The Best of 2017: My Year End Review, Highlights, and Goals!
Better late than never. I’ve been working hard to round up this info for you babes because stats are amazing, amiright? I love checking mine and keeping up with my progress! Even though I check these all the time, I rarely share them with y’all! But in 2018, things are about to change and I’m going all in! This is actually the first time I’ve ever done a year end review, shared my highlights and goals for next year so I hope you enjoy it. The only thing I didn’t do this year was a reader survey so if there is anything you want to see more of, know more about, or if there are things you don’t like, be a doll and comment below!
Seeing other women succeed always motivates me to step my game up so I hope it does the same for you! I’m going all in this year and I can’t wait to rock 2018! I really think this is going to be my year! It hasn’t even been a full year since I’ve been a full time blogger and leaning in has taught me so much about the business and even more about myself. I hope you don’t see this review as being braggy or self absorbed. I use it as a learning tool for myself and to help others grow. It’s probably why I’ve never shared one before because of the vulnerability aspect but this year is going to be different. Like I said, I’ve changed my mentality, I’m not going to be afraid to put myself out there anymore…I’m all in!
Ready? Let’s dive in!
Personal
Personally, this was a good year. I got to marry my best friend and have a shoot at the most beautiful castle in France. I left my full time job to work on my travel blog and started my social gold business. I also acquired a body positive athletic leisure wear company where we size up to 4X! Pumped about this venture but it’s totally new to me! Want to be a babe that supports babes? (Grab some leggings 20% off on me! Use code VGB20)
The only thing I didn’t get in check was my health but I did find the right doctor that solved my problems. Now it’s just a matter of time until my body catches up. I’ll be focusing on that big time this year! Praying it clicks.
Blog
This little blog of mine that has turned into my full time job has really impressed me this year and I owe you guys a major thanks for the support, likes, views, love, and visits! My blog traffic has grown a ton, it basically doubled! 2016 I barely hit 400,000 impressions and this year I found my niche, travel! My blog almost hit 1M views this year! Some major highlights that are important to me is that the bounce rate is under 2.5%, the pages per session is 3, and the average time spent on the site is 5 minutes and most recently the average went to 30 minutes!
Also, we gained a ton of contributors this year and expanded our #VGBsquad globally! Remember to follow that hashtag! The blog was featured multiple times, I was interviewed 3 times for feature articles which was a first for me. I was also fortunate enough to work with major brands like Dove, Dr.Pepper, Trip Advisor, Coca Cola, The Knot, Evian, and even more travel related brands.
I also got to travel and work with an amazing photographer that really helped me step my game up! I’m sure you all know Jennifer Oetting Photography. I went to a few conferences and made some amazing blog friends in the community! These girls keep me sane!
I started a newsletter this year and have seen consistent growth!
My goal this year is to keep doubling my traffic and revenue year over year. I also want to send out newsletters consistently and work to increase the subscribers.
Instagram was a hard knock life for me last year. I’ve already done better the first month of 2018 than I did the entire 2017. Needless to say, I’ve learned a lot. But, I will always celebrate my wins, small or large. I think it’s good for people to see where you came from because with some drive and determination you can reach your goals! My Instagram tribe doubled from 2016 to 2017 and I ended the year at 68k with just shy of 500,000 likes for the year.
My goal this year is to double my reach again and improve my photography skills.
Food For Thought: Keep in mind that I came from blogging. (Any OG bloggers here? That used to have buttons and do link ups? lol those were the days!) I was blogging before there was Instagram so yes, while there are some people kicking ass on Instagram, most of those influencers don’t have a blog or other forms of social media at all and if they do, IG is usually their primary source of influence. It’s like having 1 job vs having 5. Your influence across all social channels might add up to more than their following on one platform. Even though social media is free, you’ll never own it. You will always own your blog so don’t let numbers get you down. I always tell bloggers to remember you have what’s sticky. A blog has major value! Putting your eggs in one basket is super risky!
PS. Make sure you’re following me on Instagram @VerbalGoldBlog!
