My 2015 Blog Review
Happy New Year Everyone!
My blog is one that has been around for a while now. I originally started it up five years ago, blogged for a while and then stopped, the periodically came back and did a little more before leaving it to languish for a while. After giving up work in December 2013, I thought I would give it another go, but really struggled to find my voice and only published a handful of posts in 2014.
However, over that Christmas I really have it some thought and decided I wanted to focus and seriously start growing my blog. On the 2nd January I wrote A Crisis of Content, expressing how much I wanted to blog, but not knowing what to write. A few of you came to the rescue with your support and ideas and I decided to give it a whirl.
A year on, I am so pleased with my achievements and have really fallen in love with blogging. I’m not new to the blogging world, I have blogged for BookChickCity.com for nearly 6 years, but it is very different to own and grow your own blog.
My goal at first was originally to just blog once a week, this then moved to three days and by the end of the year has got to virtually every day.
My Top Ten Posts In the Last Year
- My Experience of a Cow’s Milk Protein Allergy Baby
- Maxi-Cosi Two Way Pearl Review
- Lovely Things Linky
- Children’s Book Review and Competition – Through the Fairy Door
- Coming to Terms with my Post Natal Body
- Yoshi Bookworm Handbag Review
- Motherhood, Careers and Feminism – Is There a Quiet Revolution Going On?
- I-Size New Car Seat Laws and Why Rear Facing Is Safer
- Five Children’s Foods and Drinks I Hate
- My Experience of Reactive Arthritis
Social Media Growth
I have focused on growing three social media channels on 2015. Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. I do have a Google+ and Pinterest page but they are most definitely under-potentialised and something I need to look at in 2016.
- Facebook – I launched my Facebook page in February 2015. I have grown it from 0 to 590 fans. I have actually found Facebook one of the hardest social media channels to grow and have found you have to pay for some of it.
- Twitter – I cannot get the exact figure my Twitter following was, but approximately 2.2k last year and as of December 5k (2.8k growth).
- Instagram – Again this is an approximate number, but approximately 240 last year and as of December 880 followers (640 growth).
- Bloglovin – from 0 to 100 followers.
My Blogging Highlights
- Being featured on Britmums and Mumsnet (twice).
- Hitting 415,000 all time page views this December.
- Hitting number 232 on the Tots100.
- Working with some amazing brands – Bluestone, Maxi-Cosi, Yoshi, (quite a few handbags in fact – woop!), actually so many fab things it’s hard to mention them all.
- Attending Blog on Win and Blogfest.
- Having my blog redesigned by Ellie Illustrates.
- Making some amazing blogging friends.
My 2016 Social Media Goals
I find setting goals really helpful as they help keep me focussed throughout the year. I want to match, if not beat the growth I have seen in 2015.
- Facebook – as this is the hardest to grow I will keep this goal modest – grow my fans to over 1000.
- Twitter – grow my followers by 3000 to 8000.
- Instagram – this is one I am going to set myself a bit of a stretch goal on. If I were to grow it by the same amount as this year my following would be 1500 by the end of 2016. But I am going to be touch on myself and set the goal of 2000.
- Pinterest – I have seen some bloggers say they get as much as 25% of their traffic from Pinterest and I really do not much with it at all.
My 2016 Blogging Goals
- Focus my content. 2015 has been about discovery and learning and now I want to focus it into concentrated areas of things I truly love to write and share about.
- Get some final elements designed for my blog. I couldn’t afford it all at once and it has been an evolution.
- Become a brand ambassador for a brand I love. Ideally this would be a handbag brand.
- Approach some brands – I have yet to do this and have been fortunate that pretty much all opportunities have come to my directly. But I think it’s time to get more proactive.
- I have started to earn some money from my blog and I hope that this will improve. I hope this will come by continually working on my blog and writing good content and growing my readership.
- Improve engagement and readership.
- Do more work to improve the SEO of my blog.
- More effectively manage my blog / life balance and make sure it is at the right level, even if this means not posting every day.
- Do a broken link check and start doing this regularly (I have never done this!)
- Grow my domain authority, it is currently 26, I would like to get this over 30.
- Write for some other publications to help grow my profile – like Britmums or Mumsnet or Babycentre would be amazing.
- And my all time ambition would be to write for The Huffington Post. I have submitted a couple of times, so I will keep trying an hopefully eventually it will happen.
What are your achievements of 2015 and goals for 2016?
