My Two Year Blog Anniversary
Photo by Jennifer Claire Watkins
Happy 2 Year Blog Anniversary!! It has been a long and crazy second year and I can’t believe how much this blog has grown and how much I have learned. I remember hearing about “blogs” in college back in early 2000. It seemed interesting but I had no idea how to code and what the heck would I would write about. Here I am over 300 posts later and I have certainly found a few things to share.
The idea came to me when I couldn’t sleep and I quickly made it over to the computer to search on Godaddy.com, I was surprised the name was available so I quickly clicked purchase and for $12 everydayparisian.com was born. There was a lot of planning and brainstorming going into the blog launch. I should have known at this time that writing a blog was a lot of work. From prelaunch to now, it really hasn’t stopped. But after two years, it is still so much fun and something I look forward to every day.
I am not sure if it is normal to celebrate a blog Anniversary, but I like to celebrate the big things and little accomplishments so here you go. When I first came up with the idea to write a blog and put everything in action to build this site, I didn’t really read any other blogs. I had no idea how to start a blog or what went into it. Two years later, I don’t have a lot of “blogger” friends. I like to stay in my own lane and that is ok with me. This is why I am not sure if it is normal to celebrate a blog anniversary.
I also think this might be part of the success of the blog because I haven’t really looked at what other people have done or are doing.
As you know with Links I Love, I am reading a lot of blogs and resources now on a weekly basis. I have a few favorite blogs that I should share in an upcoming post. I will note that there is room for ALL of us in the digital world. Every blog and person brings their own creativity and personal touch with their own voice.
If I told you all the late nights and hard work that goes into writing this blog then I think you would agree that it is time to pop the cork on the chilling champagne in the fridge. I am a numbers girl, it is sometimes hard to tear me away from analyzing stats so I pulled a few for the blog’s anniversary.
Blog Stats for Year 2
170 Blog Posts for the year
My largest audience for blog readers comes from Paris, then NYC, and Chicago. There are readers in over 9,676 cities. This is so crazy and cool at the same time.
198 countries to date.
323,774 Page Views
I was having wine with a friend last night and we were discussing the stats of the blog. I really don’t grasp the idea that SO many of you guys are reading the blog around the world. I still think back to the day I hit the launch button and I had no idea what to expect. Would anyone read? Or as this just one crazy idea?
In the last couple of months, I have been meeting people who recognize me and read the blog while I am at the grocery store and walking on the street, or even friends tell me their friends read the blog and want to meet me. But why?? I have to admit it is a little strange because you and I are just the same.
Once I get past that strange dance, the truth is a lot of my readers have become friends and that is the best gift out of writing this blog, way more than money. So if you do see me on the street or at a restaurant, stop by and say hello. I can promise you I will give you a big smile and a hug. I can’t tell you home much your support means to me!
My Most Popular Blog Posts (in case you missed them)
Top 10 Safety Tips for Female Solo Travelers
What to do in Paris on Your Birthday
What I am Packing for Paris (These packing lists have been extremely popular for ALL seasons)
In case you are wondering and I am sure my Dad has this question in the back of his head, “Do I make money with the blog?” I think this is a very controversial topic with me sharing this information, my friends all have different opinions.
I don’t think you should start a blog with the intention of making money. I think being authentic and genuine is the most important thing when it comes to my blog audience. I actually turn down 98% of any offers for sponsored posts or even people asking for me to add a link to my weekly roundup. My suggestions come from me and they are something I believe in and support. I would never want to loose the trust of my readers. That being said, the amount of money I could make from this blog would be significantly more if I took every offer or even reduced my acceptance rate by a little bit. I hope this clears some questions up for all of you.
The Money Stats
The money stats… just in case you clicked on this post to scroll down to the very bottom. From July 7 2017 – 2018. My grand total was $5,627.69. I wrote 170 blog posts which comes out to $33.10 or $15.80 per day. After doing the math, I realized it is a little more than a coffee and croissant but if you factor in how much time each post takes to write, I am way below minimum wage.
What does Year 3 look like?
I am having so much fun learning French with Caroline. She has interviewed for a job which might mean she will have a full time responsibility. She promises that I will still be her student we will just have to find different meeting times. I would love to bring some of the French I am learning to the blog to help you with navigating Paris. It has been a lot of fun working on recipes. I know this was something that people really requested at the end of 2017 and I have been so bad at this. I am working on bringing more soon!
I would love to expand a little more outside of Paris and show you more of France. Antibes was so refreshing and all the French tell me there is more to France than Paris…
I plan on sharing a little more of the blogging world with you. It may not appeal to all of you but I want to share what I have learned and hopefully help you launch/build something of your own.
I have the dream to work with JCrew. You already know I am a BIG fan over here. I also would love to work with Anthropologie. I was approached by a hotel earlier this year to craft the perfect “Every Day Parisian” time in Paris and sadly they never replied to the email. It sounded like a dream opportunity. I really LOVE working with hotels when I travel so I hope to continue this over the next year. I also have this crazy dream of being invited to harvest in September that I am still working on.
I fully believe in creating your own destiny and putting out in the world what you want. So there you have it. Year 3 has the possibility to be a very exciting and big year. I can’t thank you enough for all of your support this past year. Thank you for reading Every Day Parisian. I promise to toast a glass of champagne to all of you tonight.
xo
Rebecca
Photos of me were taken by Jennifer Claire Watkins
This post does include affiliate links which helps contribute to my coffee and croissant research. Merci!
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