It has been a few months since the launch of the 31 Days to build a better blog workbook and so I’m hoping that those of you who have had an opportunity to digest the 31 days of teaching and challenges in it.
If you’re one of the thousands of people with the workbook I’d love to hear your feedback on it!
- What did you like about it?
- What did you find too challenging?
- What would have made it easier to digest?
- What impact did it have on your blogging (what results did it have)?
- How did you use it?
- What would you like included in future editions?
This feedback will be used both to improve the e-book and help me develop further resources and write future blog posts. A few of your comments will also be used as testimonials (with credit to you) in presenting the e-book to others in future sales pages.
Your constructive feedback long/short and positive/negative is greatly appreciated – please leave it in the form of a comment below.
I have only done the first 3 steps, but so far I have found the book to be extremely helpful since I am new to blogging. I am hoping to keep moving forward with the book and gradually improve my content and abilities to use my blog to build brand awareness and interest in what I do with art and healing along with the art that I sell. Thanks for what appears to be a very through and informative book. I have also found your blog “extremely” helpful and professional.
The workbook was a total success, I used it on one of my blogs that wasn’t performing very well, used the practices and exercises and the results speak for themselves. From 100 visitors a month to now over +1,300 and going. Thank you Darren Rowse for creating the workbook! If somebody told me “What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear Professional?” I would definitely say: Darren Rowse and his blog, ProBlogger.
I like it alot.
I use it as a reference and a source of ideas and inspiration. I like the way it’s laid out, the typeface and the textual density. Spykerman (iirc) did a bang up job on the design. I like that it isn’t filled with too many meaningless images.
I recall I’m affiliate, and I’ve prepped my list to pitch it here in week or so.
In the first day, I implemented 4 days worth of advice from the workbook and tripled my blog traffic overnight. Yes, really. Every day I read and implemented another few day’s worth of advice from the workbook and it has steadily improved my blog traffic without fail.
I signed up as an affiliate and continue to receive benefits when my network of contacts buy it too!
There is only one thing I’d change if I had a magic wand and that would be to hand the whole thing over to Darren and have him do it for me!! But seriously, this workbook is the next best thing.
Just get it.
My Alexa ranking has improved a lot since I closely followed the lessons in the workbook: it’s now threatening to breach the top 100K mark. Just to be sure I bought a copy. Of course, my friends were amused – the lessons after all are readily available in your blog. Well, I want a personal copy of something that has impacted positively on my blogging. I feel a close affinity to it. Is that a bad think?
I value your workbook because it sells no false dreams of instant wealth, no magic mantra to make us the best that we can be. I love it that you stress the importance of hard work, persistence, and humility. This workbook is brilliant in so far as we’re willing to incorporate these solid virtues as well as the valuable, practical blogging lessons it contains.
Darren, I’m currently on day 20 of the workbook (started at the beginning of October so I’m not quite managing one section a day!)
I was surprised a couple of times that following the advice did work — even though I thought it wouldn’t be right for my blog. The task I was particularly unsure about doing was “write a list post” as I’ve deliberately focused on essay-style (usually around 1,500 word) posts on my blog Aliventures.
So I had a go at a list post, it turned out at almost 4,000 words so I split it into two – and it got a very enthusiastic reaction from commenters. The list format forced me to focus a bit more on practicalities that on theories.
One thing that I thought might be handy is an estimated or recommended time for each day; some tasks struck me as quite quick (10 mins or so), others much longer (for me, writing a post takes at least 2-3 hours, due to the length).
With timings in, you could potentially provide an appendix or similar that recommended ways to work through the whole book in, say, a weekend, or a Saturday plus five weeknights… or suggestions how to spread the book across several months if you don’t have much time.
A tiny niggle: on my netbook, it’s hard to read 31DBB due to the landscape page format. I know this is becoming more and more popular with ebooks, though. (And I’m currently working on my main PC with a monitor plenty large enough.)
