Junkfoodguy.com Is One Year Old
Junk Food Nation, allow myself to introduce…myself. I’m Eric, and I’m your friendly neighborhood Junk Food Guy.
Today is June 24, 2012, and that means that this blog is officially one year old. One year. Almost 365 daily blog posts about junk food, fast food, gourmet snacks, healthy snacks, my life and opinions, your daily gossip, sports, news, and of course, awkwardness.
When I sat down to write this blog one year ago, it originally was because my buddy Rob had told me about the 7-Select S’mores Ice Cream Sandwiches, and I couldn’t find a goddamn place on the internet to learn more about it. I figured that there were plenty of things out there that people wanted to know more about, but had no resource to tap into. *I* would be that resource, I thought.
I’d never blogged before. I’m not really a writer. All I had at my disposal was some general support from friends and family and a little bit of programming knowledge from my junior year of college. The only advice came from Actor Sis, who told me, “Blogging is about consistency. Your audience will come to expect content, and you have to give it to them.”
So, my first decision before I began was frequency. Once a month? Unhelpful. Once a week? Surely I had more to say than that. Daily. It had to be daily. There was plenty of junk food to review in the world. When I told my friends about my intentions, support was tepid at best. My closest friends later admitted they didn’t think I could do it. “Daily?” they asked. “Won’t you run out of things to talk about?”
This blog began awkwardly, like most things in my life. A bag of Doritos here, an ice cream there. My readership was minuscule. One day in August, NO ONE read my blog post. I was crushed. “He only writes about things I’ve already had,” said one of the Junk Food Gal’s friends. “That’s boring.” I had to evolve.
I started contacting companies, started buying crazy things, started really hitting up Facebook, Twitter, other social networks. And, thanks to you all, my work began to pay off. My readership grew a little, then a lot, then exploded. I started working with other food blogs. I began to establish relationships with a bunch of companies.
You, the readers, and I started to interact even more. I love conversing with all of you in the comments, on Facebook, on Twitter. Today, Junkfoodguy.com gets about 1000 unique visitors a day across more than 25 countries culminating in around 650,000 hits monthly. We (and I say “we” because you make this blog as much as I do) are just getting started.
I guess that’s why I felt like, going forward, it was important for you to see who I was – it’s silly to remain some anonymous blogger like Spiderman or Batman…who aren’t bloggers but you get my point. This isn’t Gossip Girl. If I’ve learned anything while writing my blog, it’s that food is about community. It’s about sharing. So, again, hello. I’m Eric. Nice to meet you.
I’ve been asked a lot of questions in the past year regarding my blog: “What do you consider junk food?” “Are you putting on a ton of weight?” “Aren’t you bored?” One of the questions I always get asked is “Why are you doing this?” And when I really sit down to think about it, I guess I really just thought it’d be fun. Fun to see if I could create SOMETHING where there was once NOTHING. And after one year, I’d say that I, you, WE have created SOMETHING. And this “something” isn’t done yet.
So there you have it, Junk Food Nation. Junkfoodguy.com is one year old. Here’s to the future.
Thoughts? Please comment below (I always reply) or hit me up on Twitter @junkfoodguy or LIKE my Facebook Page and message me there. Also, you can always email me at junkfoodguy@junkfoodguy.com. Let’s hang out.
Sincerely, Junk Food Guy
Discuss - 35 Comments
Happy 1st birthday, Junk Food Guy! Glad I could be a part of it!
@Kahnfucius: Those S’mores ice cream sandwiches started it all!
Happy bday! Didn’t know about the blog for the firt six months, but I have enjoyed the last six months. I think I found this site from foodette. It’s definitely my favorite blog. Honestly I thought you might be a lot heavier, but seems like you keep in good shape. Here’s to many more years!
@Will: Thanks man. I’m just a normal shaped guy – maybe one of these days I’ll share my weight loss secrets (and no, no eating disorder here.)
(unless Fritos are an eating disorder)
Seriously. How do you stay in shape? I gain a pound every time I look at the pictures you post.
