It’s okay to admit it.
That deep, dark secret you don’t want anyone to know.
That thought which keeps you up night after night.
You want… to rule the world!
You want to dominate your industry and be the envy of all. You want the house in the Hamptons and the spoils that go with it. You want two appetizers with your entree.
But you’re afraid.
You’re afraid of what others will say when they hear about your dream. You’re afraid it will seem too big — too crazy. Just like you’re afraid of what the waitress will think if you order onion rings and chicken tenders.
But mostly?
You’re afraid because you don’t know where to begin. You don’t know how to go from where you are as a blogger to where you want to be. You don’t know how to get from here to there.
The good news?
Just like eating an elephant, you don’t do it all in one bite.
World domination — or any major blogging goal — is a journey you take one milestone at a time.
For a handy visual of the 21 blogging milestones (that you can share and embed on your own site), check out the image below (click to see a larger view):
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Why Bloggers Need Meaningful Milestones
When you break large tasks into small, manageable ones, what once seemed big and scary isn’t as daunting.
Renovating your entire home? Start by painting a room. Want to be famous writer? Land your first writing job. Want to start a rock band? Get a guitar and start practicing.
Blogging isn’t any different.
Your journey as a blogger is filled with incremental milestones. They start small, gradually increase in size, and culminate with you owning sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads.
Want 10,000 subscribers? Start with 100. Want to quit your job? Focus on making your first sale. Want to be Jon Morrow’s best friend? Get him to notice you.
These milestones comprise your bucket list. They highlight what you’ve already accomplished, what you’re striving toward next, and what still lies far ahead of you.
To help you in your quest, here are the 21 major blogging milestones (and how to reach each one).
Ready? Let’s dive in.
#1. Starting Your Blog
You’ve been talking about doing it forever.
You’ve been reading blogs like Smart Blogger, Blogging Wizard, and Be A Better Blogger for months.
You’ve been planning, scheming, and daydreaming about starting a blog for so long that people have started to worry about that glazed look in your eyes.
So don’t you think it’s time you finally did it?
- Simple. Read this: How to Start a Blog in 2024(+ Resources on EVERYTHING!). It’s Jon’s epic guide that’ll teach you everything you need to know.
But first, savor this moment. You’ve already accomplished more than many wannabe bloggers ever do…
You’ve started a blog. You did it.
Now…
Let’s get to work.
#2. Writing Your First Blog Post
Bloggers blog. It’s what we do.
So once you’ve setup your blog on WordPress, Medium, or wherever, it’s time to make this whole “blogging thing” official.
It’s time to write your first post.
- Don’t know where to begin? Check out our in-depth guide.
- Pick a great headline. Your posts should have unique, attention-grabbing titles. And don’t be afraid to throw in a power word or two.
- Write irresistible subheads. No sense having a great headline if your subheads are flat and boring.
- Write with clarity. Avoid redundant phrases and empty, flabby, filler words.
- Master WordPress. Save precious time by learning tips, tricks, and hacks for WordPress.
Share it with your friends and family on email and social media. Email it to your subscribers too (if you have any yet).
#3 Getting Your First Tweet
Getting your content shared on social media for the first time is a big milestone.
Each time your posts are tweeted, pinned, or liked, your content is exposed to new readers.
These new readers are potential email subscribers. Potential customers. Potential allies in your quest for world domination.
- Make it super easy to share your posts. Sharing buttons for Twitter, Pinterest, Facebook, etc. should be easy for your readers to find.
- Make sure your posts are worthy. If you write posts that change your readers, they won’t be able to help themselves — they’ll have to share them.
- Be tweetable. Use short, quotable messages in your posts.
- Share it yourself. How can you expect others to share your content if you don’t?
To boost the number of shares you receive, try using interesting images with embedded headlines as the featured images in your posts. Be sure to choose a relevant picture, or one that creates curiosity.
#4. Receiving Your First Blog Comment From a Stranger
It finally happened.
The moment you discover someone other than your mom is reading your blog.
Your first comment from a stranger.
It’s the first sign you’re engaging a real audience (not just friends and family).
The first indication your words are striking a chord with readers.
The first evidence you have what it takes to succeed.
- Make it as easy as possible for visitors to comment. Don’t do anything to discourage engagement.
- Visit other blogs in your niche and leave inquisitive, insightful comments. Many bloggers will return the favor.
- Join relevant Facebook groups. People are down on Facebook these days, but being an active member of one or two Facebook groups is an excellent way to let prospective readers know your blog exists.
- Give people what they want. Answer questions readers want answered, and they will comment.
Next, visit their blog and leave them a comment. If they don’t have a blog, thank them in an email.
True, this level of dedication will be difficult once you’re receiving dozens of comments.
But in your blog’s early days? There’s simply no good reason not to go above and beyond to express your appreciation.
After you’ve received a few comments, it’s time to implement strategies to further boost your comment count.
#5. Gaining Your First Email Subscriber
“The money is in the list,” says every blogger (even if nobody has asked them).
It’s cliché, but it’s true.
Email subscribers are far more likely to read, share, and engage with your content than someone who simply follows you on Twitter or “likes” you on Facebook.
Email cuts through the noise.
A person might receive a few dozen emails in a day, but they’ll receive several hundred (or more) tweets from their followers.
If you want to reach the top of the blogging mountain, you must build your email list.
And it all starts with that first subscriber.
- Sign up for an email marketing provider. MailChimp has a free version, but if you want to send autoresponder emails, you’ll need the paid version or go to another provider like AWeber or GetResponse.
- Prominently display an opt-in form. Once you have your email list, you need to put your opt-in form front and center where readers can easily find it.
- Have a compelling call to action at the end of your posts. A focused CTA will increase the likelihood readers will subscribe.
- Update your email signature. Include a link to your opt-in form in the signature of your outgoing emails, as well as your posts in blogging forums.
When someone subscribes to your list, your welcome email should be warm and inviting.
Encourage them to ask you a question. Tell them to follow you on Twitter and say hello. Give them a link to an unexpected freebie bonus.
(But don’t do all three at once — you might scare away your only subscriber!)
#6. Getting Your First Backlink
Search engines love backlinks — they help them discover how pages are related, and in what ways.
Landing a high-quality link from a relevant website is great for SEO and results in more search engine traffic flocking to your website. And who doesn’t want that?
When a website links to yours, it’s effectively telling Google, “This dude is cool. He’s with me.”
Want to rule the world? You need Google to think you’re cool.
- Create Massive Value Content. Epic posts are commented on, shared more, and linked to more often.
- Implement a link building strategy. Broken link building, community site link building, and other tactics are out there for the blogger willing to roll up their sleeves and make them work.
- Pound the proverbial pavement. Email outreach is time consuming, but it can be a highly effective method for acquiring backlinks — if you do it right.
- Take it to the next level. Try advanced strategies like link reclamation and reverse image search.
Numerous untapped backlink resources are available to bloggers willing to tap them. And if you don’t, your competitors will.
#7. Reaching 100 Visitors in a Single Day
In your blog’s early days, visitors are scarce. Occasionally, you’ll wonder if anyone is reading your blog.
But slowly, little by little, your numbers creep higher and higher.
And then it happens.
The day your blog reaches triple-digit visitors. The day your hard work begins to pay off. The day you get your first taste of power.
Intoxicating, isn’t it?
- Promote on social media. Keep sharing your content on your favorite social media sites. Use hashtags to widen your reach.
- Promote daily. While you shouldn’t publish daily, you should most definitely promote every day.
- Concentrate on beginner-friendly traffic-generation techniques. Videos, infographics, and the like don’t work for beginners the way they work for established bloggers.
- Put yourself in your readers’ shoes. Poor navigation, lots of ads, and a mobile-unfriendly design will alienate your readers and make them bounce from your blog.
Linking to other posts on your blog, embedding videos, displaying related posts, and encouraging readers to leave comments are all effective methods for keeping visitors on your website.
#8. Receiving Your First Piece of Fan Mail (Well, Email)
This is strange.
You receive an email from a stranger, but it has nothing to do with male enhancement or an unexpected inheritance from overseas.
It’s an email from a reader. And she’s telling you how much she enjoys your blog!
Your first “kudos” email from a reader is a big milestone for bloggers, and those who go on to rule the world receive many of them.
(Mine may or may not be printed, framed, and hanging from the walls of my office.)
- Be authentic and approachable. Let your readers know you’re a real person.
- Be helpful. Make it clear to your readers you want to help them (and not just promote yourself).
- Make interaction the norm. Respond to the comments of your readers. Acknowledge them.
But don’t stop there.
Follow them on social media. Visit and comment on their blog. Subscribe to their list, if you like what you see.
Your response will make a lasting impression in the mind of your reader. Don’t waste it.
#9. Getting Your First Negative Blog Comment
After weeks of praise, attaboys, and well-wishes, you receive your first negative comment.
You try to laugh it off by making a “these are where the tears would be if I could cry” joke, but it doesn’t work.
You’re confused. Hurt. Maybe a little angry. (Plus, your spouse quickly reminds you of the time you cried like a baby watching Field of Dreams.)
Don’t let it get you down. As you gain in popularity, criticism is inevitable.
Consider it a badge of honor — every popular blogger receives negative comments.
It’s proof you’re on the right track.
- Find your unique voice and stand out. Don’t be another me too blogger — be distinctive and memorable.
- Be a troublemaker. Don’t be afraid to challenge the status quo.
- Keep doing what you are doing. Haters are gonna hate. Just shake it off.
Delete the comment, ignore the comment, or respond to it in a professional manner. But whatever you do, remain calm. Don’t let the insults fly.
Others will see how you respond, and it will leave an indelible impression of you in their minds.
#10. Landing Your First Guest Post
Sooner or later, you’ll discover that commenting on other blogs and making friends on Twitter will boost your traffic only so far.
You need to reach new audiences.
As the marketing crowd would say, you need fresh eyeballs on your content.
In other words, you need to write a guest post.
- Find your target. While it may seem like a good idea to write a post and then find a blog, it’s better to select a blog first and tailor your guest post around their audience.
- Thoroughly read the guidelines. Make sure you know what’s expected of you, and avoid making dumb guest blogging mistakes.
- Proofread! Take the time to properly proofread and edit your posts before submitting them.
- Stay positive and persevere. Sometimes you have to contact your guest post target two or three times before getting accepted. Persistence often pays off.
You need to promote the post on your social media accounts. You need to email the post to your mailing list (even if it’s small). You need to respond to any comments readers leave on the post.
And, most importantly, you need to thank the blogger or bloggers who gave you the opportunity to write for them.
Guest blogging, as much as anything, is about the connections you can make. Backlinks, traffic spikes, and a bump in email subscribers are all nice.
But establishing a long-term connection with an influential blog owner?
That’s worth its weight in gold.
#11. Getting Featured in Your First Interview or “Expert Roundup”
When people see you repeatedly mentioned on other sites via interviews and roundups, their perceptions of you change.
Yesterday, you were just an attractive guy or gal oozing talent but drowning in anonymity.
Today, you’re a freaking rock star.
You’re no more knowledgeable than you were moments earlier, but suddenly your powerful words carry more weight with readers. That’s because someone they trust just called you an expert (or treated you like one).
To reach world-leader status, others must view you as an authority. They need to consider you an expert in your industry.
Participating in interviews and roundups is a great way to make that happen.
- Create an awesome About Me page. Tell your story, share testimonials, and be sure to mention you’re available for interviews.
- Help A Reporter Out. Sign up for HARO and you can receive multiple emails each day listing people who are looking for quotes from experts.
- Make your Contact page easy to find. Don’t have one? Create one.
If you’ve been interviewed, respond to those who leave comments. Engage with them. Give them a reason to visit your blog.
If you participated in a roundup, you now have some common ground with the other bloggers who participated.
Follow them on social media. Tag them when you tweet the roundup. Send them emails saying how much you enjoy their blogs.
#12. Hitting Your First 100 Email Subscribers
Finally.
After having single- and double-digit subscribers for what seems like forever, you finally reach 100. One hundred individuals decide they want updates from you.
These first 100 subscribers are arguably your most important.
They’re the ones who found your blog in its early days.
They’re the ones who decided to follow you before you were popular.
They’re the ones likely to be your biggest supporters as you rise through the ranks and vanquish kingdoms.
- Be a broken record. Keep finding reasons to mention your mailing list.
- Give something away. Entice readers to subscribe to your list by offering something of value. And the sooner you have an opt-in bribe to offer, the better.
