2015 Survey Results!

First off… THANK YOU guys for taking the time to answer a few questions and tell me what you think in my annual reader survey! It’s always so interesting to learn more about who you are and what you like to see around here. Just like last year, I was surprised by some things and found other things to be very much what I expected (heeyyyy ladies!). So here’s a quick snapshot of what your responses told me! Or in other words… meet the survey results:

First off… this was no surprise to me- you’re almost all ladies! I guess there aren’t many men out there who are interested in making the perfect ruffle garland for a baby shower. On top of that- only half of you have kiddos. I think when you sit and write to yourself/the internet, you just assume that anyone who is reading is the same as  you, and interested in all the same things as you. I’m reminded that you don’t need to be a SAHM to want to create- heck, I wasn’t when I started reading blogs. And I’m sure all you bloggers out there will be happy to hear that only 35% of respondents were bloggers themselves.  For all you non-bloggers out there, we’re busy celebrating because sometimes we feel like we’re just talking to ourselves. And the thing I learned about you all that made me most happy? More than half of you have been reading Lemon Thistle for more than 3 months (or even more than 6 months!). Which is crazy, because last year most the responses were, ‘I just started!’.  Thanks for sticking with me :)

Now… what the heck do you want from me?! Obviously since this is a lifestyle blog… I’ll continue to post the things that inspire me- and that I love to create. But I also love to give you guys what you want. Out of the things that I loooove posting, it’s clear. You’re still not in to florals. And you still want more Small DIY and home decor. Then there’s some that I read and am not too sure about. Your responses tell me that you’d like LESS photography posts. But my analytics tell me those are the posts you look at the most, comment the most, and they’re the ones that I get the most questions about in my email inbox. In the same way, you said you’d like to see less baby posts… but the thing you said you loved most about Lemon Thistle (in written notes) is that I share a glimpse into our family. Maybe having both babies and lifestyle as options were confusing.

One that surprised me completely is that you guys are loving the desktops I created every month last year. They didn’t look all that impressive statistically so I stopped this January… but they are the posts you brought up the most in the survey AND I’ve even had you tweeting and emailing me asking if they will be back. That makes me SO happy. I put a lot of work in to them and didn’t think they were worth it… but you’ve convinced me they are :)

Okay, so that’s the short of the survey results… here’s what it means for you moving forward! I won’t bother with many florals posts (although I have one coming up for saint patty’s day), and I won’t bother with many round ups (unless there’s something I’m too hooked on). I WILL continue to share glimpses into our life. I WILL work towards having more awesome giveaways for you this year (tell me what you want for giveaways!). I WILL share more of our home and home decor posts this year- since we’re finally coming close to finishing our big renovations! I WILL also continue to dream up DIYs for you. I WILL also bring back the monthly tech backgrounds! Sound good? If you missed the reader survey and still have some burning suggestions- light up my inbox friend!