Tag: blogger

Reads

2018 in Blogging

Hollie

Around the end of the year, I like to reflect on both running and blogging. Typically around this time, I wonder if I want to continue my blog. Is it worth it to renew the $300 platform?

As it’s trended the last few years, blogging is dying.  Podcasts, Instagram, and other social media is taking over.  No one has “time” to read anymore. Not that I need anyone to read my blog.  I don’t have a coaching service or a product to sell, it’s just my life. The way the blog stays afloat is by the occasional sponsored posts as well as the sidebar ads.  To keep the blog running, it does cost about $300 a year.

blogging stats 2018

As you can see from the chart, my blog grew when I started in mid-2010, and then around 2015 began to fade.  Most people refer to quick and easy information now, and Instagram seems to be the platform of choice for race recaps, training, and whatever else. I don’t foresee myself writing long captions on instagram anytime soon.  A picture tells 1000 words, and I like to keep it that way.

I’m not sad or being negative; those are just the facts of blogging and my personal blog.  For me, the days of 1000 views regularly are gone, and that is okay.

So back to Blogging in 2018:

Most viewed posts

Tips for Morning Workouts

Blogging is Dying.

New York City Marathon Race Recap (3:07.15)

I Have a Fall Goal Race

Phoenix Half Marathon (1:22.03)

20 Running Podcasts to Keep You Entertained

What Will Happen in 2019?

I renewed my blog, so, for now, I’ll continue it.  I can’t say for 100% certainty that I see myself blogging through the entire year. I’ve said that every year, but truthfully I never know. Right now, I plan to continue blogging.  Maybe less, or maybe trying to find more sponsored posts to keep it worthwhile to keep going. I’ve thought about just going to newsletter format as well. A newsletter is cheaper and I could still have a record of race recaps and information, I could refer too. still something I’m very much contemplating but it would be a big change and a lot of work to get there.

In short 2018 didn’t change a lot. Blogging is dying. Instagram and podcasts are growing So I guess I don’t know what will happen in 2019.  Something completely new and different could happen in social media too.

Questions for you:

Bloggers and Readers, I would love to hear your thoughts on blogging, social media, and changes.

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DailyMusings

Bloggers Guilt

Hollie

As bloggers, we often find guilt of not creating content daily.  Or when we have an off day, it shows through the blog.  Tone can often be misjudged through text and sometimes posts don’t come out as anticipated.

Bloggers Guilt

For running blogs like myself, my blog is a chronicle of my own running, training, and personal life.  It’s filled with the highs of PRs and the lows of bad races or injuries.

But it’s not a full picture of my life.  A blog is not the complete picture of anyone’s life, and it shouldn’t be.

This past month I’ve been in a funk.  It’s included a lot of things such as my personal life, running and blogging.  Thinking out loud, it started around the time of my hamstring injury and continued into a downward spiral from there.  

I found myself asking:

What will I blog about when I’m injured?

What if I skip blogging for weeks?

What if my blog becomes boring and whiny because I’m injured yet again?

Why does it even matter?  No one wakes up thinking: “the first thing I want to do is read blogs.”  If you do, that’s a whole different topic of unhealthy behavior.

Unlike elite athletes, celebrities or professional bloggers, I’m not making a living from LOLZ blog.  My life and means to survive do not come from blogging.  Like any blogger I find myself fearing the lack of content, being “too boring” or criticism for how I’ve chosen to live life.  Just like the comparison trap, it’s something self-inflicted.

My times aren’t going to win the US anything.

My reviews of shoes or diners won’t make or break a company.

And my blog probably isn’t going to provide you any medical advice.

My blog is just a chronicle of my life, the good, the bad and the ugly (like when I thought bangs were a good idea or dyed my hair blonde).

I chose to put my blog and life online, at the end of the day I’m just an ordinary, average person.  Putting anything online opens you up for feedback both positive and negative.

So what’s the point of this post?

It’s a reminder to myself, to anyone that at the end of the day, blogging is blogging.  Your life does not revolve around a single hobby, whether it’s blogging, running or something else.  It’s important not put all of your eggs in one basket.  Comparing yourself to anyone (including yourself) isn’t going to get you anywhere.

Questions for you:
Bloggers: Do you ever feel bloggers guilt?
What is the last thing you felt guilty about?

Articles

2015: Blogging Edition

Hollie

The year 2015 was a very eventful year for me. Normally when life is exciting and eventful…blogging is not as exciting.  This is my fourth full year of blogging, and I learned a lot from it.  In 2016, I plan to keep my blog, but I’ll be going in a different direction.

2015 blogging in review

For the last few years, I’ve posted nearly every day.

Posts have varied in topic.  When I was in college, I posted about that. When I was working in a health promotion office, I posted about life in Upstate NY.  This year was a lot of marriage posts followed by mostly sticking with running topics and, of course, diners.

I once partnered around with a monkey on campus.
Throwback: I once partnered around with a monkey for education on campus.

I have taken a lot of personal life out of my blog.  Not because I am hiding anything but because I truly am not exciting outside of running or work.

People have asked how I blog frequently or for so long but, to be honest, blogging goes hand in hand with my breakfast and morning coffee.  I typically write or schedule a post before 7 am and go about the rest of my day.  There are very few days I’m writing a post after 8 am.

I will still blog in 2016, but I don’t feel the need to blog about trivial and minor details of my life.  You can typically follow those through Instagram or even my facebook page.

After that update, I decided to compile my most seen blog posts of the year as well as my personal favorites. 

Here are some interesting stats from FueledbyLOLZ:

Most searched (and funny) terms:
What is ISO?  (ISO is clearly everything and the substance used in many different Saucony shoes…)
Crystal Lake Diner (My friends in Haddon Township know this place burnt down, but it’s slowly being rebuilt.  I’ve been excited for a year!)
Penguins (Are LOLZ favorite animal)
“I want my yoga pants to smell like I sweat money” (I don’t do yoga, and none of my yoga pants smell like money sweat, but you do you.)
Nike Frees (No, not a running shoe)
College Graduation Shoes (I wore these)

megraduation
A Day Everything Went Wrong (I’ve had plenty of those…hopefully the next day was/is better)

Of course, a lot of people find LOLZ blog by googling FueledbyLOLZ…ect.

Most Popular Posts:

Believe it or not, my most popular and most seen posts are often shoe guides. It’s funny because the least amount of people comment on them but they are the most seen!

Saucy ISO 2 Feat Everrun Review

Most Popular: Asics Nimbus
Runner-Up: Saucony Triumph ISO 2

Other Popular Posts from 2015:
Five Types of Runners
Running on the Cheap
Facebook Ads: Are they worth it?
Losing Toenails: A Runners Right Of Passage? (The answer is still a no)

Busiest Month (Traffic) Blogging Wise: December
Slowest Month (Traffic) Wise: July

Amount of Diners Reviewed in 2015 (Full list here): 54

Favorite Diner of 2016: Chit Chat Diner, State Line or Mustache Bills

Mustache Bills Coffee

Fun blogging activities:

This year I was honored to go to the Runners World Festival as a blogger and influencer.  It was an experience I will never forget and I had such a good time.  I’m hoping to go back this year.

Runners World Half

Since the majority of my blog is running related, I recapped my 2015 running journey here and here.

I had a great year in 2015 and truly enjoyed blogging my way through it.  I’m interested to see what 2016 brings, and hopefully, I’ll get to share the journey with you!  Thank you to friends and family who read as well as friends from across the world that read too!  Have a happy New Years!

Question for you: What were some of your personal favorite moments of 2015?