Yesterday was this blog’s two year anniversary – wow, time flies!
When I started this blog in April of 2012, I had some ideas but no real idea how the blog would evolve. I posted some deals. To this day, my most successful day was the day I wrote my initial Chicago Area Road Runners Discounts post – in WEEK 1. So, I thought “going viral” would be easy. Turns out, it isn’t. But that said, I have learned some great lessons about what gets attention and what I enjoy writing about. So I do both.
Here are some of the lessons I have learned:
1. Write about topics that make me smile, shake my head or make me want to say something.
2. Review and give away products that are different, interesting and that I love.
3. Collaborate with others – join link ups, giveaway blog hops, read other blogs, post in groups and participate in other bloggers’ discussions.
4. Be a member of the blogging community(s) – some of my favorite posts are in reaction to or leveraging ideas from other bloggers (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery!)
5. It never hurts to ask. I have approached many vendors about giveaways. I have gotten a lot of giveaways and special promotions (and only a few blow offs). It is always worth asking!
6. Blog posts, like anything in life, can be hit or miss. Sometimes a giveaway for peanut butter can get 1,000 hits in a day, but a great post that I put my heart and soul into can be met with low interest. (Queue the crickets.) I don’t take it personally, I try to improve and sometimes re-promote the latter content on another day. I still post promotions and deals on Fridays though I get less traffic on “Friday Finds”- does anyone use them?? I enjoy writing those posts.
Almost all of my most popular posts in the past year have been giveaways. I promote the heck out of them, so I am not too surprised. Here are the “top 10”:
- New Year & New Goals? Check Out My “Blog Hop” Giveaway
- Finds’ Fave: Peanut Butter & Co Squeeze Pack Review + Giveaway
- More Awesome + Good For You Energy Bars: GoMacro Macrobar Giveaway
- Great New Finds from CEP Compression – Review & Giveaway
- Tried It Tuesday #3: Hydration, Relaxation + Nutrition (Giveaway!)
- Spring Into Fitness Blog Hop Giveaway
- Found Running!
- Marathon Coming and PureFit Bar Review + Giveaway!
- 100% Recycled Running Gear? Yes!! Atayne Review/Giveaway!
- Hey Yogis & Runners – Infinity Strap Review and Giveaway!
In the past year, I have sampled all kinds of great things from curated boxes from Bestowed, Love with Food and Vegan Cuts boxes (& many more). I have also purchased many deals and specials and received products to review from so many great vendors, too. To celebrate my second “blog-iversary”, I am hosting a giveaway. Well, a bunch of giveaways. I am going to do a week of daily product giveaways on my Facebook page from Peanut Butter & Co, Yummari Foods, Nakd Bars, Simple Squares, Injinji Socks, Cocogo and Olomomo Nuts!
And for the giveaway here, I have a bunch of prizes**!
1. One curated, one of a kind “Finds” box with a variety of Finds’ Faves (est. value $100) including but not limited to:
- An Ultimate Direction Handheld water bottle
- Peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co
- Chia Chargers from Yummari Foods
- Energy Bars from Nakd Bars, Simple Squares and more!
- Injinji Socks
- The t-shirt of your choice from Flow397
- Hydration from ZYM
- and more
2. One 3 lb bag of Platinum Performance Wellness Formula + a Headsweats hat from Platinum Performance ($88 value)
3. One custom “Be Awesome” coffee mug from Red Envelope ($29.99 value – currently on sale – personalize your own now for $19.99 for a limited time) Why “Be Awesome”? It is a mantra I adopted from my favorite of Karen Salmanson’s Insta Peptalk’s “You can’t be both awesome and negative. Pick one.”
4. One $25 gift card for Healthy Surprise to be used toward a gift box (value $25)
** Prize winners may choose any prize of the remaining prizes, if he or she prefers something that I have deemed a lower value/rank.
How to enter: There are a few ways to enter. The more ways you enter, the better chance you have of winning. I am using Rafflecopter for this giveaway. Click on the entry method and follow the instructions. Please don’t forget to click the button on each line that you enter so that your entry will be counted. If you already like my FB page or follow on Twitter, click the button and get your entries! The giveaway will be open through 4/23/2014. Some entries can be done daily – so come back if you’d like more entries! Open to US residents, 18 years of age or older and void where prohibited.
Thank you for your support in the past year! I am delighted with the progress I have made and the awesome doors this blog has opened for me. I hope you will continue to come by and that the third year is even better!