- Promote your opt-in form on social media. Add an opt-in form to your Facebook page. Link to your form in your Twitter and LinkedIn bios.
- Ramp up your guest blogging. With a little planning to maximize results, guest blogging is an excellent method for building your email list.
Find out what kind of content they want you to create, and what kind of content they wish you would stop creating.
To encourage participation, turn your survey into a contest.
#13. Seeing a Post You Wrote Go Viral
Wow. That was unexpected.
One of your posts takes off. It goes viral, as the kids say.
At its simplest definition, a viral post is one which has a life beyond your own promotion of it. As such, it gets considerably more clicks and shares than your typical post.
And, as a result, your blog receives a nice (if temporary) bump in traffic.
Even if it’s short lived, a viral post means more eyes on your content. And that’s just what a prospective world ruler wants.
- Create share-worthy content. If you want a post to go viral, it must be worthy.
- Use social metadata. The better your posts look when shared on social media platforms, the more likely people will share them.
- Be visual. Use stunning, shareable images in your posts.
- Use an intriguing headline. Jon’s Headline Hacks has some great tips for headlines that go viral.
- Make it easy to skim. People read only 28% of blog content. Make your content easy to skim, and you greatly increase the chances it could go viral.
- Create list posts. According to a recent content marketing case study by Backlinko and BuzzSumo, list posts (like the one you’re reading now) get an average of 218% more shares than “how to” posts.
Make sure your call to action is clear and singularly focused. Offer a content upgrade for users who subscribe.
Use one of the dozens of available WordPress plugins designed to help you boost your subscriber count.
#14. Getting Mentioned or Followed by an A-list Blogger
When Bob the bellhop from Bolivia mentions you on Twitter, a small handful of people will see it.
That’s nice.
But if John Lee Dumas, Pat Flynn, or Jeff Goins mentions you on Twitter, a small army will see it.
That’s even better.
When you’re mentioned or followed by an A-lister, it means much more than a small bump in traffic.
It means you’ve made it onto the radar of someone with influence.
- Link to A-listers in guest posts you write, and let them know about it. Most will be appreciative, and many will share your post with their followers.
- Buy their courses or services. Want a sure-fire way to get A-list bloggers to notice you? Give them money! As an added bonus, you’ll benefit from their vast experience.
- Reach out to them. Identify the bloggers of influence, and put your content directly in front of them.
- Ask them to participate in expert roundups. Participants in roundups almost always share them.
Keep sharing their content. Keep leaving comments. Keep engaging with them.
#15. Hitting Your First 1,000 Email Subscribers
Now we’re talking.
Around the time you hit the 1,000 subscriber mark, your emails begin to carry more weight.
You’re able to generate traffic for new posts simply by emailing your subscribers.
Even better?
You can begin making real money from your blog.
As a rule of thumb, you should be able to make at least $1 per subscriber each month — more if you really know what you’re doing.
- Have a dedicated landing page. You should have at least one page focused on one thing and one thing only — getting people to sign up.
- Say yes to pop-ups. Yes, some people find them annoying. But they work.
- Harness the power of webinars. They create a sense of urgency, but without being “salesy.” Plus, you can run one even if you have a limited budget.
- Do more guest blogging. In case you haven’t yet picked up on the theme: strategic guest blogging is a solid strategy for gaining subscribers. Gaining traffic? Not so much. But gaining subscribers interested in your blog’s topic (assuming you’re guest blogging for relevant audiences)? Absolutely.
Affiliate programs, sponsored content, digital products, and consulting/coaching sessions are common methods for making money with your blog.
And speaking of those last two…
#16. Successfully Selling Your First Product or Consulting Session
You tried your hand at sponsored ads. Maybe you even had a little success with them.
But eventually, you aim higher.
You decide to offer your skills as a coach or consultant.
Or maybe you decide to create your own digital product because you like the idea of unlimited income potential.
Whatever the route, the desire is the same: to pad your wallet with twenty dollar bills.
- Know your audience — intimately. To be a successful coach or consultant, you must know your audience, what they need, and how you can help them.
- Choose a topic you know inside out. If you’re writing an e-book, pick your topic wisely.
- Repurpose content. If you have been blogging for any length of time, you have a collection of archives begging to be republished as an e-book.
- Master the art of ethical persuasion. Focus on benefits rather than features.
Once you’ve created your first product or course, create a sales funnel with an email autoresponder series.
Then start working on your next product.
#17 Reaching 1,000 Visitors a Day
When you reach 1,000 daily visitors, your blog will be perched at a level many bloggers never see.
Your blog has momentum, which means your email list starts to grow on its own.
You’re selling more products and services.
Your social media shares are increasing too, which is bringing even more new visitors.
Your hard work is paying off. “Soon,” you say to yourself before laughing maniacally.
“Soon.”
- Strategically promote on social media. What gains traction on Pinterest won’t necessarily gain traction on Twitter, right? When promoting, always be mindful of the platform you’re using and adapt accordingly.
- Become a SlideShare master. For many bloggers, SlideShare is an enigma. Unfortunate, because you can easily repurpose content with SlideShare and bring in thousands of new readers.
- Think outside the box. Communities like Triberr and websites like Quora offer bloggers additional avenues for driving traffic to their sites.
- Start taking SEO more seriously. Ranking for keywords and optimizing your blog for Google (and Bing) are a must to take your traffic to the next level.
If anything, scale back on your blogging and focus even more time on promotion.
For example: targeted advertising. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and others offer bloggers the ability to advertise and bring in additional traffic to their sites.
#18. Reaching 100,000 Visitors in a Month
When you reach 100,000 visitors in a month, you’ve reached a level of success most can only dream of.
At this level, practically anything you try can be lucrative.
- Pay to extend your social media reach. Quuu Promote lets you get tweets and shares from real people with real followers.
- Dedicate yourself. Mastering traffic generation takes time.
- Start accepting guest posts. Neil Patel grew the KISSmetrics blog to over 400,000 readers a month by publishing content that mainly came from guests.
- Use split testing to optimize conversions. At this level of traffic, even small tweaks can make a big difference.
- Try new delivery channels. Launching a podcast allows you to reach a different audience than the one on your blog. So, too, can the creation of YouTube videos and SlideShare
And if you haven’t started monetizing your blog yet, you’re leaving real money on the table each month. Get started!
#19. You Hit 10,000 Email Subscribers
As Jon Morrow likes to say: 10,000 subscribers is the “magic number.”
With 10,000 subscribers, publishers beat down your door to give you a book deal.
With 10,000 subscribers, you could make a full-time living as a coach or consultant.
With 10,000 subscribers, you can easily sell a course you have created.
In short, earning a six-figure income from your blog is entirely realistic when you have 10,000 subscribers.
It’s arguably the most important blogging milestone.
- Lure Amazon e-book buyers to your opt-in page. At the end of your Kindle e-book, offer a bonus chapter to readers who come to your website and subscribe.
- Use Facebook’s Lead Ads. It’s an opt-in form embedded inside your Facebook post.
- Create content upgrades for all your most popular posts. Bonus material customized to individual posts can significantly increase your conversion rates.
- Use Facebook ads in tandem with Facebook opt-in pages. In a case study, one blogger was able to add over 17,000 subscribers in six weeks using Facebook advertising to funnel readers to her Facebook opt-in page.
As your list grows, and your humble blog starts to look more like a viable business, you may need to trade your email provider for a more sophisticated solution, such as Infusionsoft that can handle e-commerce and relationship management as well.
#20. Finally Earning Enough Money to Quit Your Day Job
It’s the dream of most bloggers.
Being able to quit your job and blog full-time means you’re able to quit the rat race. It means you can set your own schedule, pursue your passions, and spend more time with your loved ones.
It means you’re the boss.
- Charge premium prices. This allows you to devote more of your time, which means your premium price comes with premium service.
- Outsource certain tasks. Time is money. And when you reach a certain level of success, your time (and money) can often be put to better use.
- Promote affiliates. In addition to high income potential, affiliate products require zero investment.
- Create joint ventures with other popular bloggers. Build a product together or just make it attractive for them to promote your products.
Decide what kind of financial buffer you’ll need just in case things get tough. Your buffer will depend on your risk tolerance and personal situation, but a good rule of thumb is three to six months of salary in the bank.
Use the time leading up to your departure to ensure your blog is running smoothly by the time you quit.
Automate everything you can. Create processes to ensure you can work as efficiently as possible. Because when the paychecks stop, you don’t want any additional drag.
#21. Achieving World Domination
You did it.
They said it wasn’t possible, but you made it happen.
The world is your oyster. You’re the master of your own destiny.
And it’s all thanks to your blog.
Now it’s time to take a vacation. Maybe even move to paradise. Heck, you earned it.
So What’s Your Next Big Blogging Milestone?
You realize they’re yours for the taking, right?
The niche you want to dominate?
The house in the Hamptons?
The sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads?
They’re all out there… just waiting for you.
They’re waiting for you to decide, “Today is the day I’ll make my dreams come true.” They’re waiting for you to stop reading and start doing.
So, don’t just sit there.
Work out where you are on the list and what you must do to hit that next big milestone.
And let’s do this thing.
Because the world isn’t going to rule itself.
Kevin,
great schedule. Thanks.
World Domination would be a little too much work for me, and weigh too heavily on my conscience.
1,000 subscribers would be a phantastic milestone in my niche maket.
Hey Alexander,
Congrats on being the first person to comment (and a huge thank you for not writing “FIRST!”). 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it. True, world domination would a hard gig. That’s for sure. But it wouldn’t have to weigh on your conscience. You could be a KIND ruler, right?
That’s a great milestone. How are you doing so far?
Hope you have a great day, Alexander. Thanks for commenting!
-Kevin
Well, so far ZERO subscribers.
Not even any attempt to get subscribers.
* hides under the desk *
Hey Alexander,
Don’t beat yourself up! No time like the present to start building that email list, right?
Hopefully this post will be able to help you get started! 🙂
-Kevin
Very useful and helpful post for all the startups. Content in this article is really worth reading. Surely it helps to get positive results from our business.
Hey Danni,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Your business is startups, right? Which of these 20 milestones do you find to be biggest (or hardest) for new companies?
Hope this reply of mine finds you doing well. Thanks again for commenting, Danni.
-Kevin
I just want those sharks with the frikkin laser beams
#Thatisall
#sharkswiththefrikkinlaserbeams
(By the way – I DEFINITELY agree with defining your target market/audience in order to figure out what they need and how best to help them)
Hey Daryl,
Oh yes. Sharks with frickin’ laser beams attached to their heads all the way! That is the dream. (Well, my dream anyway.) 😉
(By the way: A big thanks to Glen Long, BBT’s managing editor, for letting me keep Dr. Evil’s “shark” references. It was my favorite.)
Yes, absolutely, Daryl. Defining your target audience/market is huge. Otherwise you’re wasting a LOT of time and resources swimming upstream.
Appreciate the comment, Daryl. Hope my response finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Great job here on BBT. You know what?
I read a lot of blog posts and I never heard of a topic like this. I LOVE this topic you made about the bloggers bucket list. Very ingenious. And you made quite a few awesome points and provided some top-notch resources as well. And your instructions for each one is truly helpful. Especially “How To Reach This Milestone”.
There are far too many milestones to comment on, but I can say that I’m working on milestone 13, 15 – 20 lol. All the others I’ve achieved but I continuously striving for that.
Truly awesome post you wrote here, Kevin. I’m really proud of you, my friend. This is truly awesome.
Have a great rest of the day and week.
– Andrew
Hey Andrew,
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, buddy!
Want to hear something funny? When Glen Long asked me if I had any topic ideas, THIS wasn’t my primary one. I gave him a list, and it was the second or third one I listed. Glen (I’m paraphrasing) was like, “Forget those other ones…let’s do this one.” Because Glen is smart. 😀
Oh yes, way too many milestones to mention in one comment. (Just imagine how long it took to write!)
So glad you enjoyed it, Andrew. Appreciate the kind words and support.
Hope you’re having a great day so far!
-Kevin
That goes to show you the foresight that Glen and Jon have. If they can choose a topic like this out of however many you presented them and it’s a homerun.
Great job again.
Bet you never saw this much progression for you and your blog 6 months ago, huh? It’s amazing how quickly things can change when you make smart decision and just do blogger outreach.
They definitely have foresight.
