What’s On Your Pet Blogging Bucket List?

Post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess

Resolutions. Did you have them? How are they working out? What I’d like to ask is what’s on your pet blogging bucket list? I know that for some “bucket list” has the connotation of “something to do before you die” but I look at it as filling my bucket with things that make me happy.

Whether it’s finishing three blog posts a week for your pet blog, making sure you walk 10,000 steps a day or trying a new food once a week, it’s easy to fill your bucket with things that not only make you happy, but that move your pet blogging business forward (and yes, if you’re serious about it, your pet blog is a business). Here are a few of the things that are on my bucket list as ways to advance my pet blogging business:

• Attend a pet blogging conference. Yes, I will be attending BlogPaws 2014 as part of my job with BlogPaws, but as a serious pet blogger, I would be attending regardless. Being at a conference allows you to meet like-minded professionals face to face and that can only enhance your relationship with them as well as strengthen friendships. Conference attendance puts you in close proximity with pet brands with whom you can interact and perhaps work with. You will also have the opportunity to meet blogging and social media gurus that provide hints and tips that you can use to grow your blog.
• Blog “x” number of times a week. You can fill in the “x” with whatever number makes you feel happy, will make you feel productive or will make you feel you’re moving forward on growing your blog, its following and your authority on the topic on which you blog.
• I want to fill my bucket daily with a notation that I have gotten up and walked at least 5,000 steps a day. I know that 10,000 is the recommended amount of walking, but in the winter and in NY getting out and doing that many steps a day simply isn’t in the cards (for me anyway) but I can get in a lot of my steps in the house exercise either through power walking to and from or working out with the Wii. The studies I seem to read daily point to the fact that people with sedentary jobs — that probably applies to many of you reading this post — are more prone to serious health issues that those who move around. Common sense? Yes. Easy to put into practice? Not always.
• Learning to take better photos and to make videos. I do take photos of my pets as my Facebook page will attest to, but they are not always the greatest — I do blame some of that on my pets not being willing subjects — but other reasons could be that I am not a master of lighting and backgrounds. As for making videos, I have never made one but I plan to this year. It may be as simple as my cats chasing that blasted red dot, but I have written it down and put it in my bucket.
• Growing my (fill in the blank) social media following. Whether you’re involved in Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, the BlogPaws Community or any of the other social media sites available, you should choose one and focus your efforts on making it the best it can be. If you have the energy and vision for more than one, then I say go for it. I do find though that sometimes when you spread your focus you actually lose focus.

What’s on your pet blogging/pet business bucket list? What steps can you take to make it happen in 2014? I’d love to hear!

(Photo Shutterstock: Dog taking a bath)