45 Blog Posts
659 Total Users
5 Comments
133 Instagram Posts
85 Instagram Followers
0 Sponsored Posts
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These are all items meant to qualify how “successful” my blog and Instagram have been in the past six months. By most standards, these numbers are pitifully low.
But let’s back up for a bit to talk about where I started, and then we can move forward to talking about where I am today.
I started this blog back in April of this year (my first post went live on April 2), after completing much of the site setup in March. I wanted this thing to be truly organic; I’ve never “bought” Instagram followers or interactions, never hired photographers or any assistance to “curate” this space, and I’ve never even shared that I’m doing this with our friends and family to garner traffic.
I’m clearly not an expert on this whole blogging thing.
And that’s okay.
My goal is not to spend hours of my travels photographing things solely for the blog, nor is it to travel to places just to write about them. I’m not trying to gain the attention of brands just so they’ll send free stuff or sponsor a post.
My partner and I both have full-time, Monday-through-Friday jobs, and that combined with my love of travel and other hobbies doesn’t leave much time for carefully planned photoshoots or pages-long content. I started this blog with the intention of sharing what I’ve learned while traveling, and also what those things mean to me when I return home. Ultimately, I want authenticity to fill this space.
I learned quite a bit over the past six months, and some of it was quite surprising. Today I thought I’d share a little peek behind the curtain and some of the lessons I’ve learned along this journey:
WHAT I’VE LEARNED AFTER SIX MONTHS OF BLOGGING
Blogging is time-consuming
I knew of course that it would take some time to create content, set up the site, and manage Instagram, but I’ve found that it takes up more time than expected. But diving into the past and reliving travels for posts has been the best unexpected perk, and totally worth all of the time invested.
I’m reading more blogs than ever
This probably comes in a close second to getting to relive my past travels. I love reading posts from a variety of bloggers all over the world, particularly style blogs, as I love to get a sense of what others are wearing for when I travel the world. I’ve also found that there is a great, warm community of bloggers out there who are doing wonderful things.
My most-viewed posts have less to do with travel
This was surprising to me; some of my highest-reaching posts include wish lists, packing lists (yes, this is travel-related but heavily clothes-oriented), and my post about moving.
Photography is as important as writing
It makes complete sense, so I’m not sure why it surprised me. With our attention spans getting shorter a blog post needs to grab a potential reader’s attention quickly; a photo is much more engaging than words on a page. This is something I plan to work on and improve upon over the next few months.
Readers from all over
Since I love travel so much, this has been the most exciting part of reviewing our site analytics. From the beginning, I’ve had visitors from over forty countries reading (more countries than I’ve visited – yet!).
Consistency is key
While I never want traffic solely for the sake of traffic, I do want my words to reach people, rather than just floating off into the abyss of the internet. Having a Monday and Thursday posting schedule helps keep me accountable and also allows me time to write over the weekends. Consistency also seems to hold true on social media as well, particularly on Instagram.
Comments are exciting
I definitely get that feeling of excitement when the email comes in from WordPress asking me to moderate a comment. Comments mean that people are actually reading (i.e., the whole point of being here!).
LOOKING AHEAD: THE NEXT SIX MONTHS
Time will ultimately tell what happens, but here’s what is in the planning stages:
Participating in a 10×10
As I understand it, Lee of Style Bee and Caroline of Un-Fancy will be kicking off another 10×10 Series this Friday, October 6. What is a 10×10? Well, it’s 10 articles of clothing that form 10 outfits worn over 10 days. I typically pack similarly to this formula when I travel, but I often will repeat looks since I rarely see the same people twice in a new city.
I’m looking forward to the challenge of doing this at home, where I will need to make sure each outfit is completely different. I’m still selecting my garments, but I think I will do this over ten working weekdays. I would actually prefer not wearing workwear, since it doesn’t always feel like my style, but it is what seems most realistic when wearing things at home.
Site features
I’m working on adding a map showing all of my travels and also some quick links to good coffee shops and restaurants I’ve visited. Down the road, I’d like to put together some city guides, but those won’t be ready for a while.
Holiday gift ideas
It’s getting close to that time! A little later this season I will be sharing some travel-related ideas to get your loved ones.
More packing list posts
These are some of my most-viewed posts, and these are the types of things I search for when I visit a new city (especially a less-touristed one!). I’ll be sure to let you know how my clothing choices work out for me in those cities.
Additional recipes
I’ve got a few yummy ones in the works, including a couple of simpler ones and a weekend project or two.
The blog has just joined Pinterest and I’d love to have you join me (but bear with me as I get things established)!
Travel product reviews
There are some products I’ve purchased for traveling that I feel I can’t live without, and others I’m ready to replace. I’d like to share my thoughts on these occasionally.
Home and lifestyle posts
I’m actually home pretty often, and I’ve put a lot of effort into making my new home cozy and perfect for me. I may add a post here and there with updates on how things are going.
What I’d really like, though, is feedback
I’d love for you to leave a comment letting me know things you’d like to see in this space or any questions you may have (plus it will make me really excited, remember?).
Enjoyed this post? You may also like:
- Blogging Organically: One-Year Check-In
- Blogging Organically: Five-Year Check-In
- Why I Changed My Name at Age 32
- How I’m Approaching Travel Differently in My Thirties
- How to Find Cheap Flights
- How to Have a Slow Christmas
- I won a trip! (Now what?)
- How I Afford to Travel
- Why I Use Airbnb
- The Importance of Keeping a Travel Journal
- It’s Nice to be Nice… (or “How we survived over 24 hours with the most miserable people ever.”)
- All Travel Guides by Destination
- Checking In: Hotel Reviews
- Shop My Closet
- Exclusive Promo Codes + Discounts
Seriously about the feedback! I’d love to hear from you, either here or if you’re shy, via email.
See you Friday for a 10×10 closet preview!
I can so relate. I don’t use social media at all, and don’t promote my blog. I paid to remove ads, don’t do affiliate linking, etc. And over time people find my site because they share similar interests, and that’s how its grown organically. “Organic blogs” are rare nowadays.
Michelle, that is amazing! I find social media completely fascinating, and I enjoy using Instagram to get a peek into lives around the world and finding places to go when we travel. I can see the anxiety it causes others, however, with a constant need to gain followers and likes. I see bloggers I like and respect using bots to gain engagement, and it’s so disheartening! I just don’t see the draw in quantifying my “value” in numbers of followers. (I do get excited with comments, though, because it means someone is actually reading!). I also just realized you’re one of the few people on Poshmark that I follow. Small world!
I am so glad I found your blog. I recently started my own blog with a similar focus. I work a full time, in office job Monday through Friday and as much as I LOVE the idea of traveling full time, its just not where I’m at in life. However, I do want to share my story, my visits, my weekend get-aways and more with as many people as I can.
It seems silly to say, but all the blogs I follow and youtubers have millions or hundreds of thousands of followers so it’s nice to find a blog that is not there (yet, if that’s the goal!) and really learn about the experience.
Thank you for sharing all that you have, I’m glad to have recently subscribed and look forward to following your upcoming adventures as well!
Hi Katelynn – so great to meet another weekend traveler! There’s so much value in exploring the world in little bites (it’s certainly better to do it this way than not at all).
Blogging has been an adventure in its own right, and I think it’s important to choose your own definition of success and do things your own way. Looking forward to checking out your blog!