Granted, I only presented three pitches (I think). I honestly thought Glen would like the first one, so I kept the list short. 🙂
Nope. Honestly — not that I’m super successful or anything — I didn’t expect to be this far along six months. It’s been a pleasant surprise. Of course, I have a LONG way to go still. I haven’t created a product yet, which means the only income I’m bringing in is through affiliate marketing. I need to change this, and I will.
How are things at Shade of Info, Andrew? Doing well?
-Kevin
Nice to hear and also, I’m in the same boat. Regarding not monetizing my site. I’m going to make changes to that next year. And I, myself, have a long way to go.
Things are going good here. Just working on my post for Monday, and it’s actually one of my last (detailed) posts for the year. After this Monday, I have 3 posts left and then I’m done until January.
In that time off, I’m going to be doing some serious engagement, blogger outreach and also some major work to my site. So, I’m looking to have a Kevin Duncan impact next year that’ll propel me to another level.
Hey Andrew,
Glad things are going well. You’ve definitely earned some time off. Hopefully I can do the same around Christmas!
I have zero doubts 2015 will be a big year for you. You work hard, you’re a quick learner, and you’ve got the skills. Put those three things together and nothing can stop you, my friend.
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
First off, congratulations on this post. This is really awesome but that’s what you always crank out my friend. Great posts that we can sink our teeth into and really go to work.
I love this bucket list and you know you’re right. Blogging can be very overwhelming for a lot of people because there is so much involved but it’s like anything else. Everything takes time and we all have the same amount of hours in a day so put them to good use. We all have to start somewhere and your plan is perfect.
World domination, huh! I like the thought and I’m still shooting for that list of thousands but I’ll get there. My time will come but I know I’m on the right path.
Great share and thanks for the mention here, wow… How cool is that.
Off to share this post now, I want all those new bloggers to see that if they don’t already have a plan then they do now! 😉
~Adrienne
Hey Adrienne,
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
You’re right. That was my original inspiration for the post… When you have a big project, it can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Well, you break things down. Work on one small task at a time. There are probably a hundred of other tiny milestones we could have added, but these are the big ones. The ones which are measurable (and often hardest to reach)!
Haha. Go big or go home, right? World domination is definitely going big. 🙂
I truly appreciate your support, Adrienne. Not just today, but all these past months. You rock.
Hope this reply finds you blessed!
-Kevin
You are SO welcome Kevin and SO worthy my friend. I’m so happy to have been here for you and I appreciate your support as well. That’s what friends do for each other and I’m definitely there for you. 😉
You have a fabulous weekend now if you can come down from this high!
~Adrienne
YOU are very welcome, too, Adrienne!
When this week is over, we’ll have to email one another and see how our respective BIG WEEKS went! I hope your course launch has been a hit. 🙂
You have a great weekend, too, Adrienne! Talk to you again soon.
-Kevin
Hi, Kevin,
I was browsing my favorite blogs this morning and I saw your name here! What a great post!
I know that I did a happy dance around my house every time I hit one of these milestones (still need to get to the last 4!)
But the one that tickled me the most was getting featured in an expert round-up with our fearless leader, Jon Morrow. That was a real thrill.
Thanks for reminding me of these exciting moments in my blogging career, plus this is a great avenue to success for any beginning blogger.
Sue
Hey Sue,
Good to see you here! Thank you so much for reading and commenting. (BBT is one of my absolute favorite blogs, too.)
Isn’t it fun reaching milestones? I hope I never reach the point where I’m jaded. Having this post published today feels like Christmas morning. I woke up early. I haven’t even had a cup of coffee yet (haven’t needed it). I’m already thinking about which milestone I can tackle NEXT. It’s a great feeling.
Will you do the happy dance when you reach your last 4 milestones? 🙂
Appreciate you stopping by, Sue. Hope this comment finds you doing well!
-Kevin
I will happy dance my way to world wide domination, Kevin!
Sue
P.S. And I would have not needed caffeine either this morning if I were you. WhooHooo on getting this guest post gig!
Hey Sue,
That’s the spirit! If only all world rulers liked to dance. 🙂
Haha. No joke! I finally decided to have a cup of coffee with my lunch. Strange, I know, but it’s cold in my office so the heat helped.
Thanks, Sue! Yes, I’m beyond excited to have landed this opportunity. I told Glen my plan was to pitch them a guest post someday (“someday” being in 2-to-3 months). When Glen asked me he pushed up my plans by several months. But I’m most definitely not complaining! 😀
-Kevin
Pretty excited to see that I’ve already accomplished everything on this list except for the 10,000 subscribers. I have 7,000 🙂 I would probably be over 10,000 by now, but I clean my newsletter list every 2 months to keep my open rate high. The first time I cleaned my list was nerve wracking. I dumped 3,500 subscribers in 3 minutes. UGH!
Thanks for this, it gave me a boost of confidence this morning! All I have left is world domination! HAHA – love it 🙂
Hi Amanda,
Wow! So all you have left is 3k subscribers and world domination? That is awesome. Congrats!
I think you do a very smart thing cleaning your list every couple months. Since the more subscribers you have the more you have to pay your email marketer, it’s silly to have dead email addresses on your list, right? 🙂
Glad I could give you a boost of confidence!
Thank you for commenting, Amanda. I wish you CONTINUED success and hope my comment finds you doing well. 🙂
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
This is a great post – so clear and easy to follow. And yes, I’m holding out for the sharks too – that really made me laugh! Thanks for the ton of tangible, attainable help. All your hard work is much appreciated.
Heading off to Tweet it right now…
Hi Mary,
Aww. Thank you! I really appreciate the kind words.
I’m glad the post was clear and easy to follow (it was a tricky task with so many links, so many bullets, and so many words)! It’s great to know you found tangible, attainable tips. That was definitely the goal. 🙂
Haha. Glad you liked the sharks! (I wonder how many readers will catch the reference?)
Thanks for the Tweet! So glad you stopped by, Mary. Hope to see you on Be A Better Blogger sometime.
Have a great day!
-Kevin
Thank you for this super clear post. I LOVE it. You made it quite simple to follow in an orderly fashion!
Hi Esther,
Why thank you! I’m glad you loved it and found it orderly and clear. 🙂
Did you have a favorite part? A favorite milestone?
Hope you’re having an awesome Thursday, Esther!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Brilliant, concise and easy-to-follow post. This will definitely be one that I refer back to in future!
Thanks,
Jake.
Hey Jake,
Awesome. Glad you enjoyed the post and how it was put together. There was a lot of info packed in, so I’m happy it’s not a muddled mess for readers. 🙂
Yes, bookmark this post and come back to it, for sure. It can be helpful throughout your blogging journey!
What milestone are you working towards right now, Jake?
Thanks for commenting. Hope you’re having a great day so far!
-Kevin
Hey, Kevin,
How wonderful to see a guest post from you, my friend – truly exciting, congrats, Kevin!
You’ve come up with an awesome bucket list for newbies as it can be frustrating for beginners to know what to focus on. What an encouragement this list is for someone starting out to be able to follow step-by-step. Excellent information, Kevin, so thanks for putting out top notch content all the time.
It’s definitely a layering process, and I have a lot of memories along the way of achieving most of these.
Of course, it’s the quality of the list, not the quantity, as that’s how I’ve been able to enjoy being on the leaderboard with multi-million-dollar earners/marketers with my comparatively small list and winning affiliate prizes.
And we all know it’s not the amount of traffic (10,000/month) that counts but how well the traffic converts, but your tips are a definitely a great beginning and gives a bench mark to shoot for – well done, your plan is awesome!
Thanks for the mention, I appreciate it.
I’ll be sharing with my friends. 🙂
– Carol Amato
Hey Carol,
Thank you! I really appreciate you stopping by and showing your support. 🙂
I truly hope this post is encouragement to new bloggers (as well as those who have been around the block a few times). Sometimes the mountain you’re climbing can seem so large. It’s nice to be reminded how you can break it down into small increments.
You’re absolutely right… Traffic is nice, but traffic which coverts is better! (Which is why knowing your target audience is so important!)
You’re very welcome for the mentions (I believe there were two links), Carol! Your site is awesome.
Thanks for sharing, and for your great comment, Carol. And thanks for the advice you’ve given me the past month or two. Hope you’re having a great Thursday!
-Kevin
Really enjoyed reading this perfectly flowing post. It’s like a step by step guide to the top with checklists along the road.
Thanks for this!
Hi Colin,
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and found the post helpful and easy to navigate.
Did you have a favorite milestone, Colin? Which one are you working towards now?
Hope this comment finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Kevin, nice to see you here.
Great post.
Reading this post, I was feeling like I was reading a story, fabulous blogging story.
I liked the point that you mentioned 10000 is a magic number. It means there are 10000 readers who want your content delivered to them upto date? That’s great.
Mailing list would be one of the secret arsenal of every web marketer. It helps to retain loyal visitors and helps in increasing returning visitors.
I also liked the point of negative comment. It’s for sure, that it is the major milestone. I got my first negative comment on my very first guest post! Seemed embarrassing.
If you got negative comments, then it is a sign that someone is reading your blog posts and watching your activities in fine-tooth comb!
Cheers,
Akshay.
Hey Akshay,
Good to see you here, too!
Yes, 10k subscribers really is a magic number. If you reach it, you can make real money with your blog. You can drive real traffic to your blog, too, without the aid of Google or social media. (I can’t even imagine what you could do with 50k subscribers!)
So you’re first negative comment was on your very first guest post? Aww, I bet that was embarrassing (though it’s funny in hindsight, right?). I’d forgotten what it felt like to receive a negative comment because (literally) I haven’t had one in these six months at Be A Better Blogger. At my former humor blog? Sure. But the last one was two or three YEARS ago.
Oh well. Badge of honor, right? 🙂
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Akshay. Hope your Thursday is going well!
-Kevin
Duncan,
This was a nice solid post, but there’s something that utterly pissed me off in your post. You mentioned a “deposed king in Nigeria”, and I find that off putting, based on the fact that Nigeria is my beloved country.
Since you would never make such sarcastic analogy about the U.S or any other country in Europe, I consider it a Slap on the face of my beloved country.
Duncan, when next you write, please use a general analogy, and not one that some set of people somewhere in the world attach significant value on.
Hi Kehinde,
First off, thanks for reading!
Secondly, gosh, it didn’t dawn on me people could take offense to the “deposed king in Nigeria” reference. You see, I was referencing a joke from the TV show “The Office” (this post of mine has several pop-culture references like that one). Nigeria was the country referenced on the TV show, and it’s the most well-known country for that particular email scam.
That’s why I used it. But if it offends you, I have no problem changing it.
I should point out, though, I have no problem throwing sarcasm towards the U.S. or Europe, too. I’m an equal-opportunity wiseguy. 🙂
The name is Kevin, by the way. Nice to meet you, Kehinde. I hope the rest of your day is a great one!
-Kevin
I love that getting your first negative comment is a milestone on the bucket list here. It tells me my blog is not for everyone. And that is just fine because I am NOT trying to please everyone.
How do you deal with consistent hecklers though ? Those who just won’t stop leaving negative comments ?
Loved it ! Thanks for the great post Kevin.
Hi Gertrude,
Great to see you over here! Thank you for coming by and leaving your great comment.
Hmmm. That’s really a judgement call. And a lot of it depends on a person’s definition of a negative comment. If they are critiquing things you’ve written in each post, such comments can be good. They lead to healthy discussion!
But if they are HECKLING you? Honestly, I’d mark their comments as spam (and block their email or IP, if need be). You’re a blogger, not a stand-up comedian or customer service rep for Wal-Mart. If you’re being heckled, put a stop to it.
Of course that’s just my opinion. I could be wrong. 🙂
Glad you loved the post, Gertrude. Thanks again for commenting. Hope my response finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Kevin,
You’ve outdone yourself this time.
This is probably the best, most concise step-by-step guide I’ve ever seen on how to build a successful blog.
(And reach world domination – although ruling the world just sounds like a lot of work to me haha).
We are bombarded by advice on what we should be doing and how we should be doing it to the point that it becomes so overwhelming you just want to give up altogether.
I recently did a massive cleanse of my own email & blog subscriptions because I realized that all the well-intended advice I was receiving was actually doing me more harm than good.
Only a select few people made the cut and get to stay in my inbox (clearly you are one of them!) 🙂
This post is getting bookmarked and possibly even cut up into digital post-its for my computer screen. Someone as ADD as myself needs to have clear goals and tasks right in front of her at all times.
Thanks for this, and have a fantabulous weekend!
