Blogging Progress Report for August: A Comprehensive Review
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Chapter 1: Overview of Blogging Goals
In this report, I will provide a detailed account of my blogging activities throughout August, outlining the progress I've made and the lessons I've learned along the way.
While many share their progress reports, I often find the lack of behind-the-scenes insights disappointing. This report serves both as a personal record and a resource for others looking to embark on their blogging journey. I began my writing adventure on Medium, leveraging an existing portfolio website. Engaging with various posts made me realize the potential of creating my own blog. Thus, on August 4th, I launched my blog at barshakar.com.
To facilitate easy navigation, I will divide this report into the following seven sections:
- My Blogging Goals for August
- Progress Made Toward Each Goal
- Challenges Encountered
- Additional Steps Taken
- Mistakes Made Along the Way
- Key Achievements
- Goals for the Upcoming Month
- Bonus: Creating High-Value Content That Converts
Section 1.1: My Blogging Goals for August
Initially, I struggled to articulate my blogging goals, as I was still in the process of figuring things out. However, I had a general framework in mind, which included:
- Developing essential pages for my blog
- Structuring the blog for readability
- Creating sign-up forms with lead magnets
- Learning and implementing Pinterest for traffic generation
- Composing 3-4 posts or, ideally, batching 30-40 blog entries
Section 1.2: Progress Made Toward Each Goal
Writing Essential Pages
I dedicated time to create essential pages, completing the following:
- Crafted an "About Me" page from scratch
- Utilized Zyro to generate the Terms and Conditions page
- Employed Termly for a personalized privacy policy
- Sought assistance from ChatGPT for the affiliate disclaimer but ultimately rewrote it in my style
- Started a resources page that remains a work in progress
Blog Setup
Setting up my blog proved to be a complex task. I made significant adjustments, including:
- Transitioning the homepage to reflect my new role as a blog content and copywriter
- Enrolling in ConvertKit and establishing various forms
- Selecting my blog's niche, which includes side hustles, freelance writing, blogging, and product reviews
- Redesigning the blog layout to incorporate essential pages in the footer
- Shifting service-related pages from the main menu to a secondary menu and replacing the homepage with a lead magnet sign-up page
- Creating a consolidated pricing package for writing services
- Implementing minor updates across pages with new information
- Choosing a font and color palette for branding
- Ensuring mobile responsiveness, which proved more challenging than anticipated
- Installing and configuring various plugins on my WordPress dashboard
- Enhancing readability by adjusting font size and formatting
Creating Lead Magnets
I explored effective lead magnets for my niche and considered two ideas:
- A comprehensive side hustle toolkit (too ambitious)
- A concise side hustle idea cheatsheet (more manageable)
I began working on the cheatsheet using Canva Pro. Additionally, I created two more lead magnets aimed at blog owners:
- A 10-Step Content Audit Checklist
- A Blog Content Strategy Template
Both are accessible on my service pages. I also developed landing pages for downloadable resources.
If you're interested in crafting lead magnets, I recommend starting with Canva and ConvertKit; they are user-friendly.
Learning Pinterest and Setting It Up for Blog Promotion
Here's a snapshot of my Pinterest profile:
Despite not yet driving traffic from Pinterest, I found inspiration in my progress: 278 monthly views and 336 impressions.
My Pinterest journey began with a free webinar on marketing. I read numerous resources, although many emphasized premium tools like Tailwind, which I couldn't afford. So, I opted to experiment with:
- Conducting keyword research
- Creating a personal knowledge base to aid my understanding
- Establishing Pinterest boards to organize my pins
- Utilizing my existing Pinterest business account by updating my bio and adding my website link
- Designing multiple pins in batches with Canva and posting them consecutively
- Creating and sharing an infographic for improved engagement
A valuable resource was a subreddit (r/PinterestAdvertising), where I interacted with others and clarified my understanding of Pinterest marketing.
Writing Blog Posts
I started by conducting keyword research and outlining five posts but faced confusion and distractions. My involvement with various Medium publications limited my focus on my blog. To combat this, I initiated a 7-day challenge to write 14 blog posts.
