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My Year In Numbers & State of the Blog Address 2014

This post almost didn’t happen. I’m having a very weird reaction to that Tamiflu. My head is all swimmy. But. The show must go on! And I love doing this post every year. I’ve been doing a lot of re-evaluating for 2015. I am hoping to be more organized and strategic. I’ve never been very strategic about my blog, but I think it’s time. I’ve slowly evolved into something of a schedule, but I’m going to try to be even more dedicated to keeping things predictable so you know what to expect.

Jo-Lynne Shane's State of the Blog Address and 2014 In Numbers

Let’s get started. First, some stats. And then, my thoughts. They will probably be more jumbled than usual today. You’ve been warned.

Musing of a Housewife by the Numbers

WAIT. I’m not Musings of a Housewife anymore.

So let’s start there.

8 years of being Musings of a Housewife came to an end in October of 2014. It’s funny, that already seems SO long ago.

700K arrived via search. 330K came directly to the site. 330K came from Pinterest, 66K from Facebook, and then only 7K from Twitter and 5K from Stumbleupon.

Interestingly, the numbers are close to the same as 2014 for search and direct visitors. But I have doubled my traffic from Pinterest and Facebook. I guess I know where to put my focus this year!

7K comments

1K new subscribers

627 posts published (I KNOW!!!)

75 recipes created

countless outfits documented

7 states visited

3 blogging conferences attended

2 blog designs

2 countries visited

1 contributor added

1 cookbook published

Whew! It’s been quite a year, wouldn’t you say??

State of the Blog

Nothing is going to change drastically in 2015, but I feel like I’m finally getting smart about blogging. I’m learning what resonates and what doesn’t, and I would like to be more intentional about what I post in 2015 so I can best serve YOU, the reader.

I’ve known for quite a while that Pinterest is my largest social media referrer. I want to get even more dedicated to using it wisely. I’ve even taken a course on the topic, but time is aways the issue. I need to be more consistent about doing what I know works.

While I’m excited that my traffic from Facebook has doubled this year . . . I’m concerned about the changes they are making to business pages in the new year. Supposedly it will be even harder than it is now for my posts to be seen by people who “like” my page. I’m actually working on a post about that and how you can find me elsewhere. I will still be putting time and effort into my Facebook page and hope that the cream rises to the top, so to speak. But only time will tell.

A new look . . . AGAIN. I was too hasty when I rebranded, and I tried to modify my current blog design with a new logo that wasn’t exactly what I wanted, so you will notice my blog getting a facelift AGAIN over the next few days. I LOVE this new look, I’m really excited about having a whole new color scheme, and I hope to keep this design for a long time.

I’ve decided that I want a more robust email delivery service so I’ve signed up with AWeber. I’m not-so-patiently waiting to get everything moved over there. If you’re currently subscribed to any of my mailings with Feedblitz, you may get a request to approve the switch to a new service. I hope you’ll stick with me. I have so many subscription options right now that it will take some time to set each one up in the new system. I’ve sent a few brief surveys to some of you to see how I can better serve you through those mailings. I appreciate all who took the time to answer them. You can find my current sign up options on this page. I’ll update it as things move along.

Overall my goal is to figure out how to get the content that I work so hard on to get to the people who will enjoy it. This is an ever-changing process in the world of social media and blogging! The “rules” seem to change overnight, and it’s a full-time job to keep up with it all!

Fortunately I love the challenge and the fast pace of this space, and I love that so many of you are coming along for the ride! Thank you SO much for hanging with me through thick and thin. Whether you just found me or you’ve been around for the long haul or something in between, I treasure every comment, every pin, every share. YOU are what makes it all worthwhile.

And now I’m off to enjoy New Year’s Eve with the family. I’ll see you in 2015!!!

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11 Responses

  1. Happy New Year! So glad I found your blog – it’s one of my favorites! Looking forward to seeing what you have in store for 2015. Hope you’re feeling better soon!

  2. Woohoo!! I believe I’ve actually been reading your blog for over a year now – does that make me an oldtimer? 😀

  3. Wow, Jo-Lynne! Congrats! Love your blog–read it regularly! Keep up the good work! As I contemplate blogging again (just as a hobby–it’s been several years off) I realize the whole blogging world has changed in that time…so congrats for navigating all of that. 627 posts….what??? Great job!

    1. It has DEFINITELY changed, but I enjoy it. And I actually think the pendulum is going to swing back a bit. I think people miss the “old days” and are figuring out how to walk the line.

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