Such an incredible list of achievements. Well done and best of luck in 2016. X
Thank you Min x
Really interesting to see all your goals laid out. I started our blog last year on a whim, so never had a coherent strategy. I am entering 2016 with a clearer idea of which elements of blogging and social media I like, and the areas I would like to focus on more. Although my stats are tiny compared to yours Pinterest is the platform where I get the most consistent referrals from – possibly because I love it, and therefore use it more than the others. Good luck with your blog in 2016 – I’m sure you’ll reach your goals 🙂
Thanks I definitely think I am missing out not using Pinterest, so next to get my head around how it all works I think as I have never really got it I don’t think
You’ve done so well. I want to start taking my blog seriously too, I love it but I just don’t put in the time necessary. It’s become more clear this year that to grow a blog you have to put in the work and I hope to do that this year. Those are some great stats and something I would like to work towards. Happy new year. Xx
Thank you Rachel, I love your blog so I hope that you grow it and would love to read more for you x
Wow, that’s a great and ambitious list! I think I’d like to focus on content – I’ve recently branched out to lifestyle posts as well as book blogging so would like to develop that more.
Hope you have a great 2016!
Thanks Maia – good luck with your lifestyle posts I think it works well mixed up with book posts personally x
You’ve achieved so much! Awesome!
I totally agree that Facebook is the hardest network to develop. Ugh! And I have no clue about Pinterest at all. I think that once I have time to sit and learn about all of this stuff then I can get cracking. But there’s just so much to do!
Hope all goes according to plan in 2016!!x
#thelist
Yes me too I really need to sit down and crack Pinterest and I agree urgh on Facebook, you really do have to spend money to grow.
Brilliant post Laura and I love your goals. Huffington post is a 2016 goal for me too. Not sure if I will but will try. Well done you are doing amazing.
Angela
Let’s hope we both do it Angela – wouldn’t that be awesome?
You’ve done brilliantly so far Laura! I love how focused you are with your goals for 2016. I am sure you will achieve them and more!! I think the HuffPost thing is just a matter of time! 😉
Oh thank you Maria what a lovely thing to say – we shall see what the future holds 🙂
Well done on all of your achievements and you have a great plan ahead. I am so with you on the Facebook thing – it is such a slow grower. I have managed without paying anything yet but I can see that I might in the future! Good luck with you plans – I look forward to seeing you accomplish them all this year. Happy new year. #TheList
Thank you Lisa, I have reached the point on Facebook where I get a few organic followers but to grow it I seem to really need to pay which is frustrating. Good luck with yours too x
What a great list of blogging goals! You’ve already done so so well but it’s brilliant to be so focused on the areas you want to grow in. I can’t wait to see you achieving them all 🙂 x #TheList
Thank you Mim that’s very kind. I hope 2016 is a happy and healthy year for you and looking forward to seeing you beating breast cancer x
I agree, facebook is the hardest to grow. Especially when FB doesn’t show the posts to all the people, and like you say, you have to pay to be seen….
You’ve set yourself an ambitious list. Good for you. I wish you all the best for 2016. Lucy x
#TheList
Thank you Lucy – sometimes it’s good to aim high! And yes Facebook is really quite mean with its algorithms now
Sounds like 2015 was the year your blog really rose to fame, go you for 2016 and I’m sure you will land one of your writing ambitions. #PicknMix
I’m not sure fame Fiona but I am really pleased with how it’s grown – thank you x
Wow! SOunds like you are going from strength to strength! I need to get my head around SEO a bit more too! #picknmix xx
Yes SEO is hard because it’s the boring bit isn’t it? x
You should be so proud of yourself lovely! You have had a truly amazing year, and your goals for 2016 are fab! I really hope you reach and smash every single one! Which to be honest I am sure you will! Facebook is such a tough one to grow I find. And paying for a bit is almost a must these days! Good luck for 2016 Laura! xx
Thanks Clare, I will see what the year holds, it’s exciting to set goals and see how you do. I think everyone is unanimous on how hard Facebook is
You have had an amazing year. Your goals for this year are really achievable. The sooner you do a broken link check the better – it gets quite simple after a while 🙂 x
I know I am totally putting off doing a broken link check!!
