2024 in Review: Must-Listen Moments (Part One)

BySpark Media Concepts

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Now that 2024 is coming to a close, we’re pulling together our best moments all in one place. In this first part of must-listen moments from 2024, we’re sharing how to grow your email list (and why growing your list is a step you can’t skip to monetizing your blog), how to monetize sooner with Journey, inspiration to pivot through content updates, and a tool to boost your Pinterest strategy next year. Read on for a compilation of Amy’s must-listen moments from this year on The Ultimate Blog Podcast! 

Episode 121: The Top 3 Things You Can Do to Build Your Email List with Allea Grummert

In Episode 121, we chatted with Allea Grummert about simple ways to grow your email list. If you have a small email list, don’t worry. She says this is a perfect opportunity to practice your writing skills. If you only have 13 people on your email list, write specifically to those 13 people. You’ll never get any better if you don’t start!

To build your list, focus on defining the goal of your email list. This could be helping your reader feel inspired, know they’re not alone, and get helpful resources. Try to be generous with what you know, whether that’s sharing a recipe or an organizational technique. 

Still building your email list and need help? Create a simple lead magnet. Something like a pantry checklist or an ebook with a few recipes is great. Think about your audience’s biggest questions and how you can answer them, and that will make a great lead magnet.

Episode 135: Why You Need to Grow Your Email List Today with Matt Molen

In Episode 135, we heard from Matt Molen about why growing your email list is so important. He shared a secret of growth: that your best source of growth comes from your current traffic. Meaning, that people who consume your content on Instagram, TikTok, or your website are the best place to start. 

The best way to get that traffic to sign up for your email list is to create a hook based on what you know they need. He doesn’t recommend PDFs or ebooks as lead magnets, but rather suggests you think about an email or email sequence that would answer the next question your audience would have. For example, if a reader lands on your website that features tips for Disney cruises, you could use a pop-up that says “What to expect on your first Disney cruise.” So simple!

Episode 125: Mediavine Journey: How Bloggers Can Monetize Sooner

In Episode 125, we heard from Heather Tullos from Mediavine about Journey, a service that helps smaller creators monetize their content while they’re learning and growing. 

She shares that the first step to onboarding with Journey is to install Grow. It offers many features to help you grow your traffic and to collect first party data, which can make sure advertisers understand your audience. Grow offers features including a suite of email forms, a save button on your site, and recommended content. On the backend, it also has analytics capabilities.

Episode 86: Tips for Success: Getting on an Ad Network with Heather Tullos from Mediavine 

In Episode 86, Heather’s first episode, she shared how although new content is great, there’s something to be said for repurposing content into your emails. You’re always getting new email subscribers, so someone probably hasn’t seen all of your content (or if they have, they probably won’t remember something from a while ago). Nobody knows your website the way you know your website, so feel free to repurpose content and share things that readers have found helpful in the past. 

Episode 154: Pivoting Through Content Updates with Melissa of Bless This Mess

In Episode 154, Melissa Griffiths of Bless this Mess shared how to pivot your blog through content updates. She shared how she actually felt like pivoting was good for her. It made her create better systems and come up with new ways to drive traffic and provide value to people. She pivoted away from driving traffic by using search terms, to driving traffic by packaging content in more helpful ways. 

She found that the content update reinvigorated her and helped her get more connected with her audience – and we hope this episode inspired you to do the same. 

Her favorite ways to connect with people? You need to tell them what problems you’re fixing directly, but also not be afraid to ask them what they want to hear from you.

Episode 151: Boost Your Pinterest Strategy with PinClicks

In Episode 151, Tony Hill shared how you can use PinClicks to drive more traffic to your blog. We hope this episode helped you to see that you don’t have to create 20 new blog posts to up your Pinterest strategy; you can repurpose what you already have and use PinClicks to increase your traffic. 

When things get difficult, Tony encourages bloggers to find a deeper motivation to keep going. We want you to feel inspired by Tony’s story – because the only way to truly fail is to give up. 

In this episode, we covered: 

  • Why building your email list is the first step to monetizing your blog
  • How to grow your email list
  • How to monetize your blog sooner with Journey and Grow
  • How to pivot through content updates and stay connected with your audience
  • How to boost your Pinterest strategy (without creating tons of new content every day)

Links and resources mentioned in this episode:

We hoped you got value and were inspired by Part 1 of 2024 in Review! What did you think of this episode? Please leave us a comment and let us know your biggest takeaway from this episode!

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