Blogtober Wrap Up
As you may know, I took part in the Blogtober challenge in October. The goal was to post a blog post everyday of the month. 31 posts in 31 days.
I failed, and I'm OK with that.
I posted a total of 28 blog posts in October, and had my second highest traffic month ever to my website since I created it.
Why I failed
This basically comes done to the fact that I didn't plan ahead, and life got in the way.
Sports season is now fully underway and that means that my kids are training everyday, and have competitions most weekends.
As I mentioned in my BYOBthon update for week 3, my youngest won gold in the Italian Jiu Jitsu Championships (GI) on 21st October. He also won all his matches at the Italian Jiu Jitsu Championships (NO GI) on 4th November, and brought home yet another gold medal. Yes I am very proud of him 😍
My eldest made his debut with the Italian Swimming Federation (FIN) last weekend competing in the 100m breaststroke race for Trofeo Lanzi. He didn't qualify for the finals but he did an amazing job and is looking forward to the next opportunity to put himself to the test.
When I decided to do the challenge I didn't plan ahead. This was largely due to the fact that I decided to take part just a few days before it started.
Lesson learnt 1: Consistent posting needs an organised schedule. Things come up and you might not be able to get on your computer. This is why it's a good idea to set up at least some of your blog posts in advance.
Whilst I did get a nice increase in traffic to my website during the challenge, I know I could have done better.
I didn't fully leverage the opportunity to connect with others during the challenge, and I didn't make good use of the hashtag #Blogtober.
Lesson Learnt 2: Be more active with the community. A huge part of what makes events like Blogtober such a powerful way to grow your website/blog is the opportunity it provides to reach out to others. This is why you should connect using the hashtag during these challenges. It also lets others know you're participating so they can reach out to you too.
So what now?
BlogMas
BlogMas that's what!
BlogMas is a challenge, much like Blogtober, where the goal is to post a blog post everyday in December.
Given that November has been a slow month for me content wise here, and taking into account my results from doing Blogtober, BlogMas sounds like a great idea.
I want to finish this year on a high, and prove to myself that I can do better by taking into consideration the things I learnt from "failing" Blogtober.
Time to Prep
I'll be taking a more organised approach to BlogMas and scheduling as many posts in advance as possible (see lesson 1 above).
I'll also be setting up some social media posts in advance using the challenge hashtag #BlogMas (see lesson 2) to make sure I do a better job of promoting my participation.
Did you do Blogtober? Did you succeed or fail in your goal?
Planning on taking part in BlogMas this year?
You might also like: 60 Blog Post Ideas For Book Bloggers
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Jo Linsdell
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20 comments
I think scheduling posts is a great tip for all bloggers. I find that I'm posting more now that I'm taking the time to schedule posts in advance.
ReplyDeleteGemma @ www.gemmasbooknook.blogspot.com
I always try to schedule in advance on my other blogs too. It really helps keep everything under control and stops things getting too overwhelming.
DeleteI need to organize myself better too. I was really good in the beginning but you are right - its hard when life gets in the way! I still need to read in order to review! ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people that likes to have everything under control... yes, I'm a self confessed control freak. I'm a good multitasker too, but recently life has become increasingly more demanding. I have books I've read that I still need to review, and lots more on my tbr. 24 hours in a day is never enough to get everything done!
DeleteI think you did really well to post as much as you did, given all that was going on. Congratulations to your sons.
ReplyDeleteAww thanks 😊 I technically failed the challenge but it was still a huge success. Hoping to do better with BlogMas though 😉
DeleteI also need to get better at scheduling and planning my posts. I still think you did really well. 28 posts in October is fantastic!
ReplyDeleteThanks. One of my big goals for 2019 is to get better at scheduling and planning my blog posts. I find that doing these types of content challenges helps motivate me as they make me more accountable.
Delete28 posts in a month is a massive achievement. I'm proud of you and for you!
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong. I'm super happy with 28 posts in a month. I just wanted to hit 31 ;)
Delete28 posts is still crazy much! Can't really call that a fail. Go you! :-) And wow, your sons rock!
ReplyDeleteTechnically I failed the challenge, but I'm still happy with my results. Especially as October saw my website get the 2nd most pageviews ever.
DeleteI try to be organized but life gets in the way.
ReplyDeleteThe struggle is real! Life can get so hectic sometimes.
DeleteUnfortunately life has a way of getting in the way of your plans. Looks like you still had a good month though. BTW your sons are brilliant.
ReplyDeleteI'm biased but, yes they are brilliant :) I'm so proud of them.
DeleteThat's awesome that you could still get 28 posts! I'm starting to plan out my blog posts further in advanced.
ReplyDeletePlanning, and scheduling blog posts in advance can make a huge difference. Not just from a consistent content point of view either. It also takes away a lot of the stress and helps stop overwhelm and blogger burn out.
DeleteYou are a great mom!
ReplyDeleteBest compliment ever!!!! :)
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