Pet Bloggers Journey 2020: The K9sOverCoffee Adventure

Today I’m offering a little content that’s slightly different from my usual raw dog food, exercise and lifestyle topics! That’s because my friend Colby from PuppyInTraining.com is hosting the 2020 Pet Bloggers Journey Blog Hop and asked me to participate. It’s about answering ten blogging questions that reflect back on the past and look forward to the future. 

To put it in Colby’s words: Today we put our normal blog topics on hold and celebrate our accomplishments, share the dreams we have for our blogs, talk about goals, and encourage our fellow pet bloggers.

So here we go!

1. When did you begin your blog? And, for anyone stopping by for the first time, please give us a quick description of what your blog is about.

I’ve been blogging at K9sOverCoffee.com since mid 2014. My blog is about helping dogs thrive, not just survive, with raw dog food and physical and mental exercise.

2. Name one thing about your blog, or one blogging goal that you accomplished during 2019, that made you most proud.

I finally stepped out of my control freak comfort zone and hired a web developer who helps me with SEO and technical issues. I can only afford a few hours of support per week for now, but it’s already been a game changer.

3. Which of your 2019 blog posts was your favorite and why? (Please include a link.)

My favorite and best performing blog post in 2019 is a guide about how to raw meal prep for your dog. It’s called Raw Meal Prep for Dogs: The Ultimate Guide for Beginners. It’s my favorite because the many hours I spent creating it are starting to literally pay off. That’s because of my Amazon Affiliate links and mentioning my raw dog food e-book.

4. What was the biggest blogging challenge you faced in 2019, and how did you tackle it?

Google made the implementation of SSL certificates on websites mandatory last year. That turned into a few challenging weeks for me because I thought I could figure it out myself. Well, turns out I couldn’t and my traffic ended up tanking pretty badly as a result.

It was then that I decided to get technical support and hired the web developer I mentioned in a previous answer. He fixed the problem within a few days and it has seriously been the best decision ever that continues to bring me so much peace of mind!

5. One goal that we all seem to share is we want to reach more people. What is your #1 tip for bringing more traffic to your blog?

Get help with SEO for organic traffic or take a class in it if you have the time for it. Understand which sort of content Google prefers and then create it! Currently this seems to be long content format.

6. Do you do sponsored posts/reviews? If so, what do you find works best and how do you determine what to charge for a blog post, social media shares, etc.? If not, is this something you’d like to do more of? What hurdle is getting in your way?

I do sponsored blog posts occasionally. Last year I did two for raw dog food brands Balanced Blends and Raw Paws Pet Food. I don’t actively reach out to brands but was re-approached by them. I’ve worked with both in previous years and since my traffic had grown since, I asked them for a little more money/compensation.

7. Looking forward to 2020, if you accomplish only one thing through your blog, what do you hope it is?

I’m looking to create even more awareness about species-appropriate raw dog food in 2020. I started the year strong by getting my Raw Dog Food Nutrition Specialist Certification from Dogs Naturally Magazine. I had been meaning to do that for a while now and am glad I finally pulled the trigger and invested in the course in late 2019.

The certification serves two purposes. For one, it provides social proof for my raw feeding abilities. It was also genuinely interesting to learn more about the science behind raw feeding.

For example…did you know that the dog’s DNA sequence differs from that of wolves by only 0.2%?! This means that genetically, the dog is still a wolf and shares the same physiology, especially of the digestive tract.

Translation: Mother Nature equipped our best friends to eat raw meat, so why are we forcing them to eat highly processed carbs?

8. What steps are you planning to take to ensure you reach your goal??

I already checked off the Raw Dog Food Nutrition Certification I just mentioned in the previous answer. My plan is to continue to create content around the raw dog food topic, and to address questions potential raw feeders have. I’m also working on creating more products. 

9. The blogging landscape is constantly changing. What changes in blogging do you see coming in 2020 and beyond? What plans do you have to evolve?

It seems that video and podcasts are becoming increasingly interesting to people who could be a potential audience. Heck, they certainly are to me! I listen to podcasts almost daily and thoroughly  enjoy watching video content on YouTube. That’s why I want to create more video content myself and include it on my blog.

Here’s a short video I recently created on the topic of how to make balanced raw dog food at home:

10. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one challenge you’re having with your blog, what would it be?

I need to improve my email list building and writing skills. Do you guys have any tips for me there?

Thanks, Colby, for inviting me to participate and share some of my own wisdom! I’m looking forward to reading everyone’s answers and learning a few new things.

If you want to participate in this 2020 Pet Bloggers Journey yourself, you can do so until January 31.  Be sure to add the direct link to your post below, and include the Linky code on your blog to make it easy for everyone to hop to your post.