In 2011 I decided to create an experimental game blog, the Animal Jam Spirit. Within a few years AJS reached over 14.5 million page views, getting over 100 comments on daily posts and as many as 150 concurrent site visitors.
With Google AdSense I monetized the site, and advertised to other Animal Jam players using brand influencers. Content covered included daily game updates, glitches, and other points of interest. Later I learned that the game developers, WildWorks, used my site as its primary source of feedback and bug reporting for many years. When I visited they confessed they would feature the site in developer meetings and referenced it for game updates and content ideas. Some had even assumed that it was one of their employees running the site.
Social media content included cross-advertising to Instagram, Twitter, Google+, Google+ Communities, and YouTube video integration. Contests were integrated such that they encouraged interaction on many platforms.
Later I began bringing in volunteers to contribute their own content and interests to the site, including artwork features, game analysis, gameplay content, contests, and much more. Eventually as the game community started to leave blogging in favor of video content, the site was slowly transitioned into the Animal Jam Archives.