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ICYMI: I conducted a reader survey a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been in a bit of a rut lately, and I wanted to get your feedback as I was planning out Q4 content (which is my favorite time of the year!) If you didn’t get the chance to fill out the survey, it’s still open. However, I did draw a winner for the gift card yesterday — congratulations to Tracy on winning!
Today, I’m going to chat briefly about the results of the survey, plus one significant change that I’m making to the blog as a result!
Blogging Tips
Hands down, this was the topic that was most talked about on the reader survey. Those of you that had a blog or wanted to start one wanted to see more blogging tips & tricks posts. However, those of you who don’t blog? You didn’t care to read about the blogging industry as a whole. It makes complete sense, and I honestly don’t blame you!
Going forward, I will no longer be posting blogging tips/tricks articles on my blog. Instead, I’m launching a biweekly newsletter where I will share all of the latest industry knowledge, plus some freebies from time to time! You can sign up for the blogging tips newsletter here. All of the content in this newsletter will be exclusive, and you won’t be able to find it elsewhere. I’ll touch on how to work with brands, what to charge, how to pitch, how to land more travel opportunities, and more. Note: this is separate from my weekly newsletter.
At the beginning of 2020, I plan on launching a separate website that will house more articles, ebooks, and courses for those looking to grow their blog and work with brands. Stay tuned! 🙂
Diversity & Inclusion
Another overwhelming response I received? You guys wanted to see more posts that touched on diversity and inclusion in the blogging/style industry.
I want to continue to advocate for more inclusion in this space. However, I’ve felt a bit discouraged over the last few weeks. In one instance, I tried to draw attention to a local campaign that wasn’t super diverse, and I received some backlash from other DC bloggers as a result. I generally try to avoid drama, so that situation didn’t sit well with me.
Give me a few weeks to brainstorm this and come up with the right solution (that’s hopefully, drama-free). I’ll keep fighting for more diversity in this space, but I want to be strategic about it.
D.C. Content
While the majority of you seemed to love travel content, a lot of locals have requested more D.C. content as well.
Ironically, I started posting mini D.C. guides a few years back as a way to break into travel blogging. However, it seemed to resonate with a lot of you! Even though only 25% of my following is based in D.C., I think the local readers happen to be some of the most loyal and engaged.
Admittedly, since travel blogging picked up for me, I’m only in-town about ~10 days/month, on average, so it has been a bit difficult for me to produce local content. When I’m home, I have to do mundane things like laundry, errands, and admin work for my business — and I haven’t had the chance to explore a ton of new places in D.C. lately.
Despite my crazy travel schedule, I hear you loud and clear, local friends! I’ll aim to publish 1-2 local guides/month on the blog.
Personal & Fashion Posts
Fashion/outfit posts have definitely slowed down on here the past few months. To be honest: it’s hard to come up with a 300-word article about an OOTD. I usually save those types of posts for Instagram.
However, a lot of you guys requested more fashion content. Also, quite a few of you wanted to see more personal posts. So: why not combine the two? I’ll share more OOTDs, plus some personal stories at the same time — like this post about family planning.
A Few Responses…
“Topics I’d Like to See More of: Maybe a photography series!?” – Definitely something we can do for the blogging tips newsletter subscribers!
“I appreciate that your blog has strayed back to a more authentic space. I stopped reading as frequently for a bit as it felt a bit too sponsored sometimes and those sponsorships didn’t always seem to make sense. I’m glad you’re back to sharing more of “life” posts!” – I really appreciate your honest feedback, friend! I’ll be the first to admit: I have taken some off-brand sponsorships in the past. However, it’s a priority for me to only partner with brands that I love, and that I can personally vouch for. I’ve had to decline a lot more opportunities as a result, but I want to remain as authentic as possible in this space!
“I’d love to see more about pets” – I love animals, but Tom and I don’t own any pets. We spend about 75% of the year traveling, so owning pets wouldn’t really make sense for us! Unfortunately, I don’t really know much about pets to post that type of content (I will always encourage you to adopt rather than shop, though!). My girl Greta has two adorable pups though, and I think you’d love her content!
“More Charlottesville content!” – Ah. Charlottesville! Right now, Charlottesville isn’t in my Top 5 cities on Instagram or Google analytics. I don’t have a huge following there, and analytics-wise, it doesn’t make a ton of sense for me to post a ton of Cville content either. However, if it does end up becoming one of my Top 5 cities, I would be happy to start producing more Cville-related posts! In the meantime, I’m keeping my Charlottesville guide up to date (expect another massive update in the next month or two!), and you can always DM me if you need recs 🙂
“For me-some of the clothes are out of my price range. But I don’t mind seeing them at all!” – I had a few requests for more affordable fashion like this (I think I’ve had it on every reader survey I’ve ever done, really!) I want to learn more about what your price points are, and what you consider to be “affordable” so I can help! Since I’m almost 30, I prefer to buy less and invest in certain pieces, but I try to share some ‘Under $100’ style finds from time to time as well. Feel free to reach out privately via email or DM to let me know what your ideal price points are!
To be honest: I don’t think I’m ever going to be the ideal “budget blogger,” but I do think that I can provide attainable style finds for the everygirl — I like to share what pieces to invest in, and what trendy items to save on! 🙂
What’s Next?
I thought I was going to eliminate more categories as a result of the survey, but it turns out you enjoy seeing a little bit of everything. As I said before, blogging advice posts will no longer be featured on this website. Make sure to subscribe to the Blogging Tips Newsletter! The first email will launch on October 16th.
Overwhelmingly, you guys said that the post frequency was just right (3 blog posts/week and one weekly newsletter). I think in this day and age, posting five times/week on the blog isn’t necessary! Since we moved into a house, more home decor posts are on their way. It’s a 4-story townhome, and we’ve got a lot of spaces to work with!
Speaking of newsletters: as a reminder, I have a weekly newsletter where I share exclusive content that you won’t find on the blog. I’ve got a lot of fun things planned for fall and the holidays with this newsletter, and I can’t wait to share them with you!