Mandie
P.S. I notice “obsessively tweak your blog design because writing web code is SO much more fun than writing words” didn’t make the list. Weird… 😉
Mandie, world domination wouldn’t be as much work if we simply did it together. Think about it:
Awesome books. Awesome(-er) book covers. Coffee as the national drink and we could make National World of Warcraft Holidays… (for Alliance only, of course).
We just need at least two prolific writers suffering from an addiction to entertain readers and…..oh….wait.
WE’RE GOOD!
(wink)
Jaime, now that sounds like a plan!
Can we also have a worldwide ban on polo shirts and make funny cat gifs the new national currency?!
Yup…between the two of us, we are ALL over the entertaining part. 😉
Jaime and Mandie,
I can’t believe you’re leaving me out of your world domination plans!
I’m hurt…
Kevin, you’re not being left out….
You simply need to follow us on out preferred social media platform, include us in your posts, link to us….and….
Uhhhhh.
Hey Mandie? I think we better let him in on this…
That’s better.
😉
Hey Mandie,
Outdone myself? Just wait until you see the director’s cut — 18,284 more words of blogging milestones!
(Kidding. No such version exists. Yet…) 😉
Really? That’s some very high praise. Thank you!
I’m glad I survive your email and subscriptions cleanse! I definitely know what you mean, though. We’re bombarded with so much information, it can feel overwhelming. So, we sit on our hands. Instead of acting, we do nothing! (Been there, done that.)
I don’t think I’ve ever had a post cut into digital post-its before. You’ll have to take a screenshot and share it on Twitter so I can see! 🙂
So glad you enjoyed the post, Mandie. Thank you for your great comment. I hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
P.S. It’s in the director’s cut!
Hey Kevin!!
Fantastic article =)
For a minute there I was confused. The more I read, I thought, “Good grief! Is it REALLY this way… step-by-step?”
One after the other, I remembered how I reached the milestones…except for the Negative Comment in #8. That hasn’t happened yet. Hmmm, wonder if that means I’m not a troublemaker?
Well THAT’S not true.
Maybe I don’t have a unique voice?!
*GASP*
BWAHAHAHAHA!!! *snort*
Sorry, Chuck’s here shaking his head, saying, “That’s…just stupid.”
So I made it to #9, landing Your First Guest Post, which quickly turned into 3 guest posts from 3 diverse blogs. But then I jump all over the place.
It’s when I realized these milestones might not happen in order (grin). Duh.
Had a post go viral and that was amazing to see. It sold an extra 129 copies of a certain book as a side bonus…which leads to yes, I’ve sold products too, but came to screeching stop after that.
Still working on my list, especially after Carol’s recommendations. All these years and I’ve let the sales of fantasy books come from luck, not lists. Ouch. Ouch. Ouch!
(insert head-banging here)
What amazes me more than anything is meeting so many bloggers–talented and clever, who seem to balance and manage it all. This runs me ragged! Blows my mind. Gives me hope when articles like this come out, but still blows my mind how any one person can make it happen.
Have to admit that I’d love to organize myself so I could spend most of my time writing books for kids, not promoting–but it’s not realistic. Not if I want the financial results I’m looking for.
Awesome job.
Hey Jaime,
Your comments are always a treat, my friend. I dare say it’s impossible to be bored reading… well, ANYTHING from you!
Oh, the milestones are going to be in different orders for most bloggers. Definitely. This was the order Glen and I believed made sense for the majority. But my order has been different, and it’s no surprise to hear yours has been VERY different. 🙂
Yes, Carol is right. Definitely work on that list, buddy. You’ll reach those milestones before you know it!
Glad you enjoyed the post, Jaime. Thank you for your support. I really appreciate it!
Hope this comment finds you doing well!
-Kevin
(pushes Jaime out of the way….)
No, I DO get to say something.
I don’t CARE how popular this blog is. You said it was important to “Be Me” so this is me…BEING ME! Now back off before I smack you with my staff…
KEVIN! I noticed you didn’t have “Give Homage To Those Who Helped You BECOME Popular” in your list…
That, I have to say, irked me. Just a little.
There are “some” bloggers–though we will not name Jaime here, just to be safe–who cannot, and I repeat CANNOT do these things on his own.
This list is HUUUUGE, my boy! We’re talkin’ bigger than…than…the age gap between Patrick Stewart and Sunny Ozell!!
‘Course, this just proves my theory about the sheer awesomeness of us ‘maTURE men in our prime’….lucky devil.
What I want to know, young one, is–can a single blogger/writer achieve all this? …or do you believe some of these milestones (which could become kidney stones if you’re not careful) will require self and/or professional services to achieve?
Hi Chuck,
I hope you didn’t hurt Jaime when you pushed him out of the way. (Why don’t you have your own computer, by the way? Doesn’t seem fair that you have to share. Am I right?)
So… Can a blogger/writer achieve all these milestones by himself or herself? I would like to think so. Of course, after you reach a certain point on this list the question becomes: “Even if I *can* do this on my own do I really want to?”
Time is money, right? Well, if you have 10k subscribers and 100k visitors each month, you could hire someone (or several someones) to help with certain activities and it would be well worth it if it meant you’d have more time to commit to the things which bring in money for your business.
Of course, in my case, once I reach the point where I can quit my day job it’s going to FEEL like I hired an employee. Because 40 hours every week previously committed to “the job” could now go to blogging activities. I will have doubled my workforce without hiring anyone. 🙂
Hope you get that computer you deserve, Chuck. Thanks for commenting!
-Kevin
Computers? NooOOOO.
That would imply I had to work with gnomes more than I had to.
Nice folks and all, but I’ve had my fill, thank you very much. They can keep the technology, I’ll stick with magic. Nuff said.
I have confidence in this boy. He’ll reach that 10K subscribers and 100K visitors…and pass it, I’ll wager.
Thank you, Kevin. Appreciate the info–will pass it on to the ‘ol writing fool himself.
-Chuck
Great post Kevin. This is one of those pieces that I like to call a Tardis post. Much bigger on the inside than on the outside. On the face of it a 20 minute read. Jam packed with strategy and ideas. Working through the fantastic array of linked material there is going to be hours of fun! Acting on it though, that is going to be the important part. Having studied a a lot of this I know it all makes sense and I know that anyone who takes the trouble to follow the path you have built here is going to be well on the way to “World Domination”. Incidentaly, having experienced Glen’s watchful eye I know exactly how hard it must have been to keep the sharks in!
Thanks for all the work you have put into this. Now then where did I leave the keys to my helicopter! 🙂
Hey Martin,
Thank you!
I like it. I’d never heard of a Tardis post before, but based your definition this post certainly fits the bill! Reading this post PLUS every single link it points to will take hours. Acting on everything you learn will take even longer. It won’t be wasted effort, though… LOTS of great knowledge to be learned. 🙂
Interestingly, Glen never made a comment about the “sharks” line, so I didn’t have to fight to keep it in. I guess he liked it as much as I did. Haha!
You’re welcome, Martin. And thank YOU for your great comment. I see your new blog is opening in nine days? Exciting! Best of luck with it!
Hope you have a great day, Martin.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
World Domination!!!! I”m in…. I love this article.
I appreciate that you took a simple, how to article by explaining the process step by step and how to build momentum.
I was actually just talking with a business owner the other day and shared with him how to do content marketing in a similar way.
In reality, it’s all baby steps as you go from failing to success and learning from more failures. You have to learn how to crawl before you can stand up, fall down and then stand back up in order to learn to walk.
It just takes time. I was reading from Sarah Burke’s article today and she said “”…content marketing is a slow and steady process, that can take anywhere from 6 months to a year to really start to flourish. Creating lots of content quickly won’t yield the rules you hope if you can’t keep up that pace.”
Fits right in line with your thought process.
Great post Kevin!
~ Don Purdum
Hey Don,
Yep! World domination all the way! 😀
Great to see you here, my friend. Thank you for stopping by.
Absolutely, an alternate title for this post could easily have had “Baby Steps” somewhere in it. Some people take bigger baby steps than others, but we’re all doing things one step at a time.
Just look at how far both of us have come in six months. Your blog is two weeks older than mine, right? (Something like that.) And just look at everything you’ve accomplished! But six months, getting HERE would have seemed overwhelming. Since you took it one milestone at a time, you made it (and kept your sanity). 🙂
I’m happy you enjoyed the post, Don. Thank you for your support these past months. It’s really appreciated!
Hope your Thursday is going great!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
It really is incredible to sit back and consider where we were and where we are at. It’s like night and day!!!! But, I’m not surprised for either one of us.
That’s what happens when you have a plan, strategies and goals and then you execute!!!!!
Congratulations again!
~ Don
Hey Don,
Well, you might not be surprised but I am! Haha.
Not really. I’m just surprised how FAST things have happened. I didn’t expect to be at this point six months ago. Not that I’m complaining, of course. 🙂 It’s just been a very happy turn of events!
I still have a ways to go, though. A long ways. Milestone #19 is what I’m shooting for — I’ll let someone else rule the world. I just want to be able to work from home and spend time with my wife. 🙂
Keep being awesome, Don. Have a great rest of your day!
-Kevin
Great post–excellent suggestions for bloggers of all levels.
Hey Andrew,
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it. 🙂
I can’t seem to find you on Twitter. Are you on it?
Hope you have a great day, Andrew!
-Kevin
Kevin,
Way to go, man! This is a stellar guest post. Honestly, I don’t know how you find time to do all you do when you have a full time job to hold down! You inspire me. You really delivered here, not just with length and content but with links out to other posts that you’ve found helpful. That’s no easy task!
I’m so happy for you, you’re clearly on the path to world domination. I’m rooting for you! Our race to full time bloggery is still on, although at this rate I think you’ll probably win! Heehee have a great week!
Brittany
Hey Brittany,
Awww, you’re too kind. Thank you!
I don’t know how I do it either. Haha. Not that what I do is super great or anything, I just do A LOT. And there’s only so much time in the day. Which probably explains why I’ve been so tired lately. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the post! I appreciate your support. Thanks for rooting for me! I’m rooting for you, too. Don’t concede the race just yet. You can easily beat me!
Thanks for the comment, Brittany! Hope your week is going great.
-Kevin
Well, congrats, Kevin, for a very very original and useful post, in a niche so crowded as online marketing. I’ve read it thoroughly, shared it and wanted to say “thank you” here as well.
I’m currently on a plateau between #15 and #16, stuck around 10.000 monthly visits. I can say every step from #1 to #15 is accurate in my experience. Could you give us any tips, maybe a link to your blog or elsewhere, on how to accelerate growth when you already have a moderate audience?
See you around!
Hi Miguel,
Thank you very much! I’m glad you found the post to be original and useful. Thanks for sharing it, too!
Congrats on being so far along on the list of milestones! I’ll have to research and find a post like you’re wanting, but speaking generically…
If you have plateaued at 10k monthly visitors, you need to do what people do when they plateau trying to lose weight: you need to mix things up.
One way to do this is to get in front of even MORE new audiences. Guest blogging works great for that. So, too, is trying a new delivery method for your content.
Have you ever tried SlideShare? I reach people who never would have found my blog when I creat a SlideShare presentation.
How about a podcast? Or creating a YouTube channel?
How about posting even less often so you can promote more?
Hopefully I’m making sense. The basic idea is to do things differently. It’s the only way you can get past a plateau! 🙂
Thank you for your comment, Miguel. I hope this reply of mine finds you doing well!
-Kevin
Hi there Kevin,
Let me thank you twice, one for the comprehensive answer to my question, full of useful ideas, and another one for inspiring me to answer to the comments in my blog with the same level of excellence you are showing here.
Also, been reading your blog already, it’s really awesome. I loved the “From Unknown to Boost Blog Traffic Writer”, it’s a perfect layout on how to connect with the elite bloggers in any niche. I’ll be devouring the rest of your archives.
Thanks for all the useful info and the excellent interaction with us!
Hi again Miguel,
You’re welcome regarding my answer to your comment! Hopefully I gave you a few ideas. Awesome to hear I’ve inspired you, too. Funny, because I’ve been so busy responding to BBT comments today I haven’t been able to respond to any comments on my own blog. Guess I know what I’ll be doing tomorrow. 🙂
Glad to hear you’ve started reading my archives at Be A Better Blogger! It’s always fun when you gain a new reader. I hope you’ll find all my posts helpful and useful (and a little entertaining)!
You’re very welcome, Miguel. Hope the rest of your day is a great one!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin… great post man! I’m in the beginning of the journey and be sure that I will save this post and use it as a motivation and milestones setter.
Keep up the good work! You deserve it!
