10 Must-Do Tasks in Your First Month of Blogging

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Let me guess: you’re in your first month of blogging and already feel overwhelmed…correct? You feel like there are endless tweaks you could make to your blog and just so much information out there. So you’re doubting yourself and thinking: “Am I gonna make it? Am I gonna succeed in this over-crowded blogging world?”

Blogging can feel daunting and overwhelming but, with the right guidance, you’ll get a good grasp of it. That’s what I’m here for: to make your blogging journey easier and sweeter, day after day!

In this blog post, I want to share the 10 tasks you MUST do in your first month of blogging. We’re covering some basics and then taking it a step further. My goal? Making sure that you set yourself up for success, by making blogging look a little less “scarier” than it sounds.

Are you ready to discover the 10 things you MUST do as a new blogger in your first month of blogging? Then, let’s get started!

DISCLAIMER: I may receive a small commission – which is not going to affect your final price – on the products mentioned. I am only promoting products that I consider valuable and beneficial. If you decide to make any purchase, well…thank you for buying me a cup of coffee! xx

1. PROMOTE YOUR BLOG

Let’s start with the basics: promoting your blog!

Surprisingly, this is also one of the tasks that new bloggers forget about. The tendency is to put in a lot of work prior to the launch of the blog, only to slow down once it’s up and running.

I don’t want to sound mean, but it’s fundamental that you realise this: the world isn’t impatiently waiting for your blog launch! Actually, nobody cares (maybe except for your family and friends).

If you’ve just started your blog and are expecting to see your traffic skyrocket, I’m sorry to break it to you but it’s not going to happen.

You could have the best blog ever but, if no one knows about it, nobody is going to benefit from it!

Therefore, the first thing you must do in your first month of blogging is to massively promote your blog!

Of course, you will have to share your blog with the world throughout your whole blogging journey. But, it’s fundamental to put some extra work in especially in the beginning, when you’re trying to establish your brand.

Later on, if you’ve done a good job at creating a name for yourself and your blog, you will benefit from the earned promotion (other bloggers referring to your blog, readers discussing your blog posts, etc).

When this happens, if you have other more important things to focus on, you can step back from this massive promotion.

In your first month, though, promoting your blog should be your main focus.

Remember that nobody can benefit from your blog if nobody knows it’s out there!

2. JOIN FB GROUPS

The point above was all about massively promoting your blog. Want to know what’s one of the best ways to do it as a beginner blogger?

Two words: Facebook Groups.

Yes, you’ve got that right! Facebook groups are one of the best ways to grow your traffic as a new blogger.

Facebook groups are usually created by “seasoned” bloggers with a larger audience. The good thing is that they are crowded by newbies that – just like you – are trying to share their blogs with the world!

Here are some of the “Best Facebook Groups for Bloggers” that you MUST join (if you aren’t already a member):

• The Blog It Better Society by Margaret Bourne
• Blogging for New Bloggers with Lucrezia and Marina
• The Helpful Blog & Business Group
• Becoming a Blogger with Cate Rosales

If you have any other FB Group you absolutely love, please feel free to share it with the community through the comment section below!

Who knows, Facebook Groups might help you so much in growing your traffic that you might even decide to create your own! (In that case, let me know because I definitely want to join it!)

3. BLOGGING SCHEDULE

Sticking with some basic tasks, the third thing you must do in your first month of blogging is to create a blogging schedule.

Most bloggers fail at sticking with blogging because they fail at being consistent with it. What does keep you consistent? A schedule.

Not having a schedule is one of the worst things you could do as a beginner blogger, and I’ll tell you why. Without a blogging schedule:

• Every task will seem more complicated and overwhelming than it is
• You will feel like you’re juggling million of things without making any progress
• The confusion and unclarity will lead to procrastination
• Eventually, you will give up on blogging

Well, I’m not here to reassure you by telling you that blogging is easy-peasy (like many other bloggers claim).

I’m here to tell you that blogging requires lots of effort, but that you can make it easier by creating a successful blogging schedule.

If you want to know more about the weekly tasks you should do as a new blogger, then you should check this post: “Easy Blogging Schedule for New Bloggers”.

Oh, and if you don’t have a planner yet that helps you to stay on top of everything, I can’t recommend you enough my FREE Weekly Planners! (Ps. You can choose either the B&W version or the colorful one – or both, if you’re running multiple businesses and have a hectic schedule):

PRE-LAUNCH BLOGGING PLAN

If I can recall another time when I felt more confused by blogging than during the first month as a new blogger, it would be prior to its launch. (Daydreaming that one day I would be a successful blogger too…)

If you haven’t launched your blog yet but are planning to launch it soon, then there is another way in which I can help you.