I felt it was very valuable. It made me focus on the structure of my blog every day. I learned what I did right and what needed help. By far, the most interesting lesson was the one where we critiqued another blog. I think I did exchanges with about 6 people and learned a lot. I would definitely sign up if you’re planning to do it again.
I would like a primer on social media and how to understand it and how to best utilize it to promote my blog.
Getting feedback from your readers and trying to improve your flaw is one of the strongest point to improve yourself …
These are the indirect things which you should learn from Darren.
I’m a big fan of the workbook. I did the online challenge, and that was really useful but a little too intense in terms of timescales at times. The book allows me to take a slightly more considered approach, and is really useful.
I am not a member yet. But will be soon
I have found it extremely helpful. I read it from cover to cover when I bought it in July, and although I did not do one exercise per day I have done many of them and it has expanded the type of posts I do on my blog.
My blog is pretty niche (residential landlord and tenant law in England and Wales) so I am never going to get massive traffic. However the numbers have gone up (although this is probably also because I have been doing more posts), but more importantly I think the blog is now much more helpful and interesting to my readers.
The book is also a godsend when I get writers block as I just get it up on the screen and look through it. I invaribly find that I have inspiration after a few minutes.
All in all I think it was a very worthwhile purchase and I would recommend it to all bloggers. Thank you.
I have really benefited from the 31DBBB workbook. There is no shortage of eBooks available online that promise to increase your traffic and/or make you more money. Some of them cost quite a lot of money. But this workbook was very affordable, and laid out in an easy to follow format.
I bought the 31DBBB workbook because I knew that Darren could help me improve my blog. While I was doing the original 31DBBB program, my traffic increased significantly, the number of comments also increased and I have met many other fellow bloggers who are helping me improve my blog.
I have incorporated many of the lessons, like finding a blog buddy and answering commenters questions into my daily blogging habits. I intend to start the 31DBBB again in January 2010, as a refresher course.
I’m not quite done with it, but I have really enjoyed it. It has validated most of my choices thus far. Fortunately I had intuitively done much of what you wrote about before I knew what to do. But your book which I bought about 4 months ago, has been fantastic! Thank you!
I haven’t purchased the Workbook but I do run back over here to get information from the Series of Posts of the same title. :)
I performed most of the steps as they were being released as blog posts. The biggest help for me was having some concrete action step each day to take on my blog. Many of the concepts and material were not new to me, but I need that daily shove to do the things I know. I later purchased the notebook with the intent of work the steps on another blog, but never touched it. I am not sure what’s up with that other than this process may be more effective for me when I receive the entries day by day. Thank you for the book. I am slowly teaching more and more beginner bloggers. You is my top recommendation for them.
Darren:
I’m reviewing my options…I am an artist and I have several artist friends who have blogs and I am considering setting up one for myself. I ordered the Problogger book…and received it today. After I have read that, I plan to order the 31 days to a successful blog. I just need some really basic stuff. So, I signed up for the free newsletter and will let you know how things go soon!
I’m doing about a lesson a week (yes, it’s the slow way!) and am up to Day 5. So far, some of the lessons have been easy, others hard. It’s not so much the work itself but how much I have to stretch to accomplish them. And that’s the good thing. It’s forcing me to stretch, testing my mettle for blogging overall. I’m hopeful that “31 Days” will help me improve my blog and help increase (OK, create) its visibility. But at the very least, it’s teaching me how to BE a blogger.
I bought the book 2 months ago, and the biggest value of it to me has been that I haven’t yet started building my blog seriously! The very first step made me realise that, while I have been blogging in a very haphazard way for some time, I still have no idea EXACTLY what I want my blog to do. Without your book, I would not have understood this, and I would have become incredibly frustrated with myself. And I would have made all the classic blogging mistakes because I would’ve been completely off track.