– Jorge
http://www.bloggeaenserio.com
Hey Jorge,
Thank you! Congrats on starting your blogging journey. You’re going to have ups, you’re going to have downs, but you’re going to have a blast! 🙂
I hope this post will help along the way. Be sure to come back to it whenever you need a pick-me-up!
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Jorge. Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
Just as I’ve spent two weeks thinking about whether I should write my first post FIRST, or do all these other things. THANK YOU!!!!
Hi Ivana,
Thanks for commenting!
So you’re preparing to write your first blog post? Awesome! Best of luck with it. If you need guidance on the technical steps, be sure to check out that first link in milestone #1. (I’ll send you an email with it, too, just in case you don’t come back to see this comment.)
Best of luck on your journey. Hope your week is going amazing, Ivana!
-Kevin
Kevin – belatedly- thank you so much! I am very detailed oriented, which can be a problem when you read through a rich post like this, but I do appreciate your turning my attention to that particular section. I promised to finish the first post by the end of this weekend!
Cheers, and have a great weekend!
Hi again Ivana,
You’re very welcome! Hopefully that section, and the links, will help you out. Good luck finishing your first blog post! Then you’ll be able to check off that first milestone! 🙂
Enjoy the rest of your weekend, Ivana.
-Kevin
And now the most important question, how long will it take to reach number 20 on average? Lol
Hey Melissa,
Well… if you win the lottery you can get there in a matter of days probably! 😉
I think this is a question best left to Jon Morrow and Darren Rowse. 🙂
Thanks for commenting, Melissa. Hope you have a great day!
-Kevin
Masterful advice, thanks!
To somewhat automate my mailing list, I’ve been using MailPoet. They’re not as widely known as aweber and mailchimp but I find their automatic new post notification option incredibly useful.
Combine it with mandrill (mailchimp’s SMTP service) for free, secure, authenticated email delivery, and it is a simple, bulletproof solution.
Not affiliated with either one, just a very happy customer.
Hey Jack,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I’m not familiar with MailPoet. I’ll have to read up on it (to scratch my curiosity, if nothing else)!
Appreciate you stopping by, Jack! Did you have a favorite milestone?
-Kevin
World domination is my favorite… Which for me would be 1000 subscribers.
But at this stage I’m aiming for a consistent 100 daily visitors. Balancing family and writing is difficult, to say the least.
Hey Jack,
1k subscribers is an excellent goal!
I know all about the difficulties in balancing family and blogging. It’s a tough gig, isn’t it? I wish you the best of luck, my friend. 🙂
Thanks again for stopping by and commenting, Jack!
-Kevin
You just set my compass at a very well defined set of map markers. Thank you!
Instead of focusing on my guestblogging I will now switch to creating my own, well focused content for my own, well focused blogs.
Thanks! A lot!
Hey Radoslaw,
I’m glad you found my post to be so helpful. That makes me happy!
Don’t abandon guest blogging, though! It rocks. I’m of the mind you should write good content for your own blog (that’s not a path recommended by all, but it’s what has worked for me), but you should save your best stuff for guest posts!
Why? Because it makes more sense to put my content in front of the most eyes as possible. And since Boost Blog Traffic (or ProBlogger, Copyblogger, etc) have more viewers than I do, it behooves me to try to get my stuff in front of their audience.
Then part of their audience can become part of MY audience. 🙂
Of course, that’s just my opinion. There’s no ONE right way to do blogging. And that’s one of the many beautiful things about blogging. 🙂
Anyway, thanks for commenting, Rodoslaw. I really appreciate it!
-Kevin
The problem is different – I do write and publish quite a few posts within my hobby subjects (mostly cars). And I realized that it is not a niche – it’s an ocean! There’s nearly not a chance to dominate such a vast space.
I should instead focus on other niches within my reach and use my experience and expertise to build a position that could allow me to switch full time to consulting, writing and coaching.
Hey Radoslaw,
You’re right, that is a different situation. You have the right idea. I have (or had) a hobby blog, too. It was a humor blog. VERY difficult to dominate that niche, you know? But by transitioning to a different niche, I’m able to have much more success.
Do you have an idea what kind of niche you would like to get into?
-Kevin
Great post on the basic steps — for me, #19 came after #14.
You don’t necessarily need a big list to earn a living — you need a highly engaged one, and the right product at the right price for them.
Hi Carol,
I’ve admired your writing for quite a while. Awesome to have you reading something I wrote and commenting on it! 🙂
(Did you mean to say #14 came after #19?)
Agreed. You definitely don’t need a big list to earn a living. In fact, the bigger the list, the more sloppy people often become. And they won’t notice (right away) because their big list results in big numbers.
But if your list is modest in size, you have to maximize it. Your emails have to be sharp. Your plan has to be on point. (And it helps to have the right product at the right price, as you said.)
Agree with your and Carol Amato’s points about engaged subscribers. That’s key, and why it’s so important to know your target audience. Otherwise…well, you get a lot of less-than-engaged subscribers filling up your list. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great day, Carol. Thanks for stopping by!
-Kevin
Kevin,
What a fantastic post! This is so chock full of useful information I can’t wait to dig deep and start utilizing the resources you have given me. Your exuberance is refreshing. Thanks for setting the example, leading the way, and giving actionable steps to help others out!
Jesse
Hey Jesse,
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words, as well as your awesome Tweets.
I hope you have a great time digging through all the resources in the post. I lost count how many links we included. Haha. But there are a lot!
You’re too kind, Jesse. I certainly feel excited today, that’s for sure. This has been an awesome day for me. 🙂
I pray I’m able to continue offering readers such as yourself great and helpful advice! And I will… one milestone at a time. 🙂
Hope you’re having a blessed week, Jesse. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin
So many fantastic action steps to take away and implement. I love where you say ” want to quit your day job, focus on making your first sale” .
That statement is so critical for success.
It’s the old it took me ten years to become an overnight success. If you want to win big and go for world domination, learning how to make a sale is a huge step in the right direction.
Cheers Beanie
Hey Adam,
Glad you enjoyed it, my friend!
“Ten years to become an overnight success.” Yep, exactly. Every success story started with one tiny step… one completed milestone. And those tiny steps built on one another until… well, success happened. 🙂
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Adam. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
This is a great post that really lays out the needed steps nicely. Thanks for taking the time to put this together. This will be a great resource to stay on task and keep moving forward.
Hey Marc,
Appreciate it, buddy. Thank you for coming over and leaving a comment!
I hope bloggers really are able to use it as a helpful resource. Blogging well is difficult, so anything which can make it easier gets a thumb’s up in my book. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great week, Marc. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Hello Kevin,
Thank you for this great post! I just bookmarked it and at this moment I am making an action plan for my own blog based on your post. It’s a great guide for everyone who wants to start a blog. My blog is around step 14 now as I’m about to hit a 1.000 subscribers. The next few months I’ll focus on growing the blog, engaging with other bloggers and then eventually start developing products. Your post is a very, very good guide for me as it really shows the foundation of building a successful blog! Thank you.
Cheers, Bastiaan
Hey Bastiaan ,
You’re welcome. And thank YOU for the kind words!
It’s awesome to hear how far along you are on the list of milestones. That’s great! I love the look of your site. It’s very well done.
So do you know yet what your primary method for growing your blog will be? What’s worked for you up to this point?
Thank you for stopping by and leaving your great comment, Bastiaan. Hope you’re having a wonderful day!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Thanks for the reply! Very nice to get some feedback on how my site looks :). Up to this point guestblogging worked very well for us (my girlfriend an I, we run the blog together and she is doing Jon Morrows Guest Blogging Course). I think it’s THE best way to grow your blog when you’re just starting out.
The primary method for the next few months will be guest posting as well. We’ll combine this with doing expert roundups & interviews with the more established self development blogger. Also we will try to establish relationships with upcoming bloggers by linking to them if they write articles that we think are valuable for our readership and by leaving comments on their site.
After that we’ll start developing products like an ebook and coaching. Again, thanks for the kind words and I will keep following you!
Cheers, Bastiaan
Hey Bastiaan,
You’re very welcome!
I’ve heard great things about Jon’s Guest Blogging course, so I’m sure your girlfriend is learning a lot. I had the pleasure of working with Glen Long (BBT’s managing editor) on this post, and I can definitively state the BBT team know their stuff. She’s gaining valuable knowledge, I’m sure!
Your plan for the upcoming year sounds great! Sounds very similar to mine, in fact. 🙂
Hope you’re having a great weekend, Bastiaan. Thank you for your follow-up comment!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
As soon as you said “World Domination” I thought about the cartoon Pinky And The Brain. But that pretty much sums up what level we’re all trying to get to.
I can remember when I first started blogging. Boy how intimidating it was to me. I’m looking at other blogs and how “perfect” they look to me. My sponsor at the time was encouraging me to start writing. So I took the bull by the horn and did it! I definitely wish I read something like this post back then. You explained it step by step of the journey of being a blogger and what to look for to achieve that “World Domination”
Right now I’m between step 9 and step 10. I’ve had an interview or two, but never did a guest post. Ironic huh? But it is what it is right? Right now I’m looking forward to getting 1,000 daily visitors and get 1,000 subscribers. This coming year that will be my goal and I’m excited about it since I’m on the tails end as far as the vistors go.
I really enjoyed this step by step journey you’ve taken all of us. This is the guest post of all guest posts! So much great information here! Thanks for the share and I hope you have a great weekend!
Hey Sherman,
First off, I have to thank you for supplying the most Tweetable quote I’ve ever received in a comment: “This is the guest post of all guest posts!” So kind of you to say! 🙂
Okay now. Back to it…
I loved “Pinky And The Brain.” I regret not finding a way to work in a “take over the world” quote of theirs within the post!
It sounds like you had a great coach. No joke blogging can be intimidating in the beginning. EVERYONE seems to know what they are doing… except for you. And “common sense” advice feels overly complicated. (Or was that just me?)
But, you learn. You take the bull by the horn as you said, and get to it. And you get it. Eventually. If you don’t quit. Sadly, too many choose to quit.
So you’ve never done a guest post before? Get on it, man! 🙂
Seriously, though… If your 2015 goals are to reach 1k visitors and subscribers, guest blogging is a great way to do it. I know you’ve made a lot of great contacts over the years. Do any of them accept guest posts?
I’m glad you enjoyed the post, Sherman. Thank you for your great comment. I truly appreciate it. You’re too kind.
Hope you have a great rest of your day!
-Kevin
Thanks for lighting the fire under my bum, Kevin! Love the dynamics of this post, and can only hope that there will be more steps forward in my blogging journey than steps back.
Hi Alina,
You’re welcome! Haha.
I’m sure you have many steps forward ahead of you! If you ever find yourself treading water (or worse, stepping backwards), reach out to bloggers you trust and get their take. See if they have suggestions for you!
Or you can contact me! I’ll be glad to help (if I can). 🙂
Appreciate your comment, Alina. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
Thank you for the response and the tweet, Kevin!
Of course! You’re welcome, Alina. 🙂
Love this post and the ‘Blogger’s bucket list’ idea Kevin!!
I took a big leap from #7 to #13, and have just created my first digital product without having built up my list, so I feel like I’ve done things a bit backwards!
Now I need to work on getting my first guest post. It’s definitely on my own list. (I figure it’s asking a bit much to expect to leap to #19 from here!!!!!!!)
I’ll now be adopting your bucket list as my guide for moving forward.
I love that you’ve included resources here for each step. Thanks so much for the inspiration!!
Hi Brigid,
Why thank you very much! That’s very kind of you to say. 🙂
Haha. I think the order of the milestones are a little bit different for everyone. (I do encourage you to work on that list, though!) 😉
Congrats on creating your first digital product! Is it the eBook for Gorgeous Green Smoothies I see on your homepage? Looks good!
So glad to hear you’re adopting my bucket list to help you moving forward. That’s music to my ears. It’s so fun knowing something you’ve created is helping others. (Well, I consider it fun!)
Best of luck on that first guest post! I know you’ll do great.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Brigid. Hope the rest of your day is a great one!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin
This is a great roadmap you created here. I’m going to try to tick all off these off my list when I launch my blog, I’ll keep you updated 🙂
If I even get as half as successful with my blog as you have done with Beabetterblogger.com I’ll be a happy man.
Also congrats on getting the BBT guest post, thats a tick on the bucket list right there for any blogger.
Paul
Hey Paul,
Good to see you here. Thanks for stopping by!
Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing your blog launched. Hopefully this bucket list will help you as you begin your journey. LOTS of great resources were linked to in the post!
Kind of you to say, but aim higher, man! Haha. Surpass me. Double my success. Triple it! (Because if all goes to plan and I end up being wildly successfully, if you’re triple as successful you truly might be ruler of the world. And then I would get to be friends with the ruler of the world. Not too shabby.)
Thanks, Paul! Yeah, I’m very excited to see this post live, and to see people’s reactions. We’ll surpass 100 comments by the end of the day, and we’re already well over 300 shares on day one. And then there are my new subscribers… of which there have been quite a few. 🙂
(I suddenly feel the need to thank Jon and Glen again. Thanks, guys!)
Hope you’re having a great week, Paul. Good luck getting your site ready!
-Kevin
It was my pleasure… I had to come check out your guest post 😛
Thanks for the inspiration Kevin.. I really do want to grow a successful blog and its awesome to see someone doing that in such a short time.
Those are pretty awesome stats cant wait to see what it looks like in a few days 🙂
Paul
Hey Paul,
Well I’m happy you did!
Glad I’m able to inspire others the way Jon, Darren Rowse, and company inspire me. 🙂
You’re going to do great, Paul. Looking forward to seeing your site go live!
Hope you have a great weekend.
-Kevin
Thanks Kevin – those guys really inspire me too.
So many bloggers out there doing such incredible things, it can be daunting.
I hope to be able to live up to the benchmarks these guys and yourself set.
Paul
Hey Paul,
I’m sure you’ll do great! You’re certainly learning a lot from Glen, Shane and the team. 🙂
-Kevin
Excellent list.
I’m at about 12 of 20 so far. All I need is backlink and on interview from you and I’ll be ready to take over the world with Pinky and The Brain. 🙂
Hey Sam,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed my bucket list.
Twelve of twenty isn’t bad at all. That’s definitely an interesting area… right on the cusp of greatness! You’ll get it, I’m sure. 🙂
Haha. So all that’s keeping you from Pinky And The Brain status is a link and interview from me, huh? Nice. 🙂
Which completed milestone was your most satisfying? Is there one you’re dreading? (I’m just curious!)
Really do appreciate you taking the time to read and comment, Paul. Hope you’re having a great evening!
-Kevin
P.S. Clearly I’ve replied to too many comments today, because while I correctly referred to you as “Sam” at the beginning of my comment I followed it up with a “Paul” at the end.
Your middle name wouldn’t happen to be Paul would it? Because that would be freaky. 🙂
It’s amazing the level of detail you’ve committed to answering these posts. To be honest I have struggled with focusing my message and finding a theme behind what I have to offer others. Since starting 2 years ago I’ve shifted focus’s a couple of times trying to figure out what want to be when I grow up. I’ve written about Strategy, Success, Writing, Content Marketing Creativity, Strategic Planning, Personal Development and Career Development. I’ve created three sites to try and establish some focus:
– Content Marketing and Strategy (Content Site)
– Creativity and Writing (Blog)
– Career Advice and Resume Writing. (Bog)
I feel like I’m spreading myself a little thin.
My weakness and biggest fear in reaching out and networking. It is what I have to over come to make it to the next level
Hi Sam,
I appreciate you noticing!
It often takes me a week (sometimes longer due to my schedule) to respond, but I try to respond to all comments left on my blog (and respond in detail, as you see I’m doing here). In fact, it feels odd neglecting all the comments on my blog. So many people waiting to hear back from me these past few days!
With this BBT post, I wanted to respond as promptly as absolutely possible. I look at it this way: This (writing for a BBT) is a blessing. You shouldn’t take blessings lightly. This post might be the ONLY contact any of these readers have with me. So, I wanted to make the best of it. I wanted to respond to each and every one, in detail, and I wanted to let them know I responded (that’s why I’ve been sending out all those Tweets to commenters).
Is it overkill? Maybe. But blessings like this one don’t come around very often. It’s best to make the most of them! 🙂
Wow, so you have three different sites, Sam? And it’s just you writing for each of them? No wonder you feel like you’re spreading yourself thin. It’s hard work, right?
Why are you fearful of networking? It’s not so bad. See what we’re doing here? You leaving me a comment? Me responding? We’re networking. Not so hard, right?
“Networking” feels so big, but just like “world domination” you need to break them down into smaller pieces. Start small. Leave a few friendly comments on blogs you like. Follow some like-minded bloggers on Twitter and share their stuff from time to time.
As you feel more comfortable, you could do a little more of it. 🙂
It appears I’ve written a book…
Thanks again for reading and commenting, Sam. I truly appreciate it. Hope you have a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Congrats and Epic post man.
You surely over delivered with this one and it was well worth it. I could not agree more with your milestones. I will keep ticking away until I have to create that 21st milestone!
It’s all about persistence. We never know when our time will come.
Well maybe you do by getting invited to this Powerhouse of a blog 🙂
You continue to create awesome content and I look forward to whats next!
Take care Kevin!
Hey Steven,
Thanks! Appreciate you coming by and commenting!
I’m not sure it’s possible to over deliver — especially when writing for a site like Boost Blog Traffic. Although, I AM surprised they allowed me to have such a long post.
Their guidelines suggest 2k to 3k.
This bad boy?
Approximately 4,700 words. (No wonder I’m so tired!)
Appreciate the kind words, Steven. Keep ticking away and you’ll get there, buddy!
Hope you’re having an awesome Friday.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Sensational post. It’s going to take me to some interesting places by exploring all of the added links to the articles you’ve suggested. Fantastic.
Might I suggest another item in your list ?
Item 5 and a half – believe in yourself.
At this stage you’ve made an excellent start – you’ve got a few backlinks, you’ve got a couple of subscribers, you’ve got some regular readers that aren’t related to you (aside – why is it that only the mother of the blogger who reads their blogs… why don’t their fathers or brothers or cousins read them ?), you’re in contact with other bloggers.
You might have even made a few sales: no where near enough to live on, but enough to pay for the hosting next month or to buy a chocolate bar.
However, the going is tough. Your significant other, your best friend, your other half, your friends, your family, your colleagues are questioning the time you are spending and the effort you are making.
But you can smell the World Domination. You can taste the sharks, you can see their laser beams. You know deep down you are on the right track and it’s only a matter of time.
Keep eating the elephant. Buy the chocolate bar. Take the next step in your journey. Practice your maniacal laugh. Buy a white fluffy cat to stroke and pat. Imagine life with hundreds of yellow minions wearing goggles.
This is the time to keep going, keep doing what you are doing, keep learning, don’t give up, stay calm, take a deep breath and keep coming back to this epic and World Dominating post here on BBT by special guest poster Kevin Duncan.
Thanks,
Matthew.
Hey Matthew,
Sensational post? How about a sensational COMMENT! Your great comment could have been a mini blog post on its own. And that, to me, is the sign of a truly great comment. 🙂
Believing in yourself is incredibly important. How does the expression go… If you don’t believe in yourself, who will?
It’s important because you face a LOT of adversity in your blogging journey. Sometimes you hit a plateau you can’t seem to break through. Sometimes, life happens. Sometimes you endure tragedy.
Unless you have a stubborn streak a mile long, the only way you’re going to overcome such adversity is if you believe you can get through to the other side. Not just think you can do it — KNOW you can do it.
You’re too kind, Matthew. Thank you! (Love your “buy a white fluffy cat to stroke and pat,” by the way.) If you blog the same way you comment, you must be one heck of a blogger!
Appreciate the kind words. Hope you’re having a great week!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Congrats on your accomplishment! Wow, landing a guest post here, and what a post at that!!! Loving it dude….eBook….eBook…eBook….how much you charging at the gate, on the cyber way out? 😉
As for number 8, I receive negative comments here and there. No worries! Laugh them off, and hey, if you really want to flip folks out, agree with them. Steam coming out of head and yep, you’ll learn to not take yourself so seriously.
I also, on occasion, receive emails from kind bloggers who let me know that links to my blog have been removed by certain authority blogs as a creative call. This doesn’t happen too much…only when Kevin Duncan publishes a guest on Boost Blog….oh no badabing! I’ll be here all week folks 🙂 Seriously, I love BBT and this one ties into #8. There are matches, and non-matches, and there are bloggers who take themselves seriously, then there are bloggers who have fun with lower energy concepts as “rejection”, “contrast”, etc.
When you let go non matches – who may be non matches for 1 of 10 million reasons – you receive matches. I got Richard Branson’s business coach’s endorsement, and even if I pulled the cyber wool over his eyes to do it :), hey, he was a vibrational match, all because I let go non matches and didn’t sweat all forms of contrast/feedback/preference. (code words for, sorry, not a match)
I feel honored just to comment here BBT. But I had to have fun with it, softball in front of my face, ready to be slapped outside of the park lol!
Kevin, what else can I say. That I’m commenting above the century mark in such a short time since publishing 2 PM here in Bali which means 1 AM EST back in the States, is a testament to your creativity, to your persistence, and to your Rainman like comment activity. Comment Received. Comment Responded. Again and again. You make me scratch my head.
BBT, thanks for the wonderful guest bloggers you share with us, the blogging known how/insight you spread, and thanks for your community.
Thanks KD!
Ryan
Hey Ryan,
Thank you! Yes, writing an eBook is definitely on my to-do list for 2015. Right or wrong, I’ve been focused on building my list and following. Of course, if I could churn out 10 eBooks in one year like a friend I know, I could have multi-tasked! 😉
You know, I’m amazed we zoomed past the 100-comment mark before the post was even a day old. That was my “shoot for the moon” goal I told my wife before it was published. I didn’t think it would reach it. I’ve never been more happy to be wrong!
Haha. I’ve never been referred to as Rainman before. I guess I was in the zone responding to comments yesterday!
You’re welcome, Ryan. And, once again, I’m sorry the aforementioned link couldn’t make it into the final cut. At 4,700 words, I’m amazed we didn’t have to cut more!
Hope you’re having an awesome day in Bali, Ryan. Have a good one, buddy!
-Kevin
I got your email about this post. Wow Kevin. I really wish I could write like you LOL.
I’ve yet to hit a LOT of those as a blogger and I had to copy them one by one haha. You know what would be great? A list of them all in one file so people can add their own and check them off! 😀
Great to see you here on Jon’s site. I envy you! That’s one thing I’d LOVE to cross off my bucket list soon.
Have a great weekend guys!
Hi Dennis,
Thanks for coming over! You’re too kind, Dennis. I’m nothing special!
Well… as you now know, my latest post at Be A Better Blogger has just such a list available for download! Get the checklist here:
http://beabetterblogger.com/boost-blog-traffic/
I’m thrilled to be here. I’m so thankful to Jon and Glen Long for inviting me write this post and share my words with their audience. It’s been so much fun! I hope to get the chance to do it again. 🙂
Appreciate you supporting me and commenting, Dennis. You have a great weekend, okay?
-Kevin
Hi Kevin
By writing this post you did a job equal to achieving all these 20 milestones. This achievement if not more but I can say for sure is exactly equal to getting 10K subscribers or 100k monthly visitors.
Not because you are featured as guest author at no doubt one of the top blogs of the world (in my personal opinion it is the top blog of the world) but more than that you mentioned all the milestones that come in a blogging journey so creatively and put drama, suspense, climax and sense of attachment in it.
I read this post freeing from all the little ass-aching chores in complete silence and felt while reading it as if I am travelling on a highway and watching each milestone after a few miles drive. The only difference is the sound of vehicle which I had to forcibly listen while visualizing the journey.
Thanks a lot for this wonderful post that is one of your biggest milestone at least.
Hey Mi Muba,
Great to see you over here. Thanks for supporting me and leaving your great comment!
You know… no hyperbole here whatsoever, but I would have to agree with you. If I could have written a guest post for any ONE blog in my niche, BBT would be it.
Plus, writing this post was a challenge — and I like challenges! It’s fun to push yourself. (The diminished sleep was no fun, but it can’t all be candy and rainbows, right?) 😉
I’m glad you had such a visceral experience reading the post, Mi Muba! That’s awesome to hear.
Thanks again for visiting and commenting (and sharing). Hope you have a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
What an awesome post, and one with lots of practical tips. It’s blogging 101 is a nutshell.
Hey Bryan,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Actually, I’d say it’s Blogging 101 and 102. Not that I’m biased or anything! Haha. 😉
Appreciate you reading and commenting, Bryan. Hope you have a great weekend!
-Kevin
This is the technology of internet, we have to live with it. Thank you for this very informative post!
