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Key Takeaways
- Building a sense of community has become a priority as part of this blog, with efforts to engage readers through events and emails.
- Niching down is incredibly effective, particularly when it comes to supporting charity runners, which has been a fulfilling endeavor.
- It’s important to focus on affirmations and staying focused on the big picture amidst changes in blogging.
- Aspiring bloggers should pursue their dreams regardless of what technology has on the road ahead.
RWW has been my baby for the last two years and it’s safe to say my baby is now a toddler?
I launched this website in May 2024 with a dream of making planning your running goals and dreams just a little bit simpler. It has been a space to share my love for running marathons and traveling for races in a practical way. In the past year I’ve adjusted the overall topics and took a risk to niche down. The support for helping charity runners has been overwhelming and incredibly fulfilling. It’s been great to become a go-to resource for charity runners.
I’m overall still focused on my personal experiment of building something from my heart. If I’ve learned anything from the experience, it’s that I’m more creatively driven than I give myself credit for.
What’s Included in this Post
What Two Years of Blogging Has Taught Me
I thought I learned a lot in the first year and now two years later, it feels wildly different. There have been moments where I thought I had it all figured out. And as AI continues to evolve, the landscape for blogging is changing. It’s been incredibly humbling. While AI has made some things easier, it’s also changed how my readers find me and my content. Overall, I’ve learned how to pivot.
5 Takeaways From Year Two of Blogging
I’ve loved sharing my running story from day one and it’s been really refreshing to share it in such a creative way. Here are a few things I’ve learned over the last year that I’ve learned and I am so proud of.
This Blog is More of a Community than Ever
I feel so incredibly connected to this community more than I did in year one. I’ve started reaching out through email more and am looking to create events to support my readers. It’s been a fun way to get involved. Sharing as a smaller creator on social media is really fun, but reaching out through email has been a fun way to really connect with the community and I love getting this special contection. I’m excited to plan events, like a press-on nails party or a hot dog run, in this next year or fundraising challenges to help build a tighter bond.
Niching Down is Still Powerful
My focus is still on running and traveling but in a way, I’ve niched down a lot of my topics for a specific corner of the marathon running landscape: charity runners. I received a lot of traction with my first marathon fundraising post and wrote a second post focused on simple fundraising ideas. Since then I’ve expanded to cover how to pick the right charity for your marathon fundraiser, how to write your marathon fundraising page, and fun monthly fundraising ideas.
Commiting to a marathon through a charity can be really scary (especially if you’re fundraising for Boston) and my goal is to make marathon fundraising really approachable.
Keep Experimenting and Redefining
Supporting charity runners has been so rewarding (honestly I wish I had some of these fundraising resources when I was starting out). I am currently hosting my first online fundraising event to support other runners with their fundraising goals. I had planned on hosting a run streak fundraisier and offered to share step-by-step guidiance for other runners to host their own fundraisers. It’s been fun, experimental and offering to help keep things really fun!
I also had so much fun sharing my 13th marathon Taylor Swift-style with clues and Easter eggs. I called it Run. Wander. Where? It’s probably been the most fun post to create and share. Keeping my race a secret was challenging because I didn’t want to give the secret away. It helped me create connection with my email subscribers and I hope they enjoyed the clues as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Affirmations are Key
Reading some very woo-woo books this year really helped me stay grounded, especially when my blog’s traffic started to shift. I started listening to some great audiobooks focused on goal setting and leadership and it’s been really helpful in sorting through my challenges.
With everything online, reading (listening to) others’ stories helps me feel a little more human and less lonely. I realize that sounds odd since I listen to audiobooks instead of actually reading but it’s true. I love hearing about other people to help me sort through my own way.
Stay Focused on the Big Picture
I am excited to see how this path forward evolves. While blogging is changing, it’s been incredibly important to stay focused on the big picture. Sharing my story and running tips has been the goal from day one and I’ll continue to keep at it.
Overall, I hope this helps make things easier for friends looking to either start a blog or create digital content. If you have a dream, go for it. If I’ve learned anything (in blogging and in life), you are important and what you have to offer matters.
How You Can Support This Blog
I’d love it if you gave the blog a read today and please share it with a friend who loves running or traveling. Word-of-mouth is a powerful tool and it’s free! I also send out 2 newsletters a week (one for general topics and one for charity runners). I’d love to stay connected!
Here’s to year three!
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