This is a “to-do” plan for my blog. An outline, some time blocking, some goals, all steps to grow my blog.
In other words, GET ORGANIZED and stick to it.
The purpose is to keep myself accountable. Plan and accomplish.
After all, as goal-setting experts advise, put it out there, it helps with accountability.
Grow My Blog: Cooking On The Ranch. Western Flair, Rocky Mountain Air…Let’s Cook
This Week – I had to travel for work and haven’t had time to prepare and plan a new recipe post. I’ve decided to send a newsletter with a “6 Shrimp Salad Recipes you Should Cook this Summer. All links to Shrimp Salad recipes from my blog. Completely new for me, I’ll see how this is received.
I’m also in the process of fixing 100 broken links. I’m finding restaurants go out of business. Why link to them in the future?
$$ Spent on Promotions and Results:
- FACEBOOK – Re-targeted Ad. – Started May 23. To spend $30. I’m hoping for 30 new likes. $1 a like? Worth it? Doesn’t matter, it was rejected again. I’ll just promote a post that’s doing well going forward.
These are the ads I’ve placed so far on my blog. Income. (1 Change From Week One)
GOOGLE: CPA (cost per action)
- 1 small banner ad in center of post
GOURMET ADS: CPM (per impression)
- 1 ad on sidebar
- 1 banner ad above blog
THE DAILY MEAL:
- 1 banner in the Footer of my blog. I’m not sure what this does. Research on what the benefits are.
I have applied for BLOGHER Network for Advertising income. DONE Week eight and I’m still waiting. 🙂
I have a banner on my side bar from Foodie Blogroll. Applied for Publisher Program. Still waiting.
I’m new at partnering with Affiliates. Starting out slow. (No change from Week One)
- Commission Junction, Sur-la-table Affiliate
- Amazon Affiliate: straight commission
- 1 square ad at bottom of post
- Ad in mail chimp campaign
Good Read From Simple Pin: http://www.simplepinmedia.com/build-email-list-using-pinterest/
*GOOD READ: Pinterest Campaign Tips
Facebook Sharing Groups: Try one per week and monitor results.
- Yummly Sharing Group – 4/5 posted my Hatch Green Chile Pasta and started sharing. 16 people yummed my post.
- Grow Your Blog -week of 4/11
- Monday: posted Three Cheese Chicken Lasagna. This is an easier challenge. Pinterest. You only need to pin 10 from the submissions. Not everyone’s. I received 11 repins.
- Tuesday: Facebook. All or nothing. Visit each page, like two posts, comment on one. I tagged my Coors Field Taco Dog to be at the top of my page. I received 32 likes, 20-ish comments and 9 new page likes. I’d say that was worth the 30 minute time investment.
- Share My Post: 5/23 I posted my “Best Grilled Chicken” in the Pinterest area. Got 22 pins out of about 30 participants. Took about 20 minutes. I was pleased.
- Show Me The Facebook Love
- Culinary Club Network – I posted my first recipe in this group, 4/18. Colorado Creme.
- FACEBOOK: 2,394 (+29)
- PINTEREST: 7,431 (+237)
- G+: 26,268 (+75)
- G+ COOKING ON THE RANCH COLLECTION: 47,351 (+3497)
- G+ TOTAL IMPRESSIONS: 2, 410,248 – now at 9,142,036 (increase in 3 months- wow)
- TWITTER: 1,652 (+21)
- INSTAGRAM: 194 (+3)
- EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS: 988 (+63)
- BOUNCE RATE (trying to reduce): 84% (same as last week)
Good Article about optimizing side bar content: http://www.wpbeginner.com/showcase/12-wordpress-sidebar-tricks-to-get-maximum-results/
Love this idea. I’m getting great graphics from Canva and this all comes together easily.
- April: Cinco de Mayo
- May: Grilling Recipes
I’d like to decrease my bounce rate. To do that I need to keep people on my site longer. Study Pinterest, find popular post for the week and edit that post to direct to a similar recipe or “make it a meal” complimentary recipe.
Bounce rate has been down from 85% to 84% this week. It needs to be around 40% 
- Hatch Green Chile Pasta 32.5% open rate
- Coors Field Chorizo Dog, Opening Day 32.9% open rate
- The Bee Cheese 35% open rate
- “Spring” Sunday Supper Colorado Creme dessert 36% open rate
- Beef Machaca 34.3% open rate
- Crock Pot Cream Corn Didn’t send through email campaign. Will use this one to link for meals.
- French Cocktail Sauce Recipe 27.8% open rate
- Dolores’s Broken Hearted Chicken 34.5% open rate
- Shrimp Romesco Bites 26.4% open rate
- Stubbs Promotion, Campfire Ribs 32.5% open rate
- Sprouts Market – Burger Sauce (promoted) 29.3% open rate
- Cucina Bean Salad – 28.7% open rate
- Tacos on the Grill
- Mexican Spice Rubbed Rib Eyes
- Mesa Verde Flank Steak
- Breakfast enchiladas
- Old Fashioned Green Beans
- PINTEREST – On remote with Boardbooster and Tailwind
- GOOGLE+ – Add two old posts to my blog collection.
- GOOGLE+ – Share at least 1 of someone else’s post to public every day.
- GOOGLE+- Share at least one of someone else’s post to one of my collections each day.
- FACEBOOK – Share something on my business page from my “saved” posts each day.
Posts I’d like to cook again, photograph again to revive due to horrific photos, etc. Then re-promote those posts on Social Media.
- Shrimp Salad with Lime Zest
- The Secret to a Great Potato Salad – DONE
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes – DONE
- The Best Grilled Chicken – DONE
- Chicken Picatta
- The Spaniard – two posts. That’s pretty bad when you do a re-do and the re-do is awful.
- Grilled Romaine with Pine nut Vinaigrette – DONE
You Can’t Eat Like This Unless You
- Yoga – once per week DONE
- Personal Trainer – twice per week –
- Walk 1 1/2 miles every day – DONE