Hi Jason,
Glad you liked it. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
-Kevin
What a great article! I could literally go down the list and say, check, check, check, nope, nope, nope… I especially love the links to the authoritative posts in each area. Very good content curation!
Hey Kenny,
Why thank you very much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
What’s fun is when you’re able to say “check” more often than “nope!” Of course, those last several are doozies. They take awhile! 🙂
Really appreciate the kind words, Kenny. Hope you’re having an awesome Friday!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Awesome guest post my friend! As always you’re writing rocks! and thank you SO much for the inclusion. You’re a perfect example of giving freely, as our good friend Ryan teaches. I know you’ll reap what you sow.
You’re spot on with the advice you give Kevin. Breaking our bigger goals down into manageable, micro goals really helps because they become much more achievable, and we don’t feel intimidated or overwhelmed by them either.
As my auntie Lynn always says – every penny makes a pound. Well, in the online world, every baby step we take towards our goal, is a step closer to where we want to be.
Keep up the good work Kevin, and have a lovely weekend. 🙂
Hey Kerry,
THANK YOU! I’m so glad you liked it. And thank you so much for coming over and reading it.
Awwww. You’re too kind. You’re very welcome for the inclusion, though! That shiny new blog of yours deserved an awesome backlink. 🙂
Your Auntie Lynn is very wise. Every day, every week… make small steps towards your goals. Then, when a few months have gone by, you can be amazed by the progress you’ve made.
Thank you, Kerry! Hope you have a great weekend, too!
-Kevin
Well, Kevin, I can only offer you my sincere thanks so thank you!
I’ve yet to reach the start line but I am grateful for your step by step guide to help me get off my knees.
Hope you can take a moment to pat yourself on the back. Look forward to future posts.
Thank you.
Hi Zarayna,
Your thanks is plenty to offer. Thank you! 🙂
When you are ready to take that first step, I’m sure you will do great! Boost Blog Traffic is filled with great tips to help you. And feel free to come by my blog, too. I’ll help however I can.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Zarayna. Hope you have a great weekend!
-Kevin
I’m better off than I thought I was, only 7 check points left to go. Thanks for this list, it inspired me to make my own custom check list to post on my wall, some of which are the 7 that I am missing, and some are my own views of success. Feels great to be able to check off a bunch!
Hi Sam,
Congratulations on being farther along than you realized! (That’s a fun realization, huh?)
Yes, great idea to add new milestones and create your own, customized bucket list. Everyone’s dreams and goals are different, so why should our milestones be the same? 🙂
Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Sam. I really do appreciate.
Hope you have an AWESOME Saturday.
-Kevin
Kevin, I have really been wanting to move the needle with subscribers and think pop-ups most be the way, working on a redesign for 2015 so that will now be part of it. Thanks for these great tips and inspiration to move the needle forward.
Have a great weekend.
Hey Lisa,
Great to see you here! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
Yeah, pop-ups really are a strange case. They work, but people dislike them. However, it appears most people don’t ACTUALLY dislike them as much as they SAY they dislike them. Haha.
If you’re considering adding them, check out this post from Noah Kagan on AWeber’s blog. It should be helpful:
https://blog.aweber.com/email-marketing/7-data-based-list-building-tips-from-sumome.htm
Really appreciate your support, Lisa. Thank you for commenting! Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.
-Kevin
Thanks Kevin for giving me a place to learn more on this one. That is so ironic that people don’t like them but apparently they do use them. So far so good on the weekend!
Hey Lisa,
You’re very welcome. Noah’s info (the post was actually written by Hunter Boyle) is one of the links included in the post, but rather than try to navigate through the hundred or so links we have here I felt it best just to paste it into a comment. 🙂
I know, isn’t it weird? Pop-ups shown monthly did about the same as pop-ups displayed every minute. Which means even if people were super annoyed with them, they still subscribed! (I can’t say I would react the same way if a site gave me a pop-up every minute.)
For Be A Better Blogger, my pop-up appears every 30 days. Judging by Noah’s data, 30 days was the best compromise between “getting emails” and “not ticking off your readers.” 🙂
Glad your weekend is going well so far!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin, great post. Really stunning it will become my bible.
Anyway I noted that in Webmaster Tools by google under the list of sites that link to my site there are also nofollow links such as the one in comments and so on.
Are them worthy too?
I will appreciate your answer.
Rox
Hey Roxblog,
Thank you! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
Nofollow links get a bad wrap (and obviously aren’t as valuable as their dofollow brethren), but they absolutely have worth!
They build awareness, which can lead to sales/subscribers and even more links. In short, each link is an opportunity.
If you leave a great comment at a popular site, the nofollow link to your blog *still takes people to your blog* the way a dofollow link would.
And readers who are intrigued by your comment may click on your link to check out your site. Your blog now has a new visitor — all thanks to that nofollow link. If they like what they see (and you’ve prominently displayed your opt-in form), that visitor might just subscribe to your list. They might just share your blog with their friends, and they must might buy something from you one day.
The same is true if someone uses a nofollow link inside a blog post. Would it be nicer to have a dofollow link to your blog? Sure. But a nofollow link is better than no link at all, right? 🙂
Does that answer your question, Rox? I hope so.
Appreciate your comment, by the way! Hope you’re having an excellent weekend. 🙂
-Kevin
Thank you Kevin for your answer. I know that a nofollow link is better than no link at all. But I was just observing that Google Webmaster tool lists between the links to your site also the nofollow links.
For example the link I put in this comment is listed between the links to my site even if nofollow. Does this mean that it contributes to improve my site rank?
I wish you an excellent weekend too.
Rox
Hi Rox,
You’re very welcome, and sorry for not completely understanding your question. I’m still not QUITE sure if I’m understanding all of it, but is what you want to know whether or not nofollow links improve your PageRank / Site Rank?
If so…
It’s an often-debated topic (some say nofollow links do not pass any “link juice,” others say it passes a little). An expert I trust, Brian Dean of Backlinko, has said this about it:
“Nofollow links still pass some juice.”
Quote can be found here: http://backlinko.com/17-untapped-backlink-sources#comment-61
That’s good enough for me. Google may change things one day, but for now, nofollow links pass a little bit of link juice and, therefore, do help your PageRank a little bit.
And if what I’m saying is wrong, blame Brian Dean! 😀
Hope you have a great rest of your weekend, Rox.
-Kevin
Guys I was doing lots of SEO in a past life (up until 2012) and I confirm, just as Kevin said (my expert now is also Brian!), nofollow links will pass a tiny amount of link juice versus dofollow ones. Lots and lots of nofollow links can equal one single good dofollow. I comment on blogs to interact/connect and sometimes to get traffic (it works well in your niche if you help people in your comments), not for the link juice, but it does pass some. Anne
Hi again Anne,
Thanks for jumping in (and backing up Brian’s quote)!
I definitely agree with you about being helpful in your comments. This is good practice in general, but especially if it’s on a blog in your niche. After all, the people you’re helping are potential readers and subscribers. 🙂
Thanks again, Anne.
-Kevin
Hi Kevin,
great post! I really like your step-by-step approach, first 100 visitors a day, first 1000 subscribers, etc. Most people out there tell us to make videos, interviews, FB ads, etc. regardless of where we are with our blog or our business right now. And we end up losing time and losing hope.
Since I’ve been applying Jon’s advice as well as following this blog, I am much more strategic.
Thanks for this post!
Anne
Hi Anne,
Why thank you very much! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
I know what you mean. Compare it to someone who needs to lose weight. They shouldn’t have the same diet and workout routine as an Olympic athlete, right? They are at different levels of fitness. (Are you impressed by the fact I checked out your blog and know you write about healthy eating? Haha.)
But in blogging, it’s often suggested every blogger should be doing the exact same things — when in reality a newbie who hasn’t yet figured out how to make text italicized isn’t ready to start a podcast or pay for advertising (or whatever).
A strategic “baby steps” approach is much better. (Though I do believe the sooner a blogger begins building their email list, the far better off they will be!)
So are you a student of Jon’s then? He certainly knows his stuff. Bet you’re learning a lot!
Thank you for commenting, Anne! Hope you have a great rest of your weekend. 🙂
-Kevin
Thanks Kevin! Yes I am impressed 🙂 , sure!
Yes I’m a student of Jon and since I have started to do guest posting (in September) my organic traffic has doubled.
So I have Jon (and his wonderful team), I have a supportive husband :), and now I have you! Gonna rock 2015!
Anne
Hi Anne,
Haha. Glad you were impressed.
Wow. Doubled your organic traffic since September? That’s awesome. And it’s a testament to how effective guest post can be if you dedicate yourself to it.
It helps to have a supportive spouse, huh? My wife rules. 🙂
Glad to have you as a new subscriber! That’s awesome, Anne. Hope I’m able to play a small role in your rocking 2015!
-Kevin
I really liked this post, glad I heard about your site! I’m currently working on 14-20, the rest have been achieved. Although i’m lucky to get 100 page views much less 100 visitors in a day. Hopefully that changes soon! 🙂
Hi Clay,
Thanks! I’m glad you liked it, and very glad you discovered my site because of it. 🙂
Congrats on being through the first 13 milestones! Yeah, “hitting 100 visitors in a day” isn’t so hard, it’s the “CONSISTENTLY hitting 100 visitors” that’s tough early on. You’ll get there, I’m sure! (I mentioned it a lot in this post, but for good reason: Guest blogging rocks for this sort of thing.)
Really appreciate you stopping by and taking the time to comment, Clay. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hi Kevin.
Wow! What a read! I’ve bookmarked this already.
Somehow, I have achieved several of these milestones already, and I’ve barely got out of second gear. That’s so pleasing to me, as I have immediate plans to really step up my game.
I started an email list just a couple of weeks ago (on your advice), and a few have trickled in.
Engaging with several top bloggers has been a joy and very educational. But I recognise that I still have a long way to go.
I’m looking forward to reading the plethora of articles that you’ve linked to here.
Thanks.
Nathan.
Hi Nathan,
Good to see you here! Thanks for stopping by and commenting. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it (and it deemed it worthy of bookmarking). That’s music to my ears!
Congrats on achieving several of these milestones already. Imagine what will happen once you get serious!
Awesome. Glad to hear you started your email list. It may seem like it’s taking forever to grow sometimes, but use the techniques suggested in this post and elsewhere on Boost Blog Traffic (as well as Be A Better Blogger!) and you’ll start to see growth. Just keep at it. You’ll do great. 🙂
Hope the linked resources in the post help you (and others) a lot. It was a blast being able to share them with all of you.
Thanks again, Nathan. Hope you’re having a great Monday so far!
-Kevin
Wow Kevin, this is fantastic. You are a legend, you always offer sound advise and I plan to be ticking off these milestones soon!
No 1 should be ready to go in 2 weeks time!
Thanks, and keep up the great work!
Hi Megan,
It’s a good thing I do things like spill coffee on the sleeve of my shirt, because your “you are a legend” praise might give me a big head! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words. You are too, too kind!
Awesome! Be sure to let us know once you’ve checked off milestone #1, okay?
Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Hope your week is off to a great start!
-Kevin
What a fabulous post Kevin!
I’m super excited because I’m halfway to world domination *maniacal laugh*. Seriously though… I’m waiting for that viral post. I’ve had a few that I thought… will this be it?! Then the fire dies as quickly as it started up.
Pinning this Kevin. Really stellar work here.
Wishing you a lovely day and congratulations on putting out a top-notch post.
Hi Jennifer,
Thank you! It’s so nice of you to come on over and comment. I really appreciate it!
My one regret with this post is I didn’t find way to fit in “maniacal laugh” anywhere. (There’s a NewsRadio quote I love and use often: “He’s laughing…MANIACALLY!”) 🙂
Congrats on being halfway through your journey to world domination. That’s awesome. Yeah, the “viral” milestone is tricky. My “What Weird Al Yankovic can teach us about blogging” was given a thumb’s up 3,137 times on StumbleUpon, but my hunch is that had more to do with the topic than the content. I suppose I could keep writing about Weird Al, but the novelty would probably wear off in a few months. 😉
All that to say: Going viral is tricky for all of us!
Thank you for pinning, Jennifer. Appreciate it and the kind words!
Hope you’re having a wonderful Monday so far, Jennifer.
-Kevin
*Maniacal laugh* is one of my favourite sayings (because I can’t for the life of me, produce a maniacal laugh – so I say it)!
Than you kindly for your response. I’ll get working on my “Weird Al” post right away – thanks for the tip *wink*.