Happy New Year Laura! i think if you keep doing your thing your blog will grow and grow…thanks for being a big blog inspiration in 2015 X
Oh wow I so do not think of myself as a big blog at all, thank you for your kind words x
What a great 2015 year you had!! Lots of great things happened to you!! Lots of goals achieved. I’m sure your will achieved your 2016 goals and probably will do more than that!! Just being featured on Mumsnet and Britmums is just amazing!! I can see you writing at Huffington Post very soon!! I’m sure it will happen!! Good luck with all these goals. 🙂 xx
Thank you Franca – I’m not sure if it will happen – but there is no harm in having a dream is there? x
Congrats on all you’ve achieved this year! Wishing you all the luck for 2016 too. 🙂 #TheList
Thank you Jessica and to you too x
Oh what a great list of achievements, there is no way I would have thought you’d only really posted regularly since this time last year! Best of luck with your 2016 goals. I’m sure you’ll get there and then some. S x
Thanks Sarah, yes I’m not quite sure where the year has gone! But I’ve really fallen in love with blogging
I struggle with facebook too in fact it’s probably the hardest to grow but I really recommend Pinterest I find it brings continuous traffic to certain posts which is always good
Ok I really do need to get Pinterest down don’t I? Got to go on February’s list I think 🙂
You’ve done really well this year! We had our blog redesigned by Ellie Illustrates too! Good luck with your goals in 2016 x #TheList x
Oh she’s a fab designer isn’t she? I am so pleased with how mine looks 🙂
Wow you’ve done such an awful lot this year, well done and huge congratulations on all your achievements!
I really love your blog, and am in awe of that you’ve received handbags, seriously that’s my dream! Good luck with all your goals, I’m sure you’ll smash them!
#thelist
Aww thank you – and a high five to a fellow handbag fan! and thank you so much for your lovely comment x
Meant to say, you’re in my blogs I love list in my 2015 review and, Happy New Year too!! X
Thank you so much x
Some great and very specific goals. My goals are more personal, but think I need to give my blogging goals some proper thought too. Good luck, I hope you achieve all you set out too! xx #TheList
I’m actually going to do separate personal ones I think too, as they help keep you focussed too
Great post Laura, and you deserve all the success you have had so far. I would take issue with one point, though, that you “gave up work” you certainly did not. You have worked really hard at your blog, as well as helping your Cambridge clients achieve their desired weight losses. On top of all this you have two small children, one of whom has milk protein allergy. You changed your workplace to your home and, I know, often work in the evenings. Your blog has introduced me to a whole world that I had never noticed before, so that now I read other blogs as well as yours. I’m looking forward to seeing what you write in 2016
Ha ha ok good point on the giving up work point and thank you for your lovely comment. I hope 2016 is an exciting year!
So many great achievements in 2015, well done. 232 in Tots is amazing. Hope you continue to grow in 2015 #PicknMix
Thank you Michelle. We shall see how the Tots100 goes I have found it can be fickle 😉
Well done Laura! You have done amazingly well! I love reading your fashion posts. Your goals are very inspiring. I have to say you are such a role model for me. Best of luck in 2016! #PicknMix
Oh Su what a lovely thing to say I am very touched to be anyone’s role model thank you so much x
Wow, what an amazing 2015. Good luck with all your goals for the year, I’m sure you will achieve them all x #picknmix
Thank you Wendy x
A fab list of achievements for 2015. Good luck for your goals for this year. Facebook really is SO hard to grow, isn’t it?! xx #thelist
Facebook really is painful and the amount of people that actually see your posts can be downright depressing some days! Ho hum…
you have worked so hard and done so well Laura! You are certainly focused on your goals and i hope you achieve them this year xx
Thank you Rachel xx
You’ve done so well and you should be very proud of yourself. You’ve set some great blogging goals for this year and I’m looking forward to seeing how you get on with them.
Laura x
Thanks Laura, we’ll see how the goals go but it would be awesome to achieve them.
I love that you’ve taken time to set goals. I wouldn’t have thought of doing annual goals for my blog – I tend to do them monthly, like “I want another 100 insta followers by the end of this month”. I find it more manageable that way I think. Lots of luck for the coming year x
Hi Colette I actually do them monthly too so I will take these monthly ones and break them down month on month and hopefully reach them! 🙂
You have done so well lovely and we’ll deserved. Some great goals there too, good luck for 2016 and happy new year!
Thanks for linking up to #Picknmix
Stevie x x
Thank you Stevie, congrats on how well your blog has done also and happy new year to you too x
What a great set of goals…I am still to do mine! I also struggle with Facebook so know exactly what you mean! Well done on getting posts published, I dint know you could submit to Huffington Post! Wishing you a very successful 2016. #PickNMix
Yes anyone can submit to the Huffington Post – worth a try if it’s one of your goals and I think so many of us agree that Facebook is rather painful.
You have set very good goals here for your blog Laura. I hope you get to work with an awesome brand as well, and good luck with increasing monetization and followings 🙂
Thank you for your lovely comments Julie. I hope 2016 is a good year for you too x