Apr 4, 2014 / Beginner

New Blog Challenges Start April 15!

NOTE: The sign-up form is now closed, but all Blogging U. assignments are published publicly here on The Daily Post — feel free to jump in!

If you’re just getting your blog off the ground, or saw our Zero to Hero challenge in January and wished you’d thrown your hat into the ring, today’s your lucky day: another round of Blogging 101: Zero to Hero gets started on Tuesday, April 15th.

Looking for something more advanced? Blogging 201: Branding, Growth and Traffic starts the same day (201-level challenges on writing/photography and theme tailoring start in early summer)!

Read on to learn more about each challenge and sign up to participate.

Blogging 101: Zero to Hero

What is Zero to Hero? Thirty days of digestible blogging assignments that get you from “What’s a blog?” to a blog that you’re excited to publish — and others are excited to read. At the end of Day 30, you’ll have:

  • A half-dozen (or more) published posts, and a handful of draft posts to get you through your next 30 days.
  • A customized theme, with widgets to draw new readers in and highlight your favorite reads.
  • A (small but growing) audience.
  • An understanding of the blogging community, blog etiquette, and how to build a readership of your own.

We can’t guarantee instant viral mayhem (if only!), but you’ll have a jump-start on all the basics for successful blogging.

Blogging 201: Branding, Growth, and Traffic

Branding, Growth, and Traffic assumes a few things about your blog: you know what you want your blog to be, you’ve got a handle on publishing basics, and you’re ready to take your site to the masses. This is a 14-day challenge that will help you:

  • Define your blog’s brand and make sure it’s effective and consistent.
  • Build your audience both within WordPress.com, and without.
