Today on Blogging 101…

…It’s all about you, lovely readers!

Today, I’ve been asked to write something especially for my imagined ideal audience member. And the unspoken first part of the assignment is, I suppose, to have a bit of a think about who that person might be, and what makes them tick.

When I started this blog in (checks facts) November 2013, I had a very clear plan for it – the blog was here to support my embryonic Beastie business. I had just quit a job in a web design company in Northern Ireland to move back to Dublin and, coming from that background, the idea of attempting to start a business without some kind of online presence was completely unthinkable. So, I set up my blog, and went about filling it with photos of my work, in the hope of getting more people interested in what I was doing. Back then, I was writing for customers, and I was simply telling them what I was making, and where they could buy it.

But somewhere along the line, it seems to me that something shifted. If I were to try to pin it down to a particular moment, I’d say it was the first time Explorer Beastie went out for an adventure.

Having Explorer Beastie accompany me when I went out and about allowed me to start bringing some of my other passions onto the blog – travel, food and sharing my favourite places around Dublin. And then, as more Beasties went to new homes further afield, I started having even more material for these kinds of posts…
…So it began to feel like a real little community! The BeastieBlog might have started life as “the store”, but now it’s the fan club. And in my book, that’s a lot more worthwhile.

All this considered, how do I see my ideal reader now? Well, I imagine they’re quite similiar to me – people who grew up loving cartoons and hoping that their stuffed animals would come alive (although not in a “Child’s Play” kind of way). They still get a kick out of exploring new places, even if they’re only across town, and they’re constantly amazed by the bizarre array of creatures we share the planet with. They’re probably a bit kooky or nerdy, and have a penchant for cult movies and almost-forgotten music. They love to read, but were never too big on sports. And they always have time for a bit of silliness.

So to you, imaginary perfect reader, I want to say – RELAX. This isn’t just for kids. There is enough serious stuff going on the world, and you can get back to it in a few minutes – if you want to. For now, fix yourself a cup of tea and your favourite treat, and come and hang out with me and my little monsters.

The second half of today’s project is to use a new element in my blog, to mix things up a little. Exciting! I didn’t actually realise that I was able to embed from Pinterest, so I’m going to share a couple of boards that I’ve been putting together recently. Enjoy!