If you’re in that phase of “I wish I had a blog, but I don’t know where to start because there is so much information out there”…do not panic!

Prior to re-launching my blog, I needed some plan that would have helped me with my vision, goals, and schedule. That’s why I created a blogging plan – that I’m offering you now for FREE!

So, if you want to launch a blog but don’t know where to start, then feel free to grab my FREE Blogging Plan and make the most out of it!

4. ADSENSE

It’s never too early to apply for Google AdSense – trust me on this.

First, let’s bust a myth: don’t expect to get rich on ads. As you should know, blogging isn’t a “get-rich-quick” game (like many want you to believe).

With that being said, there’s nothing wrong with pursuing ways to monetize your blog from the beginning.

Usually, applying to AdSense is not an immediate process: Google needs up to 2 weeks to control that your website is eligible to display ads. (I’m still waiting for my validation, ugh)

The number one reason why you might want to apply to Adsense in your first month of blogging is that, in this way, your readers will get used to seeing ads on your website from the very start.

On the other hand, if you decide to skip this step and apply to Google Adsense only when you have a good amount of traffic, your following will definitely notice the change in the layout. And…they might not like it. Or even worse, you might result as too “salesy” to your trusty readers.

Running a blog that displays ads from the beginning will make you look more professional and a genuine blogger to your readers’ eyes.

5. SOCIAL MEDIA SCHEDULE

In the post “7 Blogging Mistakes You Must Not Make As A Beginner Blogger”, I shared that one of the worst mistakes beginners make when starting a blog is focusing on too many different social media at once.

While you might think that’s smart to go on board of different social media channels to attract different target groups and grow your audience; realistically, it will make you be present everywhere and consistent nowhere.

If you are a beginner blogger and want to know my take on social media, then I recommend you to check this blog post out, so that you won’t make the same mistakes I made.

Here, though, I want to take it a step further to ensure you’re on the right track to turn your blog into a successful one!

Not only do your social media platforms matter, but also the posting schedule is crucial.

In your first month of blogging, for each social media, you must define the:

• Posting time – in terms of frequency;
• Content – in terms of format, style, and design;
• Engagement rules – how are you getting in touch with your audience or fellow bloggers in your niche?
• Ultimate goal – do you want to expand your reach, make people go visit your blog, or increase your email subscribers?

Thinking about those different aspects will help you outline your social media strategy and plan.

Next thing to do? Now you have just to make sure you create some content in advance and actually stick to your posting schedule! (Easier said than done)

6. LEARN PINTEREST

If you’ve already surfed through other blogs, I’m sure that you’ve already heard about the importance of Pinterest.

Pinterest is great for bloggers of any niche, as it’s a social media that works as a search engine.

People go on Pinterest to find answers. If your blog has the answers, but you’re not present on the platform, then you’re missing out on a huge potential of traffic.

Starting with the basics, here is a short checklist of your MUST-DOs Pinterest list:

• Create a Business account
• Link your blog in the bio
• Choose a profile picture in line with your branding
• Write a short but catchy bio that tells your readers how you can help them
• Create relevant boards to your niche
• Write a short description for each board
• Create visually-appealing Pins
• Optimize your Pins by adding keywords
• Post (fresh) Pins daily

If you’re new to Pinterest and still have to get the hang of it, then you can’t miss out on “Pin It Better: A Blogger’s Guide to Pinterest”, by Margaret Bourne. Thanks to her beginner-friendly guide, you will get better and faster results and won’t have to figure it all out on your own!

As you can see, Pinterest requires a lot of work and constant learning.

Since it is a time-demanding social – and bloggers generally have little time -, you should outsource whenever you can.

For scheduling my Pins, for example, I use Tailwind. Tailwind is a great support to Pinterest as it allows to:

• Schedule new Pins daily
• Join tribes to maximize the reach
• Optimize Pins in terms of keywords
• Create and customize a content plan

By using Tailwind, you can lighten your load by outsourcing some high time-demanding tasks. Not only, but joining tribes will ensure that your Pins benefit from a “compound effect” so that their reach is the highest! It’s a win-win, right?

Mind that, even if using Tailwind, I still aim to be present on Pinterest daily by pinning one to three fresh Pins directly on the platform. But for sure, having Tailwind on my side is a game-changer in terms of efficiency!

7. AFFILIATE MARKETING

The same thing that goes for AdSense can be applied here: it’s never too early to start monetizing your blog, even if it’s just your first-month blogging.

It doesn’t mean that you will immediately earn some money from it, but it’s good to set up monetization strategies from the beginning.

Other than Adsense, another way that bloggers earn money is through affiliate marketing. What is affiliate marketing, though?

