blogging

I’m Still Here

/ Jess / 3 Comments

Haaaaaaaaayyyyy…..

peek.gif

Remember me?

It’s been a minute, I know!

Yes I haven’t posted since February. No I don’t have any good reason for my absence. Or at least nothing dramatic.

The short version: Life got busy.

Long version: The injury I was flirting with before the NJ Half turned scary in March. My leg started giving out on me in double digit runs in the weeks before the race. I got up to 10 or 11 miles in training but they were junk miles, and frankly, having my leg give out on me because of electric shock numbness? Figuring that out was more important than a medal. So rather than risk further injury, I dropped out and have seen two orthopedists and have been going to physical therapy for all these issues basically two times a week since May.

IMG_1784.JPG

My issues turned out to be a combination of Achilles tendinitis and a nerve problem that we still haven’t gotten to the bottom of, but I’m living with it and running with it. I still feel numbness and tingling when I turn my foot in a certain way or overextend it while walking. This is just something I have to get used to (according to both orthos). While I’m not running the distances or times I used to, I’m still running.

And I’m feeling much stronger now thanks to the work I’ve been doing with my physical therapist Dean at Twin Boro Physical Therapy. No, seriously, Dean is like, invited to my Christmas Eve party from here on out because he’s been so incredible for me. He’s a runner and gets the neuroses that come with that title. He went on vacation and I was despondent. We share Netflix recommendations and trade our favorite Bill Burr comedy bits while he works on me, and he’s learning how to ride a scooter now that he and his girlfriend have purchased one together.

But I digress.

OH I also took the European vacation of a lifetime with my husband to Jersey and the UK.

It has been a long time and a lot of other stuff has happened, all of which I promise I’ll write about soon. But I just figured now that we have a new, more powerful wireless router that reaches into my back office and makes it easier for me to write, I may as well send out a quick carrier pigeon here to let ya’ll know that I’m not dead.

I may have had to reset my wordpress password because it’s been that damn long, but I’M BACK BABY!

back.gif

I love you guys…

/ Jess / 3 Comments

… but some of you found this blog using some WEIRD ASS SEARCH TERMS.

I was tipped off to this phenomenon a few years ago when I first entered the blogging world. Monica over at Run Eat Repeat made a habit of posting lists of all the random search terms that folks used to find her blog, and there were some head scratchers in there. Fast forward to when I finally had a blog of my own and I decided to see what search terms people were using to find MY little corner of the internet.

Guys, I was mortified.

giphy.gif

As it turns out, this search term weirdness is really a thing. And seeing all the terrible things people have typed into a search browser in order to click on a link from MY site is one of the most entertaining and terrifying parts of my blogging life. But I can’t keep it to myself.

Let’s take a look at 2016’s Top Ten Greatest Search Terms (with commentary):

10. sweaty after gym girl

giphy (1).gif

But also, accurate.

9. real mermaid found after hurricane ike

giphy (9).gif

I’m not saying there’s no public record of me BEFORE Hurricane Ike, but…

8. the heat was unbearable yesterday but we had fun in the park

giphy (2)

7. ur happy is everything to me

giphy (8).gif

Thank you, random kind person on the internet.

6. hand foot and mouth disease is hell

giphy (7).gif

IT REALLY IS.

5. far side old man weather

giphy (6).gif

Guys, I have NO idea why, but this post is hands down my most popular post of all time. Even 2+ years after posting, it STILL gets daily views, sometimes more than fresh posts I just published that day. I really wish I knew why, but for now it makes me laugh just knowing it’s out there, still getting eyeballs.

4. imma keep it real classy

giphy (3).gif

Of course that term would lead you here. Because I am 100% classy…

3. keeping it sassy

Downton-Abbey-Lady-Violet-GIFs.gif

… and 110% sassy.

2. celebrity mom gets head dunked under in pool

giphy (5)

Literally NONE of those words are used on my blog in succession. I award you no points. And may God have mercy on your soul.