Social Media
Even though my following isn’t huge, I hit 1M monthly views on Pinterest, 137k impressions on Twitter, and increased my view time on Youtube 300%. All things I’m super excited for in 2018! Even though my Facebook page likes went down in 2017 (lol), my page views on the blog from FB went up! Hard to believe it’s my number one social media referral source!
Pinterest: I started a VGBsquad Pinterest group board that you can join and a Travel Squad group board for my travel bloggers!
Facebook: I also started a blogging mastermind squad FB group for likeminded women who want to help each other in the blogging space. Plus a travel squad FB page for bloggers to join me on trips!
My goal for 2018 is to increase my presence on social media and really work on growing my FB page. Somehow…
Travel
First of all, I won my first award and was named the Top 100 Travel Bloggers in the World 2017! I also traveled a ton! More than I think I ever have in the history of everdom and it was exhausting…but amazing!
There were a lot of firsts for me this year! I started doing things that have been done a million times I’m sure, but the fact that I haven’t done it before and making it my own and doing it my way made it original.
And the point is not for you to do something that’s never been done before. The point is for you to do something YOU’VE never done before. – Liz Gilbert
Where I went in 2017!
I visited 6 countries, was on 28 flights, and traveled over 62,000 miles. Not only was I traveling by air but I also took 4 road trips and drove over 2,500 miles. Plus, I rode over 500 miles on a European train for the first time ever!
Milwaukee
Cobh
Killarney
My 2018 is already stacked and not only am I traveling more but I’m traveling with some amazing people! For example, I’m visiting Cape Town with Kiersten from The Blonde Abroad and Norway with Alyssa from My Life’s a Travel Movie! Two amazing women who blazed a trail for travel bloggers and are among the best at what they do!
Top 13 Blog Posts
Knowing what blog posts did the best and which ones didn’t helps guide me for the coming year! I’ve taken a look at my Google Analytics to find the top 13 blog posts of 2017!
2. All Of The Travel Photography Gear I Use For My Blog
3. Get My Ultimate List Of Over 150 Influencer Networks So You Can Start Monetizing Your Blog Today!
4. The Most Instagramable Places + Wall Murals In Las Vegas, Nevada!
5. My Top 3 Editing Apps + On The Go Editing Tips To Make Your Photos POP
6. 10 Travel + Packing Tips For Your Next Ski Trip!
7. How Traveling By Train Across The Country Changed My Life
8. 21 Things You Must Do While In San Francisco!
9. How To Add Line Breaks In Your Instagram Caption (Without Adding Dashes Or Dots)
10. How To Get Perfect Eyebrows #Browsonfleek The Truth Behind Microblading + My Before And Afters
11. The Ultimate Travel Guide To Charleston, SC! Where To Stay, Shop, Eat, And Explore.
12. Top 7 Places To Eat In Vail
Runner Up: Top 6 Places To Eat In Gulf Shores / Orange Beach, Alabama + Some Honorable Mentions!
13. The ULTIMATE GUIDE (Over 35) Of The Best Wall Murals In Atlanta!
* BIG NEWS *
I’ve created The Ultimate Travel Blogger Guide and Database for bloggers. I’m not going to share too much but just know it’s coming and it’s going to be huge. It might even get me hated in the space but to be honest, I’d rather help people and guide the way because that’s the main thing I see missing in our space. Plus, if you know me you know I’ve adapted an IDGAF attitude this year. Some people have said travel blogging is a very closed off and clicky space so let’s change that this year! Let’s fucking help people okay? There’s enough room at the top for everyone and as the saying goes… rising tides lift all boats.
I’ve taken A SHIT LOAD of courses this past year and I find that most of them are all surface level with no real exact formula. Like they give the recipe but they leave out the secret ingredient ya know? Don’t get me wrong, they’ve definitely helped me get to where I am and for that I’m so thankful but with those you’ve definitely got to put in the work. A lot of it. So, not to bash anyone and I appreciate the game but my goal is to change it. So if you’re looking for a no bull shit blogger tell all, make sure you’re on this list to be the first to know when it goes out! I’m not holding back and I’m sharing everything you need to know to be successful as a travel blogger.
#mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; }
/* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block.
We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */
Travel Blogger Guide + Database