I can do a pretty mean maniacal laugh, if I do say so myself. Maybe I’ll actually rule the world someday so I can use it for real!
You’re welcome, Jennifer. Haha. Good luck on writing a post on Weird Al. I bet Taylor Swift would work, too. 🙂
-Kevin
Kevin,
Thank you for an outstanding post! You’ve really laid out a great system for aspiring bloggers. I have been reading endless blog articles about blogging — boostblogtraffic and your article in particular has some of the best info I’ve found.
I just started my blog two weeks ago, and I’ve got five subscribers. Let the world domination begin! Ha, ha! The first three were my girlfriend and her pals, but then something wonderful happened, a couple of folks signed up out of the blue. That made me feel good. I hope it continues, which I’m sure it will if I follow the path you’ve laid out for me.
Cheers,
Doc Goodwell
Hi Doc,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and it ranks high among the blog articles you’ve come across.
Congrats on starting your blog! Hey, five subscribers in two weeks (even if you know 3 of them) is nothing to sneeze at when you’re getting started. Sometimes those first few subscribers are the hardest. 🙂
Here’s hoping many more people subscribe out of the blue!
Thanks for commenting, Doc. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving!
-Kevin
Great post.
Makes the overall goal look clearer and more achievable!
Hello James,
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it. Glad I was able to make each goal clearer. 🙂
-Kevin
*another site. Great post all the same
Wow, Kevin. This is such a great post. I’m actually going to format all 20 into a checklist and keep it right next to my full-year 2015 calendar. That’ll be some solid motivation. Thanks!
Hi Mark,
Thanks, man! I’m glad you enjoyed it. 🙂
I actually created a PDF checklist for all 20 milestones! You can download it at the post on my blog I wrote to accompany this BBT guest post. Here’s the link:
http://beabetterblogger.com/boost-blog-traffic/
You’re welcomed to still create your own, of course. You’d be able to customize it however you see fit. Just wanted you to know I’ve already done the work for you if you haven’t created the checklist yet. 🙂
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Mark. Hope you’re having an awesome weekend.
-Kevin
An absolute epic Kevin. Hats off to you.
In fact, my hat FELL off as I got down on my knees to worship you.
Of course, I enjoyed the list and the content, but I must comment on the layout of your content. I enjoyed and appreciated it a lot. Perfect for a speed reader for me, with the right headings and subheadings in the right places.
I read a LOT of articles everyday, so this was just perfect.
Mega post, mega value, mega inspiring.
Personal note, I need 8 more milestones to achieve world domination. I’m going to be busy!
Hey Richard,
Thank you very much! Hope your hat didn’t get dirty. 😉
I’m glad you enjoyed the layout. It was one of the very first things I had to think about and get right before I started writing. Basically, I started with milestone #1 (which became #2 in the final version) and worked a couple different layouts. Once we found the one we liked, I wrote the rest. 🙂
Only 8 milestones to go? That’s awesome! You’ll be ruling the world before you know it.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Richard. Really appreciate it!
-Kevin
Wow, this post is so comprehensive. Its chock-full of good information.
I really like the format where you identify the milestone, how to reach it, and what to do next. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone organize the information in this way. Its brilliant!
I also like the perspective of reaching a”milestone” rather than achieving a goal. Too often a goal is something that is not achieved in the time allowed, and it results in a person feeling like a failure. A milestone is like setting a target. If you miss the bullseye, you just keep on shooting until you get it!
I am a relatively new blogger and haven’t reached most of your milestones. However, with the information in this blog, I can now set up some good targets. Thanks so much.
Hi Mary,
Thank you so much. I’m glad you found the post so comprehensive and useful!
I’m glad you liked the format! As I mentioned to Richard in a comment above, settling on this layout before beginning was key. I knew all the milestones would follow the same format, so I had to get it right. 🙂
Agreed, looking at your blogging journey as a series of milestones to achieve rather than goals to hit (or miss) is so much better.
You could have fooled me, Mary… I thought you had been blogging for a while. 🙂 Thank you for stopping by and leaving me your great comment. I really appreciate, and I hope your have a great weekend!
-Kevin
Hey Kevin,
Great Post 🙂 It’s really inspiring for a beginner like me.
PS: Can you believe it I wrote a post about Eating elephants one bite at a time? I am still working on my content and posts like yours go a long way in helping people like me do it in a focused way!
Cheers!
Hi Nikshep,
Thank you! I’m glad you found the post inspiring. Hopefully it was helpful, too.
You wrote a post about eating elephants? That must be pretty unique! What’s it called?
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Nikshep. Hope you have a great weekend!
I am another “someone” on the journey to world domination, who knows!!!
Loved your article and I must say that it is the best article I have read for a long time. I have got my first few email subscriber and I am more than 100 visitors a day at the moment – that’s about it for now. More details later :)) Thanks again for sharing an epic post with us.
Hi Ahmad,
Nice to meet another blogger on the journey to world domination! 🙂
The best article you’ve read in a long time? Why thank you very much! That’s very kind of you to say, Ahmad.
Congrats on getting those first few subscribers (those are often the hardest to acquire) and your first 100 daily visitors. Sounds like you’re well on your way!
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Ahmad. Hope you’re having a great day!
-Kevin
I love how you start simple and work your way up. You’ve provided a handy list for everyone, not just one segment of the bloggers. Thanks!
Hi Cas,
Thanks! I’m glad you enjoyed it, and found the layout helpful. 🙂
Yes, my goal was to write something that would appeal to a wide range of bloggers. Not sure I managed to satisfy those select few who are at or near “world domination” territory, but I tried!
Hope you have a great rest of your day, Cas. Thanks again!
-Kevin
Great post. I’ve nailed a few of these, but have much more work to do. I’ve had as few as 10 visitors in a day and as many as 500…my more authentic posts, like “Why Firing Blanks Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened to Me” where I talk about my infertility always do the best…BUT, I’m a coach/speaker who works with many different types of businesses. Trying to figure out how to identify the right audience online and get consistent traffic and more importantly engagement from my ‘who.’
Thanks again for the post. I will refer to it often!
Hi Tom,
Kudos on already nailing a few of these milestones! Don’t worry about having more work to do — you and me both, buddy. No matter how much success we have (or don’t have), there is more to do… more milestones to reach. I’m sure you’ll get the rest of them. 🙂
Appreciate your comment, Tom. Hope this reply of mine finds you doing well.
-Kevin
Kevin,
I am, quite frankly, blown away by this piece. You have shared a goldmine of information with the blogging community. Thank you. I am going to promote this post on every social media platform I use.
I am just over two months into blogging and have achieved some of the early milestones but the one I struggle with is email subscribers. Thanks for the nudge, I am going to make it my mission in life to build that list. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Hi Jenn,
Awww. Why thank you! Thank you very much. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed my post. Thank you so much for sharing it with your followers. I hope they learned from it, too.
Congrats on being two (now three) months into your blogging journey. Kudos on those milestones you’ve already reached, and best of luck on all the ones you WILL reach! Just keep working hard.
Thanks again, Jenn. Hope this comment finds you well.
-Kevin
I stumbled over your blog and I am impressed about the solid advise you give. There are too many blogs giving useless advise about blogging, but this is the real deal. Keep up the good work and I am looking foward to read more from you!
Hi Steve,
Comments were locked on this post before I had the chance to respond in 2014, but I’m back to make amends — 4+ years later. 🙂
I’m glad you enjoyed the post and found it so useful. What’s your blogging journey looked like since your comment?
Kevin – I just came across your blog for the first time and I am so happy to have found it. I love your writing style and all of your blogging tips. I’m almost half-way through this list – 1/2 way to world domination! Will definitely be subscribing to updates…
Hi Dee,
Comments were locked on this post before I had the chance to respond in 2015, but I’m back to make amends — 4+ years later. 🙂
Thank you for the kind comment you left me. How’s life/blogging been treating you??
Very informative and useful… Thanks for sharing… Following you now
Thank you, Tom!
Great list.
With it you actually described the whole path a blogger wants to walk. From first post to reaching world domination – where you’ve got a huge number of visitors, subscribers and shares, your posts go viral and you become one of the leaders in your niche.
It was such a pleasure for me to see that I’ve come up a long way since my first post. And have a much longer way to go. But that’s what makes the process such an adventure, and a challenge. It wouldn’t be as interesting and rewarding if there was a shortcut.
And if we think about it, only the ones who deserve it go to the dream level of blogging and see all the benefits the career and lifestyle has to offer.
It’s survival of the fittest and only those who’ve worked hard (and made writing a daily habit), stayed consistent and focused on their goals, have succeeded.
Thanks for writing this post. It sure did give me motivation to keep following my writing path 🙂
Hi Lidiya,
Comments were locked on this post before I had the chance to respond in 2015, but I’m back to make amends — 4+ years later. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post!
So, in 2015 you had come a long way in your journey but still had a ways to go. How have the last 4 years been for you? What milestone are you on today? 🙂
Hi Kevin, so many milestones. So little time. I’m glad to see I’ve achieved some of them, but not in order. I think that means I’m taking two steps forward and one step back. Or maybe it’s one step forward and two steps back? Either way, great post. Thanks for giving me a blogger’s bucket list to keep me on track.
Cheers, Mel
Hi Mel,
Good to see you here in the comments!
Haha. No worries — the order was out of wrack for me too. Everyone takes a different path, am I right? 🙂
Hi Kevin,
Thank you for such a holistic post . I have to move step by step now . As a new blogger, it is a humongous challenge to build a brand an name and it takes time. Here I can see a road map which I have to follow slowly but steadily. I was thinking I am in the middle of the ocean when I started blogging and now your post gave me confidence.
Cheers ,
Jamie
Hi Jamie,
You’re very welcome. I’m glad you enjoyed it! And VERY glad it gave you confidence. 🙂
Hey Kevin,
thanks for this great (& updated) post on blogging milestones. It’s a very handy roadmap to avoid getting derailed. Reminds me to keep on, keeping on.
I’ve almost reached milestone 10# Guest Posting. Figured I could get some pitches in while building those earlier milestones.
Congratulations on reaching milestone 20# – Earning Enough Money to Quit the Day Job. Now Blog Editor at Smart Blogger!
Happy days.
All the best. . . Michael
Hi Michael,
You’re welcome! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
A few readers emailed to tell me they printed a copy of the milestones so they could have them for daily inspiration. It’s nice knowing the list helps people stay on track. 🙂
So you’re up to #10? That’s awesome. The good news is there’s no “right” order for most of these milestones. Hit them however it makes sense for you! “Guest blogging” was one of my very first milestones, come to think of it. 😉
Appreciate it! Yes, I’m very excited. Loving the job. Never dreamed I would one day be the editor for my favorite blog. It’s very surreal. 🙂
Am very grateful to you for your tips and am Appreciate it.
Absolutely magnificent and informative. Thank you so very much for your generous heart and teaching spirit.
Good article for blogging beginner! Thanks!
Hey Kevin!
I know it has been a while since you wrote this, but these sorts of posts are so helpful for us upcoming bloggers!
What a great article! I could literally go down the list and say, check, check, check, nope, nope, nope… I especially love the links to the authoritative posts in each area.
Great post! I’ve hit numbers 1-5 and 8 so far. So many more to look forward to!
How did you include the link for embedding the graphic on another website? Is there a plugin for that?
Hi Kevin!
6 months into blogging and loving it (having never even heard of blogging 12 months ago!), and I sort of expected to be somewhere close to World Domination by now. So you can guess I’m feeling a little frustrated that my only subscribers are friends and family.
HOWEVER!
My (small amount of) subscribers aren’t my closest friends and family, or the ones I expected, so that’s making me feel like I’m achieving something! (Albeit not world domination).
I found you, and this post, by searching ‘how to connect with other bloggers’ – and I got myself a winner by landing on your gem of an article and meeting you (hello!). Your list goes waaaay beyond what I was looking for, I didn’t even know I needed to know this stuff.
But I do! Your milestones are just what I need to give me direction. And they also give me confidence that what I’ve been thinking I NEED to do, IS what I need to do!
Thank you 🙂
I might not be close to World Domination (yet! Watch my smoke!!), I might be still too afraid to share my blog dreams with my nearest and dearest, but I know where I am on the “The List” —- and I’m off to tackle that right now.
See you in Paradise Kevin!
Helena
thanks for this great post on blogging milestones. It’s a very handy roadmap to avoid getting derailed.
Thank YOU for this!! Lots of useful information that I’ve taken away.