It’s Our 8 Year Anniversary! Where do we go from here…

Wow, 8 years have come and gone. It feels like only yesterday I sat in Seton Hall getting my certification in social media marketing when I dreamt up a small idea called “New Jersey Isn’t Boring”, a website that would serve as a database for all the things I wanted to do in New Jersey.

With a basic understanding of WordPress and a decent understanding of Facebook, I created pages for my site that were only supposed to be meant for this certification course. Little did I know that there were people like me defending the state of New Jersey and its many resources. It’s a small state and yet we have mountains, beaches, hiking, and some of the most sought places to vacation in the United States.

By opening up this small website and social media page in 2014 I was given access to a wealth of knowledge that someone who lived in NJ all their lives didn’t have. I learned about NJ’s new craft beer scene, new food truck events, annual festivals, picturesque towns, new restaurants, and lots of day trip ideas that I am still checking off my list.

Soon I started an Instagram page and watched it grow beyond my expectations. It created a photography community that shares photos all around NJ using the hashtag #NJisntBoring. It’s brought me a lot of joy (despite the new algorithm but what can you do?).

As much as I love doing this website and listing things to do, I am still a one-person operation. When my job unexpectedly closed in 2016, I decided to try and make New Jersey Isn’t Boring my full-time job. I gave more hours to it, traveled more, and spent all my time perfecting it. Because I had developed a platform of followers, I was able to offer advertising and sponsorship.

Despite my best efforts advertising and sponsorship have not been as successful as I hoped and for the last few years this has become a very expensive (yet rewarding!) hobby.

I love this website and I love its readers and the support they have given me over the years, but the financial end of this website is wearing me down. As I see small businesses that I love around me close I think to myself  “should I close too?”.

So here’s another last shot to make this happen. We are PIVOTING

 

Rather than blog and blog and blog, NJIB is refocusing its attention to being a website filled with guides on things to do in NJ. It’s something we already do, but it’s being expanded.

We will also be offering online classes and 1:1 mentoring for working on your social media pages, website, and how to direct people to your business.

We are raising money so we can focus on rebranding in the meantime. You can support this fundraiser from now until March 27. Prices range from $25-$50 and the new styles are super cute. (I designed them)

Other ways you can help:

If you are a business that needs help advertising…please let me help you. I’ve been very successful so far and the few advertisers I do have remain loyal to me and advertise again.

If you can sponsor this website, not only will you be supporting the website but you will be marketed on this website as well. I need sponsors to keep this going. Ask your rich relative if they’ll help (j/k…kind of).

Other ways you can help:
– Subscribe to our mailing list here
– Shop our store. Every dollar counts.

Thank you for reading, thank you for your support, and thank you for sticking around as long as you have.

Love,
Cyd