2015 Reader Survey Results & What I Have Learned

 When I posted my first reader survey about a month or so ago, my main goal was to figure out what the heck to do with this blog. Ever since I moved back stateside I have been struggling with finding inspiration. I needed my readers to tell me what to post. The results of this survey taught me something I already knew but needed to be explicitly said: I don't need to change anything. This survey helped me get out of that blogging hole I had dug for myself after moving back to the US. Y'all have helped me regain confidence in this little blog of mine. So here's what I have learned from the 2015 Of Golden Roses Reader Survey.

Question 1: How long have you been reading Of Golden Roses (formerly Bristol In My Pocket)?

The majority of y'all who decided to take this survey have been reading my blog for a year or more. How crazy is that?! I'm thrilled to see that people who have stuck around this long actually interact with this little blog of mine. Having said that, I have gained quite a few new readers recently, and to you I say WELCOME! 

Question 2: How old are you?
The main goal of this question was to confirm whether or not my mom and her friends were the majority of my readership. Surprisingly, it's actually people between the ages of 18-24, with 25-34 taking a close second! It was nice to learn that my blog appeals to people my age too!

Question 3: What are your favorite types of posts on Of Golden Roses?

Travel was of course most popular choice for this question. Travel posts are what I enjoy writing the most so I am thrilled that my hard work has actually paid off in that area. Some surprising choices however were 'life updates' and 'personal' posts, which took second and third place. I'm not a huge fan of sharing my personal life (LOL says the blogger) just because I feel so awkward sitting down and writing a post about my relationship or how I'm feeling right now (which is why most of my personal posts are jumbled thoughts and emotional rants). However, I might attempt to make more of an effort on the personal side. No promises ;)

Question 4: What kind of posts would you like to see more of?

Now this one surprised me. The majority of my readers have always been US based, which is why I was shocked to see my most requested posts were "US Travel". I always assumed people read my blog for that 'American girl living abroad' vibe. But since I moved back stateside I have been struggling BIG TIME in trying to find my niche. Learning that y'all want to see more US travel and personal posts was a huge relief. It has helped me gain confidence in this little blog of mine once more. 

Question 5: What would you like to see less of?
To everyone who said "don't change a thing", bless you. Seriously, stop being so sweet! But for those who were brave enough to tell me what you didn't like reading, I want to thank you as well. While I still feel I post for "me" and not really to please anyone in particular, I'm grateful for constructive criticism so I know how to improve on things other people might not enjoy as much as I do. 

Question 6: What country are you from?
It's pretty easy for me to find out where people are from who read my blog, but I was interested to see who was actually INTERACTING with my site. The US has always been my biggest readership but some interesting ones also included Spain, Germany, Ireland, Australia, and Slovakia!

Question 7: How do you find new Of Golden Roses posts?

It came as no surprise to me that Bloglovin was the most popular way for people to find my new posts. Bloglovin is my primary tool for reading other blogs so it only makes sense!

Question 8: What social media platforms do you follow related to Sara or Of Golden Roses?

Bloglovin is by far the most popular platform for my site. However, about half of you also follow my Instagram which made me super happy! I've been putting a lot of effort into Instagram lately I'm glad to see my work paying off!

Question 9: How easy is it to navigate Of Golden Roses?

97.5% of y'all found my site easy enough to navigate. I'll take it!

Question 10: Anything else you would like me to know?
I have the most wonderful readers! From personal stories about how my blog is "inspiring" to simple comments on how I could improve on the little things like font, I loved reading every single response!

Thank you so much for participating in this year's reader survey! You guys rock!

Happy Thursday!
xoxo