In August 2014, I posted, “Taking Stock at Six O’Clock: Beginning My Blogging Career.”
I’m now twelve months into the writing and it’s again time to reflect on my
experiences.
From September 2014 until this posting, I’ve written
twelve pieces. You could call them my “Midnight Twelve”—not a large number but
quantity is not as important to me at this juncture as is continuing to learn
more about watches, explore new topics and improve on my singular writing style. I have many posts in progress still waiting for their hour hands to strike
and be published.
Thankfully, my ideational flow hasn’t subsided. At times it seems overwhelming. I still find my post inspirations coming
from movies (Ulee’s Gold); art and
exhibitions (Malevich/Tate Museum, Tomi Ungerer/The Drawing Center);
advertisements (Jaeger-LeCoultre/The New Yorker); and
current events (Je Suis Charlie).
Since my blog’s inception, I’ve had over 6,400 page
views as of February 28th. That’s compared to 3,500 at the end of
August 2014. Over 50% of my all-time audience has come from the United States;
followed by readers in Israel, the Ukraine, Russia and China. But for me, it’s
not about stats but about enjoyment and creativity.
One of most important things I’ve realized during
the last six months is how important it is to arduously continue expanding my
knowledge of both the technical and artistic design aspects of
wristwatches. For example, describing a
particular model or collection of watches often takes provocative word flair to
be successful. My Versace posting is an
example of this.
I am just now cultivating this expressive approach,
but it’s a slow process to concatenate words in a descriptive sequence that
provides clarity and evocative punch. This is the reason I introduced a new
page to my blog, Poetic Time in
January 2015. On this page you'll find a selection of poems
and other prose fragments, some my own—some from others, with time as an
important thematic element.
I have been taking advantage of webinars during the
last six months. Two of the most helpful
were s “8 Success Factors that Determine Your Blog’s Future” and
“Get Your Blog Ready for a Big 2015." Both of these webinars were offered
to Darren Rowse’s ProBlogger Community.
Even if you are not a ProBlogger Community member, Rowse’s blog is a repeated must visit for aspiring and seasoned
bloggers.
I also have had the opportunity to use my blogging
knowledge to set-up a publications’ site for my husband, James J. Raciti. This served as a technical refresher for me
as it involved a collaborative effort to select and register another domain name, establish a template, make
layout decisions, and add content that promotes his novels, non-fiction and poetry
works.
I am expanding my knowledge of digital branding,
both from a personal point of view as an emerging blogger and the way
wristwatch firms appear to use it in creating consumer awareness of their
brands through marketing campaigns. Daniel Rowles' book, Digital Branding: A CompleteStep-by-Step Guide to Strategy, Tactics and Measurement (Kogan Page, 2014) is a
terrific, basic introduction to this exploding field. I’d also recommend Rowles’ Target Internet site
which offers free educational content on digital marketing including blog posts
and podcasts.
So what are my intentions for the next six months,
now that I’m one blogging year old? I want to refine my focus, research and
write postings about:
- Specific wristwatch innovations and designs, specifically those coming from haute jouilliare houses such as Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier.
- Specific wristwatch elements such as bezels, crowns, hands, dial adornments, cases etc.
- Specific fashion brand wristwatches that have surprising features.
Specificity
frames
my agenda. Much to do before the clock
strikes 6 o’clock again next August.