While I didn't achieve the goal, I did complete one entry and continued to build momentum. My progress includes:
- Completing and publishing my first blog post
- Updating and publishing six previous pieces on writing and blogging
- Recently publishing another piece on side hustles, which you can read [here](link_to_content).
Chapter 2: Challenges Encountered
Challenges are an inevitable part of the blogging journey. Here are some key obstacles I faced:
- Difficulty selecting a niche: It took considerable time to narrow down my focus to four categories: side hustles, freelance writing, blogging, and SaaS product reviews.
- Struggles with keyword research: I attempted various free tools but ultimately decided to invest in Semrush, which proved beneficial.
- Balancing writing for my blog while contributing to other platforms: My efforts to write for multiple outlets stretched my focus too thin.
- Rejections from affiliate programs: Although I faced rejections, I also received acceptances that could be promising.
- Managing numerous blogging tasks simultaneously: The multitude of tasks often led to procrastination instead of productive writing.
- Challenges in writing listicles: I found myself overwhelmed by the research required for comprehensive topics.
Section 3.1: Additional Steps Taken
In addition to my primary goals, I took several supplementary actions:
- Updated my LinkedIn profile to align with my current focus
- Shared my content across Medium, LinkedIn Pulse, Tumblr, Flipboard, Reddit, and Twitter
- Created backlinks through a few blog comments
- Transitioned my newsletter from Brevo to Substack, gaining 22 subscribers so far
- Committed to reading more books and articles
- Documented my daily activities in a private Telegram group for easier reporting
- Analyzed the strategies of successful bloggers for insights
- Developed a milestone tracker to celebrate small achievements
Section 3.2: Mistakes Made Along the Way
Reflecting on my journey, I've made several mistakes:
- Scattered focus: My desire to be everywhere resulted in a lack of direction.
- Insufficient attention to blog posts: I became preoccupied with overthinking my niche.
- Prematurely announcing my niche to an uninterested audience.
- Starting a newsletter without a clear purpose.
- Getting sidetracked by SEO considerations.
- Allowing myself to become distracted by numerous tasks instead of prioritizing writing.
- Overwhelmed by the need to drive traffic before focusing on content creation.
Section 3.3: Key Achievements
Key achievements from my blogging efforts include:
- Growing my Medium followers from 12 to 88
- Attracting 68 unique visitors and achieving 40 total impressions on my website
- Reaching 278 monthly views and 336 impressions on Pinterest
- Publishing two new blog posts and updating six old ones
- Gaining two new subscribers, likely from LinkedIn
- Joining 15-20 affiliate programs
Should I include LinkedIn metrics?
- Currently, I have 5,318 followers and 268 search appearances.
Earnings thus far from my blog: $0.
Chapter 4: Goals for Next Month
Looking ahead, my goals for the upcoming month include:
- Composing 4-8 blog posts specific to my website's niche
- Creating additional Pinterest pins and boards while studying effective strategies
- Continuing to engage on LinkedIn and Medium at least three times a week
- Developing a new lead magnet based on thorough research
- Aiming to earn at least $100 through my blog
- Attracting five new subscribers
- Reaching 150 Medium followers
- Increasing LinkedIn followers to 6,000
Final Thoughts
This one-month blogging journey has taught me invaluable lessons. While challenges lie ahead, particularly with the possibility of pursuing a master's degree, I remain committed to maintaining momentum.
My advice to myself and aspiring bloggers is to:
- Document daily progress to recognize accomplishments
- Avoid overthinking niche selection; focus on writing and exploration
- Prioritize writing consistently
- Limit distractions from multiple platforms
- Engage in continuous learning, analysis, and experimentation
If you found this content helpful, please share your feedback!
If you’d like to support my journey, consider treating me to a tea to fuel my inspiration and education!
Bonus: Create High-Value Content That Converts
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The first video titled "July 2018 Progress Report" provides insights into successful blogging strategies and effective planning.
The second video, "NWEA Student Progress Report Overview," covers essential metrics for tracking progress and enhancing performance in blogging.