Pet Blogger Trends and Tips to Grow a Blog
by Carol Bryant
BlogPaws is in the business of educating its members. We’re also in the business of being around those in the know and we talk to a lot of experts on a variety of levels. We see success stories and growth in blogs day after day. It doesn’t come easy, and it doesn’t happen overnight. Anyone who has blogged for at least a year or two knows the fruits of labor are vine ripened with time, dedication, and a plan.
I have written many times that pet bloggers have a tremendous power and responsibility to today’s modern pet owner/parent. Think back to March of 2007 and the great pet food recall. The FDA learned that certain pet foods were both sickening and killing dogs and cats. An investigation revealed contaminants in vegetable proteins imported into this country from China and then used in pet food.
The blogosphere exploded. Suddenly the power of the pet blogger shone brighter than ever before: Our words mattered and still do…and will continue to do so.
Here are some trends you can look forward to throughout the remainder of 2015 with a closing case study on how one pet blogger took her blog from start up to stand out.
From Felissa Elfenbein, BlogPaws Blogger Outreach and Communications Manager:
- I predict that bloggers who were on the fence about attending BlogPaws 2015 will be really upset if they do not figure out a way to attend.
- I predict 2015 will be the year of supplements.
- I predict 2015 will be the year smart pet bloggers go from fun hobby to professional bloggers.
- I predict 2015 will be the year of better dental health, crate happy pets, better understanding of why grooming is important, the year of the fish, less cats turned over to shelters for litter box issues, better understanding of why it is important to protect against fleas and ticks, unique proteins, and chicken feet (there were a lot of US sourced chicken feet at Global Pet Expo).
From Yvonne DiVita, BlogPaws’ Co-Founder:
- Bloggers but especially pet bloggers will gain more confidence in their work, because they will study harder and increase their business education.
- The blogosphere in general will gain more respect and recognition because of #1. Journalistic integrity will rule.
- Brands will accept, finally, that bloggers are not just making noise on the web. They will be watching bloggers closely to identify the influencers. Influencers will be rewarded for their excellence in writing, business, teaching, and learning.
From Carol Bryant, BlogPaws’ PR and Marketing Manager:
- More PR agents and brands will step up and work with bloggers and provide financial compensation in return for blog posts AND develop long-term relationships.
- More products will hit the pet marketplace that mirror their human counterparts. Organic diets, personal and beauty products, and clothing for pets (even custom!) will soar.
- Professional pet bloggers will see a new level of respect in the industry as they are recognized as journalists with the power to influence.
From Start Up to Stand Out
Ann Staub of Round Rock, Texas, is the founder of My Pawsitively Pets and a finalist for a BlogPaws 2015 Nose-to-Nose award for Best Written Blog Post. She recently revealed that her blog surpassed 60,000 page views per month. Staub says that BlogPaws has been an immense help to her success. She joined the BlogPaws Community very early on in her blogging career. Through BlogPaws, she has been able to connect and network with other bloggers in the pet niche.
Here are some of the secrets to her success, which you can implement into your blogging plans, directly from Ann:
- Since much of my traffic comes from search engines, I can attribute much of my success to SEO.
- Sometimes, new bloggers will reach out to me to ask for tips. There are two things I always tell them to really focus on when they are just starting out:
- The first thing is to visit other pet blogs, leave comments, share, be inspired, and get ideas for your own blog. By visiting and leaving comments on other pet blogs, you are letting others know you exist. Many bloggers will visit you back, leave comments, and may even subscribe. It’s a good way to make friends. While your target audience may not be other bloggers, if another blogger likes what you’re writing they are likely to share it with their own audience.
- The second thing I tell new pet bloggers is to join the BlogPaws community if they haven’t already. I give big credit to being a member of the BlogPaws community as part of my own success. It’s great for learning and networking with other pet bloggers.
On the SEO side, I asked Ann what specifically she does and/or recommends to improve SEO on a blog. She says:
I don’t usually try to go crazy with SEO and get too caught up with it. What I will do is focus on one or two keywords for a blog post and try to use them as they fit within the article. I make sure to use the keywords in the first and last paragraphs of the post, as well as within the title of my blog post. I find that using a simple blog post title helps make it easier for people to find what they are searching for. I also like to use questions as titles for my blog posts sometimes.
My #1 big traffic getter is this one – 7 Signs That Your Dog is in Pain
#2 – Over the Counter Dewormers for Pets
#3 – Neem Oil for Dogs
Notice how two of them feature pet products? One of the reasons companies should be interested in working with bloggers! It’s an investment that can last for many years.
We agree with Ann: By showing a brand what you can do, letting them know the link lives on permanently, and it is able to be found from a search engine perspective is golden to a brand.
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Do you have a plan? What predictions do you have for pet blogging? We’re all ears!
