Hello, I’m on time with my blog update this time! Things are going. Last month was just too good to set as a proper baseline. This month was boring actually. I was wondering what it would be like when the dust settled.
Table of Contents
Past Blog Reports
May 1st Month Blog Report – 1,110 Pageviews
June 2nd Month Blog Report – 6,603 Pageviews (+494.86%)
July 3rd Month Blog Report – 8,616 Pageviews (+30.49%)
August 4th Month Blog Report – 9,833 Pageviews (+14.12%)
September 5th Month Blog Report – 15,457 Pageviews (+57.2%)
October 6th Month Blog Report – 28,850 Pageviews (+86.65%)
November 7th Month Blog Report – 24,216 Pageviews (-16.06%)
My first ever red…
November Blogger Report
I’m joking ^_^
Google Analytics says the 30-day average is 24,216 pageviews which is a 16% drop from last month. That’s not bad at all for a tame month considering I had the 80% jump in the 6th month. I heard November was slow around the holiday season (and it was) but if that’s the number to expect from here on out, I’m a happy girlchild.
How is that…how does that work? Honestly, I thought the Internet would be more random…
I had days where I didn’t touch the blog or even look at the stats because I was suffering from burnout and deadpan inspiration. Traffic is pretty stable, day in and day out.
Mommy Pinterest has been giving me the cold shoulder for a few months now. Daddy Google has been good to me.
Feeding The Fire
Regular fire, passion – not FIRE – but I guess why not both. No one in real life knows about this blog that I am aware of. My husband doesn’t even read this blog (is that bad? ?) So it’s just me. This is my diary, this is my portfolio and I am who I am.
That’s a rare thing in this world.
I don’t think I’ve ever been outspoken with anyone or show emotions. I remember my best friend Valerie, 5-6 years into our friendship, turned to me and said: “why is there so much to you I still don’t know?”
When I was little, my parents use to tell me to keep shut unless I was being spoken to. Children shouldn’t speak first as it’s considered rude. So it’s freeing to exercise that ingrained thought and express an opinion. I don’t really like discussions though. Like usual, this is not the culture I’ve grown up in and I’m not good at it.
This blog is improving that missing part of me with an actual voice.
The Struggle
I struggled to find inspiration and drive for parts of this month. Not surprisingly, being burned out at the 6-month mark seems like a common enough phenomenon.
I’ve mentioned before that November was an odd month for a lot of reasons that were self-induced. It was mostly brought on by friends (and their personal lives) as well as our personal lives. Nothing really exciting to report. It was just a lot of introspection. Unless I’m trolling myself and I’m actually having a quarter life crisis…that would make more sense…
I’m not a naturally cheerful person, believe it or not. You know clowns that can be funny but inside there’s this detrimental amount of sad stuff? I wrote How to Comparison Shop for Happiness for myself. Some people are naturally happy and it comes easy. But I know there are people like me who have to fight a little harder to feel happy. Damn inner demons.
Blogging About Blogging
The biggest discovery this month was how wonderful it is to let loose on some of the emotions that happen behind blogging. After I finished what I considered an emotional outlet and a Thanksgiving break, I felt much better.
I guess you have to learn to look at the bigger picture. Blogging is like the principles of finance, which is something I find absolutely humorous. You have to be concerned about profitability, scalability, all the while remaining true to yourself and your readers who brought you here.
Top Posts
It’s funny because you can almost see the transition in each November post where I went from an uninspired/goofy mood to a more serious tone.
The most popular post of November was The Fight That Made Me A Better Wife and then a follow-up to that post was The Conversation The Fortunate Few Gets To Have at #4 spot. Why ‘The Millionaire Next Door’ Is A Myth To Most Millennials landed in the #3 spot and The Cost of Raising a Kid (Frugally) filled everything else in at #2.
Marketing & Social Media
Commenting
I stopped leaving as many comments in November. I think it’s down to about 2 comments a day on average instead of 3 a day.
IT DOESN’T MEAN I LOVE YALL ANY LESS.
I started dog sitting again for a longtime client of mine. More on that next time. Being a dog nanny is a sweet gig if you can find an effortless puppy dog with generous owners. I sometimes wonder how wealthy the puppy dog’s family is…is that creepy? Excuse my plebeian blood. I’m a rich person’s dog nanny!!! 😀
My Pinterest has been giving me the cold shoulder lately. I started Tailwind (use my referral link to get $15 off your trial) and deleted my Board Booster account. Maybe that’s why it’s been slow?
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong exactly. I didn’t keep track of Pinterest enough (didn’t realize I needed to…) to analyze if there has been growth but it’s been stable enough.
I’m currently holding 616 followers hostage.
A lot of MALE bloggers complain that Pinterest is not their audience. I’m going to chime in and second that as well. See, I’m a girl but…I’m weirder than the average girl…which is unfortunate. I would be more successful if I was less odd ?