@Adrianne: Well, I’ll reveal one secret – I don’t usually finish everything I review. Single serving yeah sure, but if it’s a big box or big pack of stuff? I give it to my co-workers…they are more than happy to eat free cookies 😉
A name to the face – congratulations! It’s been an amazing year – your growth has really been very impressive and will only continue on from here. And know this – you ARE a writer! Your writing blows me away every day – you’re funny and quippy and your point of view is strong. Keep up the amazing work – we LOVE living vicariously through your eating adventures!
@Teresapalooza: Thanks Actor Sis!
Happy birthday JFG. Nice job.
@Amy: thanks 🙂 Spread the word!
big junk food congrats!
@Lynn: Thanks! Your blog was one of my inspirations 🙂
Nooooooo! You’ve shown your face! The mystique is gone! Gone. I. Say.
Congratulations, Junk Food Guy…I mean, Eric. May you have many more years!
@Marvo: GONE! Heh heh – thanks Marvo. You’re one of my other main inspirations too!
So I guess you’re celebrating your 1 year of blogging about junk food by not talking at all about junk food? Lazy.
I think today would have been the perfect time to review the Birthday Cake Oreos or even the Blue Bunny Birthday Cake Ice Cream. But noooo…
@Shorneys: LOL – stop calling me out!
Love the blog and I’ve got to admit that I’m jealous of your readership. To quote Dazed and Confused, “keep on keepin’ on man…”
@IE: thanks man – I really enjoy yours too – you know that. We snackers gotta stick together!
HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY, JUNK FOOD GUY!!!!!
Wishing you continued success!!
@GBT: Or is it GBJ? Thanks, girl!
Congrats to you and Happy 1st birthday/anniversary Junk Food Guy. Now can I get another one of those Shebert Oreos….LOL
@Q: thanks Q – don’t worry, I’ll be bringing by some treats soon!
Happy 1st! It was wonderful getting together in DC. Can’t wait to see what other awesome products you write about! 🙂
@Jess: YOU TOO! If I could only be HALF the blogger you are! It was great meeting you too…. see you next year in NYC?
This blog was a long time coming, but it was worth the wait. Here’s to many more years of assiduous, enthusiastic, carefully documented junk food consumption. Oh, and blogging.
@Lindemann – thanks, man
New reader here–live in the metro DC too!
This looks like a fun blog! Junk food and fun go well together…
@Elisa – good! Spread the word 🙂
Congratulations on one year of blogging bliss!
As an early adopter and contributor, I am thrilled to see the growth of the JFG empire. However, 99% of what you review I’ll not eat as I am now a committed vegan. But as such, I have tried some truly god awful (and some good) vegan snacks. I need to start sending them you way so you can share in the vegan joy/pain.
@Neil: Vegan snacks could be a good addition to this blog!
Congrats Junk Food Guy on your first year!! Relatively new reader, but already a big fan! Very impressed and inspired by your story. Like Teresapalooza says above you do have a great voice, and based on those stats you can tell, we appreciate listening to it.
As relatively new comers to the blogesphere, we find your first year inspiring. Keep up the great work and shoot us any words of advice whenever you have time.
@Chip Review: thanks, man. the main words of advice I have are to just keep doing what you’re doing – you have great consistency, a great theme, and lots of material. keep it up!
Congratulations on your blog’s milestone and the success you’ve had so far. I stumbled onto your site while writing up a quick post on my own incipient blog (on Doritos Dynamita; I’m glad someone else thought they tasted like fruity breakfast cereal), and your writing and love for junk food piqued my interest enough to come back and read more. I’ll be adding you to my favorites and stopping in every so often to catch up on your snack food (mis)adventures. Who knows, maybe one day, if you haven’t become so successful that you’re too busy zipping around the world in your own private jet, having “champagne wishes and caviar dreams,” maybe we could trade guest posts on each others’ sites. Til then, I’ll put your URL on my blog’s “hot links.”
Take care, and keep up the great posts!
hey we should get a photo together. especially if your in nyc
@Derek: In DC, but I’ll tweet out next time I’m in NYC