Q3 Blog Update, Genius Bloggers Toolkit & Why I Chose Elite Blog Academy
I haven’t done one of these in a while so I thought it was time to do another blog update and keep you all posted on my progress. Since you know how big I am on goal setting I think it’s only fair to keep everyone up to speed on what I’ve been working on. I’m definitely not where I want to be, but I’ve seen a ton of progress on my blog since I started. I’ve also realized some big changes since I started Elite Blog Academy in March. If you’re interested in blogging or learning what I’m doing behind the scenes at TML, keep reading! If not – I’ll catch you with more parenting tips and products next week.
This post probably contains affiliate links. That means if you buy something using one of my links I may receive a small commission – at no additional cost to you! How cool is that? It’s kind of boring, but feel free to read my full disclosure if you want more info.
Tools I’ve Used to Grow
If you’ve been reading any of my posts you know that I’m about efficiency. I don’t believe in reinventing the wheel, which is why I’m surprised it took me so long to start taking courses. This is probably because when I started reading about blogging in the summer of 2017 I saw all these posts about making six figures with no investment. I now realize that’s complete crap and have really enjoyed most of the courses I’ve taken. Each one provided a new nugget of information that’s accelerated my learning curve. So far I’ve been super impressed with both the Genius Bloggers Toolkit and Elite Blog Academy (EBA) which I’m still working my way through. I’ll explain a little more about why I like both courses I’ve purchased below.
Genius Bloggers Toolkit
I bought the GBTK when it opened last October and it was a GREAT first purchase for learning. It’s on sale again this week only, so if you’re interested in starting a blog this is one you won’t want to miss. First things first. I found out about it from an email list I was on for one of the bigger bloggers I follow. She touted $5k of products for only $97 and it felt too good to pass up.
I’d seen a bunch of other specialty courses running for $200+ so I was sure it was going to be a steal. And it was, it’s just a ton of information. I wasn’t able to run through very many of the courses before starting and turning my focus to EBA. However, even just going through a few of the resources I definitely got my $97 worth – even without hitting every module.
The best thing about the toolkit is that it has something for everyone, and you don’t need to go through everything to get value. There are a lot of beginner resources that wouldn’t be helpful for newbies, and things like tax information and product creation that wouldn’t be super relevant for bloggers just starting out. And you get it all. Most of the resources inside run for $50-$200 by themselves, so the bundle really is a steal.
Who is it for?
If you’re motivated and want to grab a little smattering of everything, GBTK is probably for you. It is VERY different than Elite Blog Academy, which I’m also loving. GBTK is for people who want to try out different courses and teaching styles, in a variety of subjects. EBA is a step by step guide to building your own business. More on why it’s so great below!
If you’re interested in the GBTK 2018, you need to grab it by MONDAY! That’s in three days y’all. Don’t wait if you want to get this one. If you’re interested in learning more, here’s the link!
Elite Blog Academy (EBA)
I really can’t say enough good things about Elite Blog Academy, and I’m NOT one of the people who can say “it paid for itself in two months.” This doesn’t mean I’m failing or giving up but I’m still working to grow my audience and begin monetization. This course is for anyone who wants to start an online business and needs a step by step guide on what to do. I’ve loved how the assignments are broken down into manageable pieces. Some are longer and some are shorter so you can still make progress even if you get stuck for a little while in one spot.
If you’re looking for a true step by step guide and want to go deep with your online business, EBA is a great option. It isn’t for anyone who doesn’t want to put in the time (or truly doesn’t have consistent time available) as you won’t make it through the course. It also doesn’t have any technical help. If you’re looking for technical help with the nuts and bolts behind your site, this isn’t the course for you.
I don’t really blog about blogging, but I have found value from both of the options above. If you’re interested and have any questions about either the bundle or EBA, feel free to send me an email!
Blog Stats & Income Update
And down to the nitty gritty of how this has played out. Right now I’m still running (very) negative on the blog investment, so I don’t have an “income” report to share. While I’m not planning on quitting anytime soon, I’d sure love for it to be a little more self-sustaining in the near future 🙂
Pageviews
Since I haven’t written one of these in so long, I’ll let you know that I haven’t achieved that fantastic consistent growth I’m looking for. I’ve had a few spikes due to some pins gaining traction, but it hasn’t been sustained. That said, my stats are increasing in general, and my page views have certainly increased from a year ago. It’s not really a fair comparison, but here’s a snapshot of what Q3 2018 looks like, contrasted with Q3 2017, just after launch.
Q3 2018
Q3 2017
Expenses
Most of my expenses have come from EBA itself, and the investments needed as I’ve moved through the course. The two major expenses were the course and blog redesign, which I felt was justified because I REALLY didn’t want to try and figure out the logo and design work myself.
I’ll caveat that my September was a bit of a step back as the web redesign had a few hiccups and my bounce rate went through the roof. I wasn’t promoting as actively as I would have liked and I lost some momentum with gaining subscribers. That said, I am getting going again mid-October. Hopefully, I’ll have some great stats to share by the next update.
What’s next?
Well, I clearly haven’t hit any profitability or income goals just yet, but I am seeing growth and beginning to monetize. Over the rest of the year, my goal is to focus on growing my audience and social media so that I can focus on product creation in 2019. I have big dreams and goals for myself and my family – and I don’t give up easily – so stay tuned for our next update!
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Hello. I loved your articule. So sincera, só humble. Thanks you. Wish you the neste of success. You have done so much… I too got elite blog academy, some years ago, and albeit os a great course (the best out there on the topic) I got SIDE tracked because of my lack of technical skills. Só well done!
Maya I give you just a feedback as a reader who reeds from a smartphone?
Your pop-up on your mais page does not go away and it takes 1/3 of the screen mobile.
I can’t find your name easily.
And I got too ads right at the start of this post, which was a bit distracting… Do you really get that Many views that make them monetizable/worth it?
Keep on the good job. Will keep on visitienha you ?
Hi Sonia,
Thank you SO much for the feedback. I really appreciate it 🙂 It’s so sweet of you to take the time to help me improve. I removed the following pop up. I didn’t realize it wasn’t easy to click out of so hopefully that’s gone. I’m still working on ad optimization so I’ll take your feedback on placement into account as well. I am currently allowing google to choose placement because my sidebar ads weren’t doing well, but if they’re distracting from the experience too much I may just take them down. I really appreciate it, and if you start back on the blog, good luck! It’s definitely a long journey.