Not $4K, But Worth It - Project Doubletime Results

Summary

In this reflective video, the creator shares their ambitious challenge to organically grow a blog to a $4,000 monthly income in just one year, a goal they didn't quite reach. They discuss the strategies they attempted, including writing numerous blog posts and creating a YouTube channel, and the obstacles they faced, such as spreading themselves too thin and the impact of AI on content creation. The creator also outlines lessons learned and adjustments to their approach, emphasizing the importance of building topical authority and brand recognition. They conclude with a commitment to continue content creation in 2024, hinting at future projects and a personal challenge to run 36 miles as a consequence of not meeting their initial goal.

Takeaways

• 🎯 The speaker set an ambitious goal to grow a blog to a full-time income of $4,000 per month in just one year, organically.
• 📈 The main goal was to achieve an earnings per thousand page views (EPMP) of at least $32.80 to reach the target income.
• 📝 A strategy of writing 170 blog posts in the first three months was devised to gain early search engine authority and trust.
• 🏁 The speaker ended up earning $4,376 in December, exceeding the target by 10%, but with only 1,786 page views, far from the 122,000 needed.
• 🔍 The failure to stick to the initial plan, particularly in building topical authority by focusing on too many subcategories, led to low page views per post.
• 📉 The speaker took on too much and faced personal challenges, which affected the ability to create content as planned.
• 🎥 A YouTube channel was created with 30 videos in 30 days, which helped build trust and led to sales, highlighting the value of video content.
• 💡 The importance of building topical authority by focusing on specific content clusters was emphasized as a missed opportunity.
• 📧 The speaker regrets not creating an email list and lead magnet early on, which could have helped in building a direct customer relationship.
• 🤝 The value of participating in industry groups and building a reputation within the niche was recognized, even though it was not fully exploited.
• 🏃‍♂️ As a consequence of not meeting the goal, the speaker humorously commits to running 36 miles, engaging with the audience on this journey.

Q & A

What was the main challenge the speaker set for themselves one year ago?

The main challenge was to organically grow a blog to a full-time income of at least $4,000 a month in just one year, following the processes they normally use to build a blog organically.

What was the required earnings per thousand page views to achieve the main goal?

To achieve the main goal, the speaker needed to get an earnings per thousand page views of at least $32.80.

How many blog posts did the speaker plan to write in the first three months?

The speaker planned to write at least 170 blog posts in the first three months.

What was the speaker's best month in terms of earnings, and how much did they earn?

The speaker's best month was December, during which they earned $4,376.0, slightly over 10% of the target.

What was the page views count in the month of December, and how does it compare to the target?

In December, the page views count was only 1,786, which is significantly lower than the target of 122,000 page views a month.

What was the average page views per post for the 70 blog posts published?

The average page views per post for the 70 blog posts was 25.5, which is much lower than the expected 715 page views per post.

What was the speaker's earnings per thousand page views (EPMP) from ad and affiliate earnings?

The speaker's EPMP from ad and affiliate earnings was $33.33, which was on target with their plan.

What was one of the main reasons for the speaker's failure to meet their goal?

One of the main reasons for the failure was the speaker's inability to stick to the plan, particularly in building topical authority by focusing on too many subcategories instead of a few specific ones.

What impact did the speaker's personal life have on their ability to create content?

The speaker's personal life, which was filled with challenges and stress, affected their ability to prioritize and create content as planned, leading to falling behind on the content creation schedule.

What was the speaker's strategy for YouTube, and how did it affect their blog?

The speaker created a YouTube channel and made 30 videos in 30 days, which helped increase trustworthiness and led to making sales through affiliate links in their articles.

What was the speaker's advice on building topical authority for a blog?

The speaker advised focusing on one or a few specific clusters of content to build topical authority, which can lead to more traffic and better search rankings.

What did the speaker learn about themselves and their approach to content creation over the year?

The speaker learned the importance of not taking on too much, the value of building topical authority, and the need to be more selective with the content they create to ensure quality and relevance.

What was the speaker's plan for the future regarding their blog and content creation?

The speaker plans to continue growing their blog, focusing on building topical authority in specific areas, creating more video content, and sharing the process and results of their projects on their channel.