Let’s do my first blog update! My original intentions were to post my first blog update after having my blog for a month, and do updates monthly. However, I had a major lifestyle change about a month into having my blog (my boyfriend moved in with me!) so blogging sort of took a low priority only about a month into having my blog. In this post I’d like to discuss some of the things I’ve learned so far in having my blog, discuss my upcoming goals, and celebrate some of the small wins I’ve already had!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through one of these links I make a small commission, without the extra cost to you! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Things I’ve Learned
Blogging Is Time Consuming!
The first month of my blog was largely consumed just by setting up my website! I knew this would take a long time, and it really did but I believe the time spent was so worth it! I’m really happy with the way it turned out and I’m sure I still have a few things I need to tweak in the future, but thankfully I’m now set up and ready to go!
I’m hoping as I gain more experience, the writing flow will come easier. I’ve been trying to envision myself talking to someone when writing my blog posts. It’s difficult to remove myself from the more formal type of writing I’ve done in the past writing papers in college, and change my writing style to a more relaxed and informal voice. Something that has really helped with this is reading blog posts from some of my favorite bloggers!
I feel that I’ve really found a good layout for my blog and as of right now, I’ll continue structuring my blog posts the same way. First, I begin by planning out my blog posts in a small journal. This way when I’m writing, I know what major points I want to hit. I then write my posts in a separate document so I can proofread before the information goes live on my blog. This way, I add what I’ve written into my blog post, within the structure I’ve created, add pictures, and BOOM! A finished blog post.
One thing I haven’t really done so far is stick to a posting schedule. This is something I’ll have to work on in the future and will be added to my next month’s goals. Eventually I’d like to monetize this blog when I’m getting more traffic, and sticking to a posting schedule will not only help Google recognize my content, but it will ensure my readers are able to predict when they can find a fresh post!
Finding My Voice
With starting this blog, one of the most major conflicts I’ve had with myself is if I want to share this blog with my family and friends right away. So far the only person I’ve confided in about my blog is actually my grandma. She is one of the most non-judgemental people I know… and also doesn’t have internet access. So, I don’t have to worry about her even reading my posts. She was very excited about this new hobby I’ve found! Keeping this a secret has been extremely difficult because it’s something I’m really excited about. However, I don’t want to get ahead of myself and have tons of people reading my content while I’m really still learning how to make it.
I know so many bloggers recommend narrowing down a niche. This is something that has been really difficult for me since I have so many hobbies and topics that I’m passionate about! At this time I’m going to continue posting about whatever I feel like talking about and see what sticks. At the end of the day I started this blog for myself, so I’m going to continue to do what makes me happy.
Understanding SEO
Oh boy! This is something that has been really confusing for me. It’s something I’m still trying to research and learn so I know what I should be talking about and how I should be structuring and labeling my blog posts. If you have any advice on this I’d love to hear it in the comments. Because truly, at this point, anything would be helpful. I’ll keep you updated on this in future blog updates.
Utilizing Pinterest
So many bloggers rave about how Pinterest has helped grow their blog traffic. I’ve made a few Pinterest pins so far and I will say they have given me a few more views than I would have had if I hadn’t used Pinterest to promote my blog. I have a very small following on Pinterest and not many views on the pins I’ve created but I think in the long run, the more pins I create, the more worth it I think it will be.
Month Two Accomplishments
Keep in mind as I go over these stats that this is over a two month period. In my future blog updates, the stats will only be over the previous month.
As of today I’ve:
Created 15 Blog Posts (February & March 2024)
Received 77 pageviews and 67 sessions over the last 30 days.
Since I eventually want to start monetizing my blog, I want to begin tracking my earnings as well to see when I do start to generate an income and watch my blog grow!
Earnings: $0 (not surprising since I just started my blog!)
And, created a website I’m absolutely in love with. I’m really proud of the content I’ve created so far and already have a long list of ideas for content I’ll create in the future!
Month Three Goals
During month three, I really want to focus on creating a schedule for when I’ll post my content. I’m going to make my blog posting schedule on Tuesdays and Fridays. Meaning I’ll create and post two blog posts a week. I work full-time as a nurse right now but I think two blog posts a week will still be an attainable goal for me.
Pageviews: 200 (The goal is to do over double what I have right now)
I’ll be utilizing Pinterest and continue learning SEO to hopefully achieve this goal.
Income: $0 (I’m waiting until I receive more pageviews to apply for ad agencies). Though I do have an Amazon Associates account, I mostly want to focus on creating content this month and growing my pageviews.
Just the first two months of my blog have truly been a rollercoaster ride! I’m really excited to see where this blog could take me in the future. This new hobby has been time consuming but I’ve had so much fun doing what I have so far. I can’t wait for next months update!
Want to learn more about me? Read my ‘About Me’ page HERE.
