment for 6 years, but somehow there was still so much to go through! I'm glad you survived that experience!

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  24. I love your blog hop and participate often. I always admire your graphics and fun ideas. Would love to read your Memes if you can direct me to them. I do them as well!

    BUT ON A PRACTICAL NOTE: YOU ASKED ABOUT CONVERTING TO HTTPS & how to find out more: I just redid that recently when I bought my domain them. There's a really cool Facebook group I highly recommend for you to ask this question: it's called "LadyGadget & KimSix Blogger Support" - you can ask many of your technical questions there. Someone suggested it to me and they helped me solve a scary problem when my blog disappeared due to the https thing combined with buying my domain name. (But its fine now)." LadyGadget & KimSix Blogger Support" on Facebook.

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  25. Congrats on 5 years of blogging and your recent move! We're hoping to move within the next year and thinking about the process is very daunting, although I know it will be SO worth it in the end. Best wishes for an amazing 2019!

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  26. This was an awesome blogger challenge, I enjoyed reading it.

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I'd love to hear from you! Bark back!