1. swimcap gagged

giphy (4).gif

YOU GUYS, COME ON. KNOCK IT OFF. THAT’S DISGUSTING.

Keep it Sassy, Keep it Classy, Keep it Real

/ Jess / 10 Comments

When I started this blog, Imma be honest: I had NO idea what I was doing. All I wanted was to stop annoying the majority of my online friends who didn’t care about my running and fitness escapades, and a place to keep track of my training, vent my frustrations, and share more than just a few sentences in an Instagram photo caption.

annoyed.gif

My friends’ faces after my 274th post about nailing a training run.

So I created the blog and created new Facebook and Twitter accounts to link to it, easy peasy. Seems like a win-win! But as time went on, I found that creating quality content for all these channels was hard, yo. By the time I get done with 9+ hours of writing and editing at my 9-5, the last thing I want to do is more writing. I’m tired. Hell, the last time I wasn’t tired was when Bush was in office. The FIRST Bush.

SNL_1168_06_Dad_and_Son_EST.png

Long story short, quality content is hard to create.

Fast forward to a month ago, when I attended a Content Marketing Class. In addition to some helpful tricks for my 9-5 gig (who paid to send me there!), I also picked up a few tips on shaping my social media strategy. If you’re blogging or tweeting or whatever solely for your own enjoyment, then by all means keep doing you. But if you’re interested in growing your own blog and social followings, these tips really struck me and I wanted to share them with you!

The first one? Keep it real. The most successful marketers (or bloggers, Instagrammers, etc) are genuine. They’ve found a unique way to tell their stories, whether it’s through humor or by being super smart or whatever. Think about it this way: when you’re looking for blogs to read (or people to follow on IG, Twitter, etc), what kind of stuff resonates with you most and makes you click the subscribe button? A quick re-telling of the same “Winter Running Motivation” article from Women’s Running Magazine that you’ve seen four other bloggers re-tell? Or an expletive-laced story about the time a runner got heckled by a passing motorist?

I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with either of those posts – hell, I wrote both of them. I’ve learned it’s OK to publish content that will attract eyeballs simply because it’s a hot topic and people are searching for it. That’s organic traffic, and it’s a good thing. But to gain traction and connect with people, the key is to tell each story in a way that makes you stand out from the crowd.

Stand out duck.jpg

Go ahead, write one more blog post about the things that go through your head during a long run. But instead of using the same old “This is great/Is it over yet?” platitudes that the 12,539 articles about this topic use already, how about telling your story with GIFs?

angry

People will want to keep reading just to see how this GIF fits into a post about running 12 miles. I promise.

Similarly, this second tip is one that won’t fly with everyone, but I’ve found success on Instagram with it and think it’s worth mentioning: don’t be afraid to open up and switch things around a bit!  If you’re interested in growing a following, think about it in terms of making friends in real life: no one likes to hang out with the guy that ONLY talks about Star Trek 24/7 (no offense to you Trekkies, I’m part Trekkie myself). While people are coming to your blog or IG profile because you’re all about fitness or biking or running, it’s OK to open up a little and incorporate some other parts of your life into your content too. After all, it’s your feed.

74351-whatever-I-do-what-I-want-KfEc.png

You DO have other things you enjoy besides lifting heavy things and putting them back down, yes? Well so do your readers! Show them you’re more than a one-trick pony. Post a pic of your dog. Blog about your latest vacation. Open up about those insecurities you have about your training. People appreciate that you have a life (just like them!) filled with kids and arguments and cupcakes and all that other stuff that can’t be measured with a scale or tracked with a Garmin.

I’m not saying turn your feed into the Dave-the-Doberman Show (no offense to Dave, he’s really a cute dog) – think 80% “brand” related content (running if you’re a runner, for example), and 20% cat pictures/artsy shots of your wine at happy hour/whatever else floats your boat. When you share more than your mile splits and WOD’s, I bet you’ll connect with more people than you think.

So how about it? Have you found any other tips that you’d like to share? Share in the comments!