Last week I asked you all to help me out by completing a short survey on why you visit this blog and what you’d like to see more of. Well, the results are in!
I’ve got to say I’m surprised that Mental Health and Everyday Life were so popular! There was an open-ended question on specific topic suggestions and I received some great ideas of things you all would to see me discuss more:
- Psychology. I have this incredible job teaching college courses and there are so many amazing ways that physical health and mental health overlap. I’m shocked I haven’t written on this topic more before but my goal is to feature 1 blog a week on themes relating to psychology/mental health/happiness.
- Being single. My fellow single ladies want to know more about my life as a single person and the challenges and freedom it provides. I actually submitted this as the last line of an official bio for the FitBloggin conference I’m presenting at: “She is currently enjoying her role as an unofficial ambassador for single cat ladies everywhere.” Totally accurate.
- Money! Budgeting, saving, … I rarely write about this so I was surprised a few people asked for it. I’d love to talk about ways to save money and live comfortably on very little (something I have become really, really good at!)
- Various others: intuitive eating, running, more Salem photos!
Similar sentiments were echoed when I asked what types of videos you’d like to see more of:
Again, I was most surprised by the majority of people wanting just everyday life talks/blogs. I guess I sometimes assume my life isn’t very interesting but from the outside looking in it may appear otherwise! I have 3 jobs and am embarking on this amazing new journey in life with writing more, traveling, and being single. I am also constantly working on learning new ways to be happy and do good in the world. Perhaps that is just cause for some more ‘average’ life posts.
There were a few things that people didn’t seem very interested in, and as a blog reader myself I agree, recipes and product reviews were the least popular areas. I subscribe to about 40 blogs and if I see a post one day with a recipe title that just doesn’t sound appealing or a product review of something I have no interest in – I totally skip it for the day. So, I promise to only post recipes or product reviews if I think you all will really love them!
If you ever have ideas/topics you’d like me to write about on here please email me anytime at Erica@EricaDHouse.com! Thank you all for giving me some guidance and direction for this site in 2013. I am so excited about how much this blog has grown in such a short time and I have a feeling this is just the beginning!
Finally – I’m ending with some random epic photos from my childhood. Just because.
In my natural state. I may be biased, but if I ever have kids I’m pretty sure they’ll be adorable. If that day comes I promise to never put all of their hair into one single curl on the top of their head like my parents did, every single day for the first year of my life.
I went through a Daniel Boone phase for a while. Totally normal for a 5 year old girl, right?
We are clearly unimpressed with school starting again.
One of my favorite photos ever. I look fierce, like I was raised as part of a child army, and poor Josh looks like he’d rather die than surrender to the enemy.
For blog authors, have you ever taken a survey to find out more about your audience?
For blog readers, do you have any particular pet peeves about reading blogs?
Hey Erica, I’m a blogger, mainly posting about running/health and fitness and some bits inbetween. I’ve never run a survey, but I don’t get many readers, so maybe I should.
As a blog reader I don’t like lots of ads (Google Ads in particular) or product reviews that are not relevant.
I also get turned off by an excessive amount of ads. I mean I totally understand trying to make a little money but if you’ve got a dozen ads on your page it gets so cluttered!
I’ll be looking forward to your posts on mental health (as well as the other posts, of course!).
‘I am also constantly working on learning new ways to be happy and do good in the world’ <— This, is admirable. It looks like you've got some pretty great feedback, and I wish you the best with everything to come. This is indeed just the beginning!
P.s. Nice childhood pics, can definitely see a similarity!
Thank you! I’ve been brainstorming on topic ideas all day and have some great one’s lined up!
ooh see? who knew I was alone in longing for more TRAVEL? :-)
I wasn’t entirely surprised more people weren’t interested in travel because most of my readers have found me through other healthy living bloggers. I’m planning to try to write more in the travel area so hopefully people will find me and broaden my audience!
I love your blog because of the variety, your personality and your educational background. You rock, Erica! :)
Awww shucks :) ty!
I love your blog and pretty much agree with the results of the survey- except I like hearing about travel more than most, I guess. :)
My biggest pet peeve is constant product reviews. I don’t mind them occasionally or when they are really related to the overall nature of the blog, but I ended up unfollowing one of my favorite blogs because the reviews were constant.That’s just me, though.
I totally agree. It’s hard for me to keep them to a minimum sometimes since I’ve had so many wonderful companies send me products I really do love lately – but I’m going to start being more strict on what I will accept to review. I’m also hoping to pull in more of a travel audience soon so you won’t be the only one!
Awwwww, love the baby pictures!
Thank you! I’m glad my parents took ridiculous amounts of photos of us growing up – looking through them always makes me so happy!
As a blog reader I get annoyed by constant reviews – or how they write up a post with a great story and then at the very end through in whatever product it is and then the “sponsored by…” – like the whole beginning of it was just a ploy to get you to read. I also find it irritating (but also understand it at the same time) when bloggers have to add disclaimers or some statement that they aren’t offending anybody by what they posted – so really my complaint is more to the commenters that are way to sensitive and take offense to everything and attack the blogger.
Interesting! I can see why bloggers try to tie product reviews into a ‘real’ story to help engage readers, but perhaps they should disclose at the beginning (Versus the end as you said) what the post is featuring as to not mislead anyone. I will keep that in mind next time I do one!
Adorable pics! And that’s cool. I’m gonna do a survey for my blogiversary in march so I can make my blog better.
Is it your 1 year anniversary? Mine will be in May and I’m already dreaming up some sort of way to celebrate it!
I LOVE that last picture of you and your brother! Reminds me of a picture that I have of my youngest sister running up the drive way with a beer box on her head (she was about 7 at the time). Just totally sums up the fact that childhood was awesome and now if posed the same way the cops would be called on us, lol
LOL. Our parents knew how to keep it real!
Hey Erica! I love that you did this survey. It seems like it would be really helpful when it comes to prioritizing posts and even coming up with post ideas. I’m convinced I need to do this as soon as I figure out how. :)
I use surveymonkey.com – it’s so easy I created my survey in about 20 minutes!
This survey is a great idea. I have a very good feeling that if I did this, most would say that they would like me to post more than once a week! Haha.
Lol, I have found that being consistent has helped increase readership!
I don’t mind a product review if it has some personality infused into it, I find yours better than most in this regard for sure.
I don’t read a ton of health blogs just yet (just getting started with them) but I have loved product reviews! And I agree with previous, yours are good – I like how you talk like a regular person. Ha, that sounded funny.
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to read mental health stuff from you!! OMG! This is my biggest issue – just getting past my own brain, doubt, sabotage, etc! I always say I need a therapist! Glad I have these to look forward to! :) I think you’re doing a great job! I very much enjoy looking all through your stuff. Product reviews, food videos and all! Well rounded! :)
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