Pinterest is also visual – personal finance is not visual. We’re not even a category on their menu! Anywho, I’m not one of the Pinterest cool girls, don’t mistake me for one, ’cause this girlchild is growing very slowly.
I socialize on my Twitter and I use ‘Followers’ app on Android to check new followers from time to time. I’m at 2,340 followers!
I started getting being active on my Instagram on Nov 29th so Instagram only referred me about 9 clicks the entire month. I don’t have a real reason why I left it. It’s an addictive app and I was already too stuck on Twitter?
The debt-free community is full of real people – sharing their lives and their money journey. It gives a different perspective away from the ivory tower of personal finance where pretty much everyone here can kill off $50,000 in less than a fortnight.
Probably needs dusting…
MailChimp
I’ve crossed over 340 subscribers.
*Blink*
Wasn’t last month like 255?! My email list beat Pinterest follows…wow…if our investment portfolio mimicked these returns…
Summary
Traffic isn’t the main concern, I’ve addressed this with my blog sister twin creature friend Frugal Asian Finance who agreed with me. After the burnout (or perhaps another side effect of it) pageviews ceases to be as important for the both of us. The level of engagement and growth trends are the real invaluable measures. So what is there more left to say? Write on!
Ouu first to comment this time!!
Hey Lily it’s been awhile. Don’t mind the pageviews, your blog is growing in other ways. Think about it like you may have less pageviews but you audience is engaging with content more than if you and more pageviews.
This is what I’m trying to do on my blog. Just create great content. The pageviews will come in time.
Stay grinding!
Hi hi Cory! Strangely I never feel like it’s enough. So I have to either be sad about the number or just stop caring so much – thank goodness I chose the ladder hahaha. I agree with you Cory! We grind on!
Keep up the great work. It’s a marathon not a sprint 🙂
I’m already tired Mr. M!
I had a decline in pageviews in November too. I will publish my blog traffic post next week. You’re totally right. After I got the blogger burnout in October, I stopped being obsessed with blog traffic, which is so timely for the traffic slump in November.
Your blog is growing at a steady rate, and that’s what’s important. My Pinterest wasn’t good last month either, so you’re not the only one. Onwards!
Haha, yup! Onwards!
I’m still trying trying to catch up to your second month traffic. You are killing it even with a small setback. Keep up the good work.
If it’s two months in a row of decline, I’m going to cry. ‘Cause that’s scary.
Great job, Lily! Keep it up. I really enjoyed the posts you wrote in November… When are you going to have Jared step in and write a post? 🙂
Jared has never been good with writing so I doubt he would ever write anything. I will just ghost report for him. It brings him so much extra stress when I use it as a stress reducer!
What you are doing and what you have achieved in such a short time is amazing!Over 24k page views is impressive.
I don’t understand Pinterest as well, maybe one day…
Noooo, I’m average. There are lots of bloggers that’s doing my numbers at half the time.
Very impressive! Yea I’m in the same boat with Pinterest. But your numbers are so inspiring!!
They are? I think it’s quite normal, especially with the decline x_x
Glad to know I’m not the only one who hasn’t told anyone about their blog, well other than my hubby, but he doesn’t read my blog either!
Unsupportive blog husbands!! >:\
Have you thought about maybe hiring a virtual assistant to help you out with creating pin images, create a content calendar and/or editing/posting content for you. congrats on those #s. You should be quite proud!
Haha, I like making pictures ^_^ someone hire me!! xD
Still another great month even if it’s a slight dip. I feel like eventually those are kind of expected anyway haha.
I had a kind of meh month again. My blog’s growing super slowly compared to you and Ms FAF! The one thing I’m happy of though is my bounce rate keeps getting lower and lower.
My bounce rate has leap up 20% because of Pinterest. Without Pinterest, it’s a 60% bounce rate I think. Good thing is, bounce rate doesn’t matter for blogs.
Lily, you are doing so well, keep it up! I just enjoyed a nice little break and it definitely didn’t help my numbers but hope to eventually get there.
Your content is solid as anything! Marketing is the biggest challenge here for Money’s Crap ??? jk!!!
Those are some great numbers! 20k+ views for two months in a row is some serious traffic. Either way, it sounds like you’ve figured out your “why” for blogging.
Keep up the great work!
Thanks Random Dude. You’re cool ?
OMG it’s like you read my mind because I feel the same. Thank you for writing this so us fledgling bloggers don’t feel so alone.
You still around Fred?!?
“why is there so much to you I still don’t know?” << my friends said something similar to me when i graduated high school!
“keep shut unless I was being spoken to” <<< same here.. speak when spoken to was what it was at my house too… children are meant to be seen not heard… must be an immigrant thing.
It definitely is. American culture tends to treat their kids with better forethought