Rather than have an existential crisis about whether Rhymes with Safari counts as a dog blog, I’m gonna just jump in and participate in GoPetFriendly’s Pet Blogger Challenge.
1. When did you begin your blog?
I started blogging in 2002, when I was living in Prague and working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.
2. What was your original purpose for starting a blog?
This was before Twitter and Facebook. I didn’t even know what a blog was until my friend Chelsea told me she started one. At the time, I posted whatever random musings I had during the day, much the way we all use Facebook and Twitter now. I also posted links to funny things on the Internet, and commented on the international news events I covered at my job.
3. Is your current purpose the same?
Not at all. You’ll notice that the above description has nothing to do with pets. My fella and I got our first dog, Isis, in 2006. For a few years, I blogged fairly infrequently, but when I did, it was usually about Isis. I posted lots of pictures of her with soccer balls.
Isis died in 2011. I have written a memoir about Isis’s life, and am starting the process of getting that published.
Now my blog focuses on the antics of my delightful muses Leo and Mia.
4. How often do you post?
A goal I feel I can meet is to post at least once a week. I would like to post more often.
5. Do you blog on a schedule or as the spirit moves you?
As the spirit moves me. I find it hard to stick to “dog blog” topics only, so I also write about pop culture a lot, books and authors, food and fitness.
6. How much time do you spend writing your blog per week? How much time visiting other blogs? Share your tips for staying on top of it all.
I find myself thinking of topics and mentally writing blog entries throughout the week, and spend less than an hour actually typing up each post. But then, I write pretty fast. I could never charge by the hour for my services!
I visit other blogs all the time, as part of my regular social media diet. Every time I scroll through Facebook and Twitter, I find lots that I want to read. When I’m on a desktop computer, I’ll click all of them and read at my leisure, but it can be tough on a mobile device. Especially when the wifi is temperamental.
7. How do you measure the success of a post and of your blog in general (comments, shares, traffic)?
All of the above. Mostly I look at my stats in WordPress. I’m learning to use hashtags in Twitter to stimulate sharing. Last fall, I got more “likes” on my posts about a trip to Russia (which did not include the dogs) than I did on my most heartfelt dog posts. I started to wonder if I should be writing a travel blog instead of a dog blog.
8. If you could ask the pet blogging community for help with one issue you’re having with your blog, what would it be?
I would like to attract more readers. Can I do that by writing about other topics besides my dogs, or will I lose my cred as a dog blogger?
Please subscribe and/or follow me on Twitter: @KariNeumeyer
9. What goals do you have for your blog in 2013?
More readers! Post 2-3 times a week. Lose 25 pounds. Sell my memoir! (OK, those last two are more personal goals than blog goals.)
~~
The Pet Blogger Challenge was started by Amy at Take Paws– Go Pet Friendly and Edie of Will My Dog Hate Me? as a way for pet bloggers to meet each other, learn about each other’s goals for our blogs and find support for our blogging. This is the 3rd year and the number of bloggers joining in grows each year.
This is a Blog Hop, but WordPress won’t allow the Javascript to include the links. Please visit Take Paws to see the complete list of Pet Blogger Challenge participants.
Kari Neumeyer 
I already follow you on Twitter! 🙂
I think you can maintain credibility as a dog blogger while still writing about other things. Part of it is in how you approach it. I know I’ve enjoyed some of your posts that weren’t about the dogs. Everyone has their own niche and their own things that they’re good at. I know the blog I Want More Puppies also writes a lot of pop culture things and has some really fun references to things in the 80’s.
Thanks! I hope my readers realize that even when I’m not explicitly blogging about my dogs, I’m a dog blogger at heart!
Awesome. Those are beautiful dogs. They remind me of a dog I had when I was a kid – a German Shepherd named Rusty. Love it.
Beautiful muses! Sorry for the loss of Isus – best of luck with the memoir!
Thank you. The memoir is a tribute that will keep her alive in my heart forever!
Thank you so much for participating in the Challenge! I definitely think you can blog about other topics and still be a “dog blogger.” One great example of that is Little Dogs on Long Leashes – she blogs about a great variety of things, but there’s usually a picture of Georgia Little Pea in there with a funny caption. Also, I think you’ll grow your readership if you meet that goal of posting 2-3 times per week. Consistency seems to be the key to fostering a relationship with your audience, so I think you’re on the right track! I hope 2013 brings you lots of success and I’m looking forward to seeing more of Leo and Mia.
Thank you, that’s great advice!
Hi there! Clever idea to include your Twitter handle in the post – will have to steal that idea next year. 🙂 In the meantime I followed you on Twitter. It’s interesting that you are considering options for diversifying into different areas on your blog (i.e. non dog topics), while I can’t find the time to write all I want to about dogs!
I haven’t been to your blog before, but I must say that the only blogs I really follow are dog blogs. I am also getting married this year, so I follow a few wedding blogs at the moment, too (but I think, once my wedding is done, I will get over them and quit subscribing). Anyone who knows me knows that I pretty much just talk about dogs all day, every day. And that’s pretty much all I want to read about, too. I have a one track mind and I’m sure I’m not representative of your whole audience.
All the best with whatever path your blog takes in 2013. 🙂
Thanks! I feel like I can talk about dogs forever too! For the purposes of marketing my memoir, I’ve been advised to stick to writing about dogs. But I have all kinds of other things I like to talk about too. Nice to meet you, I’ll check out your blog.
When I blog I try to keep most of my posts about dogs (I’m a dog blogger too), but I will stray and talk about pets in general and every once in a while blog about personal challenges. I sometimes wonder if I should start a second or third blog so I can keep my dog blog on topic…
I’ve read on other blogs that it’s better to keep you topic more narrow to keep readers. Basically if you start blogging off topic some readers may start to lose interest and stop reading/subscribing to your blog.
Best of luck with your goals in 2013!
Amazing! Its really awesome article, I have got much
clear idea concerning from this post.