But knowing this first step means I can take the pressure off. I am in no rush. Once I know what I want a blog to be, I know the rest of it will fall into place. Thank you for helping me access that clarity.
Okay you asked for honesty!!! I loved the 31DBBB series – worked through it at the time and totally loved it and learnt so much while having lots of fun… but I can’t bring myself to spend $20. (shopping in South African Rands makes that quite pricey – even though it is an invaluable blog investment for any blogger) on something I have essentially worked through… I would review it but don’t think I would buy it, just as I would direct a blog friend to the online series… I know now that it is past it would be harder to work at it – part of the motivation to keep going was to have worked through a task before your next post came out… all part of the blog rush fun!!!
It was a very useful book for me and I found almost everything in it quite relevant and actionable.
In the beginning I did do a lot of exercises with every day like making list posts, shooting off an email etc. and I found that they all rewarded me in some way or the other. It’s difficult to maintain that momentum throughout a long period of time though.
I found the book very useful and would recommend it to anyone who is looking to take blogging seriously.
I have not read the book yet. I will read the book and give my feed back here. I have suggested new blogger to read the book, so that they can build better blog.
Darren,
I love the way you list out all the steps in list format, it’s easy to understand and suitable for beginner & intermediate bloggers. After finishing the book, I am surprised to see how much I have improved in just a month’s time.
Definitely recommended for those who have just started blogging, as well as those who are looking for more ideas/inspirations
I am so ashamed. I did the challenge online and bought the workbook. Still haven’t finished it all. But I have read it cover to cover more than once. The very first challenge totally changed the way I blog! I think I’ve actually done most of the things, just not in the same order. I’m such a rebel!
The list post I did was linked to by another ProBlogger reader doing the challenge, and that post has had more views than anything else on my blog!
Interlinking posts was a new thing, too, and I still do that often. The task of paying special attention to a reader brought me some new blogging friends!
How could it be improved? Well, it could come with a shoe that pops out and kicks my butt so I do the tasks on time. That’s about it. :)
I really enjoyed the book very much. It did take me a bit of time as I only read a little each day, I also reviewed several sections two or three times.
I was disappointed that you did not cover anything about weather these so called automatic social bookmarking software programs actually work or if there worth the usual $100 or there about fee. If you would like to comment on this, it would not break me heart, hint, hint, lol
I can tell you this book was worth every penny! Some serious valuable information with tons of links that lead to more jackpot info.
I already had a good understanding about most of the topics, but the information I did learn was a valuable treat for me. Highly recommend anyone to purchase your book.
Thank a million for the book. As usual I look forward to future posts
I really like the teaching concept of combing teaching new ideas/concepts with actually implementing them. I find that is the best way to learn & remember new things. It is also a great way to help you follow through and put your newly acquired knowledge into action while it is still fresh in your mind.
I only got the workbook yesterday, but it has already been of benefit. So much so that I wrote a post about it today. If interested in reading it here is the link: http://intlnat.com/2009/10/29/interesting-small-business-blog-directory/
Wow, the information contained in “31 Days” has helped me revolutionize my blog from Day 1. I have had several blogs that I have given up on in the past, but I now understand why they weren’t successful.
Anyone can create viral content for their blog, but presenting it in the way that Darren recommends really helps in selling it to your readers.
“31 Days” puts you in the shoes of one of your readers to determine how you should change, maintain and grow your blog.
I highly recommend “31 Day to Build a Better Blog Workbook” for anyone with a blog.
In one word – excellent! Starting blogging a few weeks ago (been on my ‘to do’ list for 3 years). Sad – if I would have started then with all this info, I’d be a big-time blogger by now. Actually, part of the reason I didn’t start then is because I didn’t want to have to learn it all the hard way. Now because of your book – I don’t have to. Thanks!
I would love to have this, if this is available for free, as I do not have enough money to invest…If I am unable to get it, I hope that I will get huge tips for effective blogging through your post as i am getting till now…