Monday, January 8, 2018

2018 Pet Blogger Challenge

Today we're excited to be participating in the 2018 Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by GoPetFriendly.com. It's a great way to join fellow bloggers in reflecting on the past year while making plans for the one to come. 


1. For those who may be visiting your blog for the first time, how long have you been blogging and what is your main topic?

I started blogging in August 2011. Mochas, Mysteries and Meows is the purr-fect destination for everyone who embraces a cozy, cat-centric lifestyle: curling up on the couch with a warm beverage, a great book, and a cat...or 3. It's primary focus is to chronicle my cat lady life with Mudpie alongside reviews of products for both cats and cat moms and sharing the knowledge I've accumulated in three decades of life with cats.

2. What was your proudest blogging moment of 2017?

We went through a very scary time at our house early last year when Mudpie had an adverse reaction to her rabies vaccine. I wrote about it in Mudpie's Vaccination Scare...and What We'll Do Differently Next Time and in the months since I've had so many people tell me that they've saved it and used it to ask their vet about their own pet's vaccine protocol. As pet blogger, that's music to my ears.

3. Which of your blog posts was your favorite this year and why? (Please include a link.)

I wrote My Visit to the Rainbow Bridge: A Short Story for Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, and it's my favorite thing I've written since Truffles' Remember Me post. The idea popped into my head and the story just poured out of me, then I spent about 3 weeks perfecting it. I cried while I wrote it, and I still cry re-reading it. 

4. In terms of your blog, how do you measure success?

Having readers who care enough about us that they visit on a daily basis. Don't get me wrong - new readers are great - but knowing that people take time out of their busy lives to see what we're up to each day is amazing. (Although I must say, I completely understand everyone's need for a daily dose of Mudpie!)

5. In what ways has your blog changed during 2017?

This year I made a concentrated effort to start writing more evergreen content, primarily through a new series I titled The Purrfect 10 where we present 10 educational or fascinating tidbits about a wide variety of cat-related topics, everything from health issues to cat breeds to famous felines.


6. What was the biggest blogging challenge you overcame in 2017, and what did you learn that could help other bloggers?

In 2017 I stepped out of my comfort zone and started contacting brands that I wanted to work with, and was for the most part very successful! I learned how important it is to have confidence in yourself and the unique talents you can bring to the blogging table. Learning how to sell yourself is a valuable tool.

7. When things get hard, what keeps you blogging?

I keep going because I love it. Cats have been my greatest passion since the day I was born so writing about them on a daily basis comes pretty much effortlessly to me. 

8. Looking forward to 2018, what are you hoping to accomplish on your blog this year?

My goal is to continue growing our blog and to use it as a stepping stone towards freelance writing for a national publication, either online or print. I've tucked this valuable article on freelancing in the pet industry into my blogging planner and plan to start by pitching a local pet publication.

9. In addition to what you’d like to accomplish, is here one specific skill you’d like to improve or master this year?

I'd like to learn Canva primarily as a tool to create pin-worthy graphics on Pinterest.

10. Now it’s your turn! You have the attention of the pet blogging community – is there a question you’d like answered, or an aspect of your blog that you’d like input on? 

I would love to ask our readers what they want to see more of on the blog. Do you have a favorite feature? A topic you would like us to cover? Please let us know!!!

23 comments:

Summer at sparklecat.com said...

Darn, I didn't know about this pet blogger challenge - and I already have a post scheduled for tomorrow.

Fur Everywhere said...

You accomplished a lot in 2017, and I can't wait to see what you do this year!

Mickey's Musings said...

What a neat post.
We enjoyed reading your answers too :)
Your blog is pretty interesting.
Purrs Georgia,Julie and JJ

The Menagerie Mom said...

This is so fantastic. We love visiting you each and every day. You really did accomplish so much in 2017, and we know you can accomplish anything you set your mind to in 2018. Thank you for creating such a purrfect blog!

Unknown said...

Visiting your blog is one of the highlights of my day! I love your series The Purrfect 10--that is such a great idea, and there are so many things you can do with it. Also, just seeing Mudpie every day is a mood booster!

The Daily Pip said...

Thanks for sharing the article about freelancing! I've done some, but want to pursue more opportunities this year.

I always enjoy your posts, but especially the ones with the adorable cat-related items and keepsakes. You always find the most adorable things and they always make me smile!

Patricia T said...

I look forward to visiting your blog, every day, Melissa. You and Mudpie brighten my day.

pilch92 said...

You are an excellent blogger, I always enjoy your posts. And seeing adorable Miss Mudpie. :)

Hairballsandhissyfits.com said...

You are one of my fav bloggers Mudpie! Great to learn more about you - i also thought your post on rabies vaccine was wonderful and informative!

Colehaus Cats said...

What a year 2017 was for you! We can't wait to hear what you do in 2018.

Eastside Cats said...

I'm a bit new to your blog, but it's a regular visit for me now! Keep up the good work!

Athena Cat Goddess Wise Kitty said...

Great post! We love your blog and look forward to more from you :)

Purrs xx
Athena and Marie

Unknown said...

It sounds like you had a great year, congratulations!

I'm going to try and learn Canva too. People have told me it's easy, but I'm a bit challenged with it. I think I may have to check YouTube to see if there are some videos! Good luck in 2018.

Cathy Keisha said...

TW is so lazy or we could accomplish more like participating in this challenge. She's still way too shy about contacting brands and especially about axing for money. Writing would be right up her alley if she wasn't so lazy. TW loves Canva and Crello and hopes to get better at it. We use them as a jumping off point for our lead images. Today's looks nothing like the template we started out with.

Pamela said...

Sounds like 2017 was a great year for you. I hope 2018 is even better.

The Island Cats said...

We hope to see more good things from you this coming year. (Darn! We were going to participate in this challenge and completely forgot about it.)

Anonymous said...

ConCats. Sounds like 2017 was a great year fur ya'll. Big hugs

Luv ya'

Dezi and Raena

The Swiss Cats said...

We love your blog, and you accomplished great things in 2017. We wish you an even better 2018 ! Purrs

Colby, Raven, Elsa said...

Congratulations on your success reaching out to brands! I haven't done that, but I plan on reaching out to see if I can get a few sponsors this year. As for content on your blog we're puppy bloggers so maybe a few kitten blog posts? All the best to you in 2018!

Amy said...

Thanks so much for participating in the Challenge, Melissa and Mudpie, and congratulations on a terrific 2017! Sharing a post like your on vaccination reactions that makes a difference in people's lives (and perhaps saves a pet's life) is truly wonderful.

It's also great to hear that you're having success with brands - sometimes all it takes is finding the self-confidence to ask. You have a great blog, and brands should be grateful to work with you!

If you worked with any photo editing software before, I think you'll find Canva pretty easy to figure out. And Pinterest is definitely worth the investment of time - it's my top social media platform for driving traffic to my blog. I hope you have a fantastic 2018!

Unknown said...

Awesome! Such beautiful kitties! I'm happy to have found you through the challenge.

Nancy said...

Bravo Mudpie and Melissa!! Great job in 2017!!

Unknown said...

I enjoy reading your blog and I am here more frequently than I comment. I shared your vaccination post too, thank you for sharing the terrific information.
Canva is great, I love it and it is pretty easy to use. I even decided just this year to upgrade to a paid version and now have all of my blog colors and fonts saved so they are EASILY put into my creations.
I also love Pinterest and continue to learn more. With each class I take I see more and more traffic being driven to my blog. It is quickly becoming my top social media platform.