Have you noticed that pink disclaimer at the beginning of the post, right below the table of contents? Well, that’s affiliate marketing.

Through affiliate marketing, bloggers earn a small commission on any purchase that was made through their links. Obviously, the bigger your audience the higher the chances of sales.

But still, even if you’ve just started your blog, I recommend you check out affiliate programs. Many of them have some requirements – like Amazon. You can apply for it but need to make 3 sales within 180 days to “confirm” you’re a member.

AdSense and affiliate marketing, though, are not the only ways you can earn money online! If you’re interested in discovering all the possibilities of extra income you could make, then you should definitely check out “How to make money online for beginners?”. You’ll thank me later! 😉

PS. Remember that blogging is a slow game, so don’t expect to launch your blog today and turn it into a profitable business within 1 month. Time, strategy, and consistency…that’s what you need!

8. REACH OUT TO OTHER BLOGGERS

It might seem too early for you, but trust me that’s never too early to get in touch with fellow bloggers that are in your same niche!

When you’re new to blogging, reaching out to “seasoned” bloggers seems scary and needy. I felt the same way as you do now.

Even though you feel uncomfortable reaching out, think about it as if the roles were reversed.

If someone would send you an email saying how much they admire you, and if you could give any tips to someone who has just started blogging…What would you think?

Would you feel embarassed? Would you think “Omg, that’s so stupid!”? Or would you rather feel grateful and honored becuase of the high consideration that someone has of you?

Well, I don’t know about you, but if I were in that scenario I would definitely be so appreciative!

So please, follow my advice: reach out to people! There is no best way of learning than from someone who’s one or two steps ahead of you in the game.

And, who knows? Maybe that first approach might be the start of a beautiful friendship or a long series of collaborations. Network, network, network!

9. TAKE BREAKS

One of the perks of being a blogger is that you have freedom! Yes, you have the freedom to decide where you want to work and when.

Many new bloggers, though, underestimate the amount of work that goes into running a successful blog.

Especially when you’re just starting out, and paving your path to success, you will feel the urge to work non-stop. (Or for sure at least your mind will work non-stop!)

Do you know what’s the one of top reasons why bloggers quit? Burnout.

There are too many things to handle, and too little time. And the progress? Oh, don’t let me even start on that because…what progress?!

I’m sure about how you feel: you look at other bloggers and think “How can they have it all figured out?”. Trust me: most of them don’t!

Even if you feel ‘behind’ compared to them and promise yourself that you won’t stop working until you get there…I’m here to tell you: it’s okay to take a break (as long as you don’t quit).

Rest, but never quit.

You want to be a successful blogger and I’m telling you that you will get there!

But, along the way please make sure that – while you nourish your blog-, you also nourish yourself, your relationship, and any other areas of your life that matter to you.

You can run a successful blog and still hang out with your friends. Or make time for self-care. Or Exercise. And definitely enjoy a lazy Sunday.

Allow yourself to take a break from time to time, and come back stronger.

10. GROW YOUR NEWSLETTER

The last task that you should do in your first month of blogging is to work on growing your newsletter.

Ok, you might be wondering: “But why would people subscribe to my newsletter if I’m new in the game and don’t have a name for myself yet?”.

Here is my one-word answer: FREEBIEs!

Who doesn’t love free stuff? Yeah, exactly…

One of the best ways to turn your reader into a loyal subscriber is by offering something highly valuable!

To give you some examples of the freebies you could offer:

• FREE planner -> If your blog talks about productivity (NB. Go to point #3 to grab my FREE WEEKLY PLANNER)
• List of quick and healthy recipes -> If you run a food blog that focuses on healthy, quick, and delicious meals
• FREE quiz -> Because who doesn’t love finding out more about him/herself?
• List of Journaling Prompts -> If you run a blog about journaling and self-care

If you think that you can create something that your readers could benefit from, share it with the world for free! It’s the best way to establish that first connection with your audience 😉

After you get new subscribers, don’t forget to keep nurturing your relationship by telling them what to expect from you in your emails and how often you will get in touch.

What you decide to send through email is up to you, but please mind that’s the most personal connection you can create with those who read your blog. So, make it genuine and valuable!

SNEAK-PEAK OF MY FREEBIES:

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I hope that this blog post provided you with some helpful insights into what you should be focusing on if you’re in your first of month blogging.

As I mentioned earlier, blogging requires three fundamental things: time, consistency, and strategy.

Step by step, I believe that you can create your path to success!

If you have any other tips that weren’t mentioned, please share them in a comment below. And…if you loved the article, don’t forget to share it so that others can benefit from it too 😉

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