All Things Dog Blog. That pretty much sums it up for Carrie Boyko. Visit her blog and you are guaranteed to get a dose of dog, or two, or er, three. Carrie founded her very own successful dog blog that tightly focuses on our favorite topic: canines! She took some time from her very busy “paw-er” woman schedule to dish dogs with Fidose of Reality.
Fidose of Reality: Tell us a bit about yourself and who you are.
Carrie Boyko: I am the former co-owner/founder of a children’s book distributorship that I sold to a large, international publishing house. I published 4 print books and I currently own and write www.AllThingsDogBlog.com.
FOR: What is All Things Dog Blog and why did you decide to do this?
Carrie Boyko: I believe there were two separate triggers for the beginning of All Things Dog Blog. I had begun learning and experimenting with blogging through a blog about my organic lifestyle when I decided that it was all a bit dry and that I wanted another outlet that might be a tad lighter. Although I had incorporated my dogs into a once a week post on the first blog, I decided to start a dog blog, just for fun, completely on a whim.
My wheels had been turning about my frustrations with seeing many friends/neighbors/acquaintances turn in their pets to rescues when their pets–mostly dogs–became too troublesome to handle. Often my outsider’s view told me that there were things that could have been done or information provided that may have prevented the family from giving up their pet. Sometimes it involved financial hardship as well, and I knew that money-saving techniques would also be useful. These 2 triggers (turn-ins to rescues and my desire to write about dog care more extensively) seem to be what spurred me to start All Things Dog Blog.
FOR: How long has All Things Dog Blog been in existence and what is the focus of the blog?
Carrie Boyko: I believe I wrote the first post in February of 2009. At first, I did not know if this topic would find readers, so I continued to work ardently at my other blog while this one got a lesser amount of time and effort. Eventually the tables turned in the summer of 2010 when All Things Dog Blog caught up with my other blog in readership and finally slapped me in the face. I stood up and took notice that perhaps I had been barking up the wrong tree, and decided to give it more of a chance.
All Things Dog Blog has a DIY approach to caring for and training a pet dog, with a slant toward the green side. In today’s economy, my readers need help with training problems, a chance to ask health questions that they may be embarrassed to ask the vet, or perhaps have forgotten to ask. By adding an Ask the Vet column and an Ask the Dog Trainer column, I am able to offer professional advice on questions about what are often common dog issues.
My own pieces on the blog often focus on problem-solving with pets in families, home-management with pets, multiple-pets, dog parks, strategies for getting extra exercise and mental stimulation for the dog, and homemade treats that are budget-saving and nutritious. Because we live an organic lifestyle, this focus comes into play without pressure on readers.
Finally, product reviews and giveaways focus on selecting products that have a problem-solving angle which I have identified, and then sharing the features of the product to help readers understand its value to them. Giveaways have been popular in building readership, yet are especially important to helping my less-fortunate readers acquire dog implements that they may need to make their life with dogs easier and more fun.
FOR: A lot of people want to do a blog but they feel like they are writing for “free” and it is too time-consuming. Is there truth to this and what advice can you impart?
Carrie Boyko: I am currently mentoring a half dozen would-be bloggers who are at various stages in the process. There is a split among those that see their efforts as a future income stream and those that simply want to share their experiences. I have consulted with many who still have not defined what they hope to accomplish and therefore have not moved forward.
In my mentoring, I recommend a particular book as a beginning point, and offer my services to assist after the book has been read and the potential blogger and I can speak a somewhat more similar language. This does help to weed out those that decide it is far outside of their interest to learn new technologies or uses of it.
FOR: What is your background with dogs and why this business? Had it been a long time dream?
Carrie Boyko: I grew up with animals, have always loved them, and enjoy work that allows me the ability to work largely with the written word and animals. My need for a quick income was long ago solved with the sale of a successful business venture, so I am fortunate to not have to take this effort from zero to 60 in 90 days. Blogging does not work that way.
This definitely has been a long time dream–having total control over content is every print writer’s dream, and being able to focus on a subject of your choice is ideal. In my adult life with dogs, I began to learn and read more, educating myself on some of the various routes for home healthcare and training, and finding that I had a particular talent for solving unique problems within homes where multiple family members and pets share space. Solving my readers issues such as this, when they write to me with “unsolvable” problems is a source of satisfaction that comes from years of experience with pets in a big family (I raised 3 children who shared a home with 3 dogs, 2 cats and a rabbit) being put to work for a good cause.
FOR: What advice would you give others wanting to pursue their pet/dog-related blog?
Carrie Boyko: Ask yourself “Do I need to derive an income from this thing in the foreseeable future, or can I learn to hone my craft first and worry about income later?” Then set out to educate yourself properly, rather than just signing up for a blogging service and starting to write. So many of the bloggers out there have never signed up for an analytics program or registered their blog with Technorati or a directory. Their efforts may never reach the goals that they perhaps envisioned without proper preparation.
In addition, continuing one’s education is critical to learn how to employ social media to expand the reach of a blog, as well as search engine optimization techniques for allowing it to be better indexed.
FOR: What are some resources (websites, etc) that you can refer readers to who want to do their own business in the pet sector? In other words, what sites/info helped you?
Carrie Boyko: My education as a blogger actually began with the book CLEAR BLOGGING, by Bob Walsh. Although some of the examples are now outdated, the material, philosophies and techniques are still largely beneficial in setting a would-be blogger off on the right course. While I did read 3 other blogging manuals before beginning my journey, I found that each took a different level or approach that was not as useful to me. I suppose each manual was written for a different level audience, and finding the book that best met my level was my ticket in.
FOR: What a great interview. What is your favorite aspect of working with and for dogs?
Carrie Boyko: There is no POLITICS! Dogs offer such unconditional love to their caretakers that it is this one small act that endears me to them and makes this work so compelling for me.
Miss any of our Paw-er Women? Catch up here:
Part 1: Abby Kass and Pet Fashions
Part 2: Amanda Jane Finnell and Chinese Pet Herbalist
Part 3: Paris Permenter and Dog Blogging
Part 4: Janice Costa and Starting a Dog Vacation Camp
Part 5: Susan Daffron on Becoming a Published Pet Author
Part 6: Kristin Elliott on Launching a New Dog Product
Part 7: Being a Dog Artist: Missy Johnson
Part 8: Being a Firefighter and Educator: Dayna Hilton
The post "Paw-er" Women: Dog blogger: Carrie Boyko shares how: Part 9 of 10 appeared first on Fidose of Reality.