We review ebooks, courses and tools for writers, so you can make good decisions about how to invest in your writing career.
Ebook: 31 Days To Build A Better Blog
About the creator: Darren Rowse is undoubtedly one of the most successful bloggers in the world. He started his blogging career in 2002 and is best known as the originator of both ProBlogger and Digital Photography School. Problogger is home to thousands of articles and how-to’s, all injected with Darren’s practical and transparent approach to blogging.
Price: $29.99
Who It’s For: According to Problogger, 31 Days to Build a Better Blog is for bloggers at different stages of their blogging journey, including:
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You’ve just started a blog and don’t know what to do next
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You’ve had a blog for a while but it’s stalled in its growth
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You’re a blogger with bloggers block and lacking inspiration
There’s no technical background included on how to set up a blog so it’s assumed that your online space is already alive and kicking. Aside from that, this workbook would be very useful to beginners and those looking for a boost in their traffic.
What It Will Help You Do: This is a 31-day program of small daily tasks designed to improve your blog. It covers everything from content ideas, the best social media platforms to focus on, analytics and more. It will give a clear framework to anyone who wants to improve their blog but doesn’t know where to start or what to prioritize.
What’s Included: The workbook includes one topic for each day and each topic is broken down into the following sections:
Teaching: An introduction to the focus of the day
Task: A breakdown of today’s task in detail
Notes: A few extra tips drawn from Darren’s own personal experience
Interact: A hashtag to use when discussing this topic (this was more relevant when the 31DBBB program was first launched)
Further reading: Links to related articles and posts
Example: A case study of the topic being implemented successfully
Each topic is covered in a good amount of detail but is broken down into a clear, actionable task.
The Best Part: I thought the content tasks were particularly strong; I particularly enjoyed the methodical approach to content generation such as mind-mapping and creating list posts.
You also can’t argue with the sheer value for money. Fundamentally you are getting each daily lesson from a true blogging expert for less than a dollar. There’s even a 60-day money back guarantee — no questions asked.
What Would Make It Even Better: 31 Days to Build a Better Blog was completely updated and redesigned in 2012. However, it could be updated again to incorporate newer social platforms and more recent working examples.
How It Changed My Life: I used this workbook as a framework when I launched my blog The Book Salon and it helped me methodically work through a very long to-do list.
Our Recommendation: 31 Days to Build a Better Blog gives you a well-structured, well-paced overview of 31 different ways to improve your blog. It’s great value for money and highly recommended.
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