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01/31/17 post featured image

Monthly Review: What I did in January to reach my 2017 goals

If you haven’t read My Goals for 2017, then go do that now! As this blog post will be the 1st monthly review of what I did to get a couple steps closer to those goals.

I want to start and just say that January was an exciting month for The Content Bug! The site was officially launched on January 17th, 2017. And honestly, I had no idea what I was getting into.

On launch day, I only had 21 sessions on my site. This was mainly because I only advertised the launch on Instagram when I had around 200 followers. So to get 21 sessions isn’t that bad I guess, but it could have been a lot better.

Since launch, I have worked my butt off to even get a tiny step closer to each of my goals. So let’s dive on into my January review.




Goal 1: $5,000 in income each month

I knew when I set this goal that this would maybe be my last one to achieve. Creating a blog does not mean you will start making money overnight. It’s just not possible. When you see other bloggers share their income report describing how they made $10,000+ a month with their blog, you have to realize that it took them a lot of time working their butts off to get where they are today.

So if you have a similar income goal like mine, be patient, work hard, and the results will follow.

I did a lot of research this month on how other bloggers make money. And the most common ways were:

  • Ads
  • Affiliates
  • Sponsored Posts
  • Coaching, e-book, or any other product/service sales

So I decided to apply for Google AdSense to get some ads on my site. But, I have to admit, I was really picky. Bloggers recommended a variety of ad networks to use, but I refused to use a network that was not top notch. I wanted to have a very hands-on approach with my ads so they were strategically placed and non-intrusive to the content on the site.

Also, I am extremely comfortable with Google products. And since I have my Google Analytics and Search Console already set up, it was an easy choice to go with AdSense. Plus, all 3 can be linked together in Analytics so that’s a big bonus.

So after applying for AdSense on January 19th, I was approved on January 26th! I then added 2 ads to my right sidebar and a few within the pages of my site. It took me a couple hours to decide the best placement to ensure the ads fit the site.

And on the same day that I set up the ads I made $0.25! (Disclaimer: This is just from the report AdSense gave me the day after. I did not receive the money immediately.)

This is as far as I got with monetizing my blog this month. Once I grow a strong following on social media and the blog, I will dive deeper into sponsored posts, affiliates, and maybe even my own product sales. But until then, I’m just going to stick with my ads.

Goal 2: Publish 50 blog posts

5 blog posts were published this month (including this one).

  1. My Goals for 2017
  2. How To Generate Unique Blog Topics: For the Brave & Daring
  3. How To Properly Use Hashtags on Social Media
  4. 3 Things You Can Do TODAY To Improve Your Blog’s SEO
  5. Monthly Review: What I did in January to reach my 2017 goals

So I am 10% of the way there! I created a content plan that maps out 1 blog post for each week. As time goes on, that schedule might change a little bit. But with this plan, I am right on track to meet my goal of 50 blog posts this year.




Goal 3: 5 guest posts

This one gets a little tricky. I have never been featured in a guest blog post before. So this goal is a little bit of a learning curve.

But this month I started to research some guest blogging opportunities. So I created an outline of what websites would be great to pitch to and what they require/talk about.

So basically, not much progress for this goal so far. But at least it is still in the front of my mind as I continue to build up possible sites to reach out to in the future.

Make sure you stay tuned for some updates on this goal!

Goal 4: 50k followers on Instagram

This is where things start to get a little more exciting. I worked hard this month on my social media accounts.

So to start with Instagram, if you remember in My Goals for 2017, I had 138 followers and I was following 355 accounts.

By posting every day, engaging with my followers, responding to comments, and actively seeking other accounts to follow, I am now at 344 followers! That means I gained over 200 followers in just a month!

Instagram 1.31 - The Content Bug Update

From where I started out, and where I want to go, this is just a baby step. But it is nice to see my hard work pay off on this platform.

By the end of February, my goal is to reach over 500+ followers. And if you don’t already follow my Instagram account, make sure you do that today!




Goal 5: 1k followers on Pinterest

This month, I did a lot with my Pinterest account. I added new cover images to all of my boards. I created 4 new boards that share other bloggers’ posts as well as my own.

By actively engaging with other bloggers, following a few new accounts, and just staying active almost every day, I went from 163 followers to 217 followers today! That is over 50 new followers in a month!

Also, I started out the month with following 128 accounts and now I follow 164 other accounts.

Pinterest 1.31 - The Content Bug Update

Just like Instagram, this is just a small step toward the goal I want to reach, but it is still something to be celebrated.

Make sure you go follow me on Pinterest so we can learn and grow together!

Conclusion

Although it might not seem like much, I am happy where I am right now and where I am going.  There is a lot of work ahead, but I am excited for this time to learn and grow with The Content Bug!

Stay tuned for more exciting adventures to come. And make sure you check back at the end of February to see how much has changed in a month!

As January comes to a close, enjoy a simple recap of my 1st monthly review. Learn everything I did this month to get 1 step closer to my 2017 goals.

What did you accomplish this month to get you 1 step closer to your goals? Let me know in the comments below!


Keep Reading…

Want to know how to use Tailwind to grow your Pitnerest account? Look no further! I used Tailwind to not only grow my Pinterest account, but also drive traffic to my blog. And you can do it too! Want to gain Instagram followers fast?! I'm sharing my top tips on how to gain more Instagram followers in 1 month!  New Year, New Me... right? Just kidding. Just some new goals I set for myself and my website for this new year ahead of us. Let's dive on in!


About the Author

The Content Bug - Cath Headshot 4Why, hello there! I’m Cathrin, the creator of The Content Bug. But since we are already virtual best friends, you can call me Cath. After working in the digital marketing industry, I decided it was time to share my love for online content creation, social media, and SEO with the everyday hustlers of the world… like YOU! You can almost always find me at a local coffee shop writing, reading and working on new things for The Content Bug. But when I have some free time, I love hanging out with my dog, going to a yoga class, and being outside. Stay connected with me on Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter to see what I’m up to!

 

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