Some Popular Posts From 2017

This was my first year blogging and I started it in late September.  I am amazed that I have over 80 posts at this point!  My time is limited as a homeschooling, homemaking mom of seven, but it worked out and my blog is up and running and gaining popularity.

1. 30 Gift Ideas Under $30 For The Person Who Has Everything

This was my first “viral pin” on Pinterest, which helped me to get to 187.4k monthly viewers on Pinterest in just three months!

2. DIY White Elephant

I did this post to earn money from a sponsor and I had to make a YouTube video to put into it.  It was my first YouTube video.  I didn't really like making it because my home is never quiet enough to record things like that.  My husband was giving my youngest children a bath at the time of recording and the other children were nice and quiet and my oldest son helped me to make it.  I was very surprised how popular it became.

[ctt template=”4″ link=”25C9U” via=”yes” ]The 2017 Year In Review from NeededInTheHome with five popular posts with short explanations, fun stats and life information.[/ctt]

3. How To Start A Blog Or Website

When I started my own website, I went to a friend's house who had a blog and took notes and felt like everything was way over my head and this would be really hard.  I did find a few bloggers who wrote how to start a blog, but I felt that they “glossed” over it and missed a lot of detail.  After I figured out how to do it, I thought, “This would be so easy if someone just broke it down step-by-step and told someone what to do.”  So I decided I would write one myself, just in case anyone wanted to read it.  I found out there are LOTS of people who want to read it!

4. A Day In The Life Of A Mom Of Seven Kids

This was not a post I was planning to write!  In my mind, I didn't think anyone would want to hear about each member of my family or what a sample day would look like.  Boy was I wrong!  I was reading all these eBooks teaching me to be a better blogger and almost every author suggested writing a “day in the life” post.  Finally, I thought, “well I will just do it and get it over with, no one will read it anyways.”  It quickly gained popularity and I learned that I am a “lifestyle” blogger.

5. Making Money Buying Abandoned Storage Units

Ah, the real life Storage Wars lifestyle.  That's what people want to know about and gets them to subscribe to hear more.  Everyone wants to know, “How do you do that as a family?”, “How do you find the storage auctions?”, “What do you bring with you to an auction?”, “How do you sell the stuff you find?”, etc.  This post is so popular because it has the menu to all the storage auction posts on my blog and answers all these questions and more.  My husband and I also wrote an eBook on this business.

Fun Stats

• 8,000+ Pageviews to NeededInTheHome
  • I’m hoping to continue to grow this in the new year, and I am so thankful for each and every one of those views!
• Almost 30 comments
  • Not bad for three months of blogging.

Social Media

I was told in most of my blogging education to focus on two social media platforms.  I decided on Twitter and Pinterest.  I know you can find me almost anywhere with the name of either @NeededInTheHome or @neededinthehome, but my focus is on these two.

Twitter

I created my Twitter account this year and already have over 3,100 followers.  I had some fun and exciting things happen on Twitter that made me smile.  Dan Dotson, the auctioneer from Storage Wars California put a heart on (liked) some of my storage auction post tweets!  Also, John Luke, the auctioneer from Storage Wars New York actually follows me on Twitter!  Very cool for a little gal from Wisconsin, USA.  I ended the year with 19.9k tweet impressions for the month of December.

Pinterest

I actually do not understand Pinterest.  I am on my third eBook trying to learn Pinterest.  I want to learn everything I can about it because I feel this is the platform to know if you are a blogger.  I feel it is very hard to get followers on this platform and I ended the year with only 46.  People just want to read what they are looking for and not follow someone.  But I know that I am making a difference because I went from 0 to 187.4k monthly viewers on my Pinterest account this year!

2017 Life Updates

My husband is working a full time day job selling advertising to businesses.  Our family buys abandoned storage units and resells the contents.  My oldest daughter, Marissa, graduated homeschool and turned 18 this year.  She presently still lives with us.  I am homeschooling 6 of my kids: grades 10, 9, 6, 1 and preschool.  My one year old toddler is a busy and happy little guy.  We have poultry, rabbits, cats, dogs, fish, crab, hamster and guinea pigs to care for.  This year I am on the 2018 Homeschool Review Crew with The Old Schoolhouse Magazine so look forward to reading those posts as well as other product reviews in the new year.  I run an Etsy shop and occasionally sell at local craft shows with my daughters and you already know I am a blogger too!  I hope to earn more money through this blog in the new year with ads, sponsored posts, affiliate marketing sales (when you click on an ad and make a purchase, I get paid – thank you readers for supporting our family of 9!) and eBook sales.

Well that wraps it up for 2017, you can go read my other posts now.  Happy New Year!