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| Make Up For Dolls Blog is One Year Old!!! |
I made it!
When I started this out, a year ago, I decided that I'd blog "whenever I could". I thought I'd give it a year, and see how it went. I had some rough targets in mind, I figured (nominally) I'd try to aim for:
- 100+ Facebook likes
- 250+ Twitter followers
- 2-3 posts a week
- An average of 1,000 blog pageviews per month (ie 120,000 pageviews for the year)
So how did I do?
- 122 Facebook likes
- 237 Twitter followers (nearly at my 250 target!)
- 102,611 pageviews overall
- 123 published posts (over 12 months that averages 10 a month, or 2-3 week; although I've stepped it up to 4-5 a week (M-F) where I can)
Somewhere along the way I have tumblr, pinterest, model mayhem, folio24, IFB, iFabbo, Bloglovin', Google Friends Connect... accounts that I try to dip in and out of, but all of this stuff takes time and I confess I am a bit social-media overloaded and don't get around to many of them at all.
Besides all of that, other than blog, I have a day job (completely unrelated to blogging and makeup, but one which pays the bills and enables my Completely Healthy Handbag Fetish ;-)). I have a freelance makeup job. I teach Bootcamp courses. I also do all the other normal stuff; cooking (I love cooking), cleaning (I hate cleaning), paying the bills (what do you think), DIY (yuck), sewing/dressmaking (love it), occasional jewellery making...
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| Fun making jewellery! |
I have helped a friend to edit her very first book, and I'm so proud of her, and her achievements, and the tiny part I played to get it published.
I change my hair colour (a LOT). I experiment with makeup and skincare (sometimes my skin even thanks me for it).
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| Demon Cat |
In my spare time I own and train demon cats*. It's great being a girl!
* OK that part is not strictly true. She's not an actual demon, she just acts like one.
So after a year, it's time to take stock and answer some questions. Will I continue with the blog? Yes, I believe I will. What do I like about it anyhow? I enjoy the creative process and the discipline of writing (sometimes, it has to be said, more than others!) What direction will I take it in, if I continue? I guess I would like to get in touch with more PR reps and look at more content provision as well as trials and reviews. I am considering looking into affiliate programmes and starting to try to monetize the blog, even in a tiny way (don't worry, if I decide to do this, I will be very transparent about it).
What are my goals/aims/targets? I would like to have another 100 Facebook likes, another 200-ish Twitter followers, and another 100k pageviews by End Of Year Two. I realise that these would be considered low enough targets by some seasoned bloggers, but given that the blog is really only a tiny part of "what I do", I would be happy enough with that.
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| Meet Dolly Parting, my hair styling practice head |
What about other forms of social media? I would like to "grow a pair", get over my Extreme Aversion to being in front of the camera and record some YouTube videos. I may start by introducing you all to Dolly Parting, my hair styling practice head, rather than being on camera myself ;-) We shall see...
Overall, what have I learned? I love the blog. I also do find it incredibly hard work, and it takes serious discipline sometimes, when I'm knackered tired, to sit down and compose a post. But I love it. I am not hugely involved in the "blogger scene" but I enjoy those blogger/twitter relationships that I have (very slowly and gradually) built up with a (very small) number of people.
There's lots I "should" do more of. But "should" is a dirty word.
This is not a "boasty post", it was something I wanted to do to review, regroup, and say thanks - if you've stuck with me over the last year, I thank you profusely! I hope you've enjoyed the journey with me over the last year, and I look forward to sharing the next with you :-)