Most bloggers publish content week after week, post a lot on social media, maybe send a few emails, and then wonder at the end of the year … am I getting anywhere?
You don’t have to be like most bloggers. The year is coming to an end. Do you know how well your platform performed this year?
Thinking back to my first two years of blogging online, I was clueless (though ironically I had no idea that was true).
I was having fun blogging, but treating it like a fun hobby. I explored a ton of different ways to promote content, create content, and build an audience. But to be honest? Most of the time I was flying blind.
Don’t be like most bloggers (they’re flying blind). Do you know how well your blog did this year?
Someone told me I should install Google Analytics on my website, so I did—but I didn’t have a clue what any of that data meant, or which numbers mattered at all!
If anyone asked me how my platform was doing, I panicked. What was I supposed to say?
It’s going great, I think … What does “pageview” or “session” mean?
Eventually, I bit the bullet and went straight to the source—taking courses from Google to understand what was going on on my website.
Try Platform University!
Want to give Platform University (your one-stop shop for building an online audience) a spin? Get your first week of Platform University for just $1. Cancel anytime.
Try Platform University for Just $1Now, I realize that 90% of the information in Google Analytics is too much detail when you’re just starting out (after all, the platform is built for everything from a mobile app, local business website, to a popular blog).
If you’re ready to understand your own blogging data, click here to use our FREE template and then follow these three steps:
- Analyze –Look at your data by month, quarter, or year. Where did your traffic come from? What content was popular on your website? What types of content led to conversions (if you’ve got conversion-tracking set up).
- Hypothesize – Once you’ve got that data, review it. Are you satisfied with your results? How are you doing compared to the year before? What type of success would you like to see next year? What changes could you make to your website or marketing strategy to help you achieve those results?
- Optimize – Once you’ve clarified a strategy (in the hypothesize stage) it’s time to execute. Set benchmarks for what success looks like with each of these hypotheses and then measure your progress throughout the year.
If you’re a Platform University member, there’s a bonus step four: share your results with our community (we’re all geared up for a killer 2018).
Not a Platform University member just yet? Now’s the perfect time to apply to join our membership site.
Before you set goals for next year, take some time to figure out how well you’ve been doing so far. This template for a blog audit should help—copy it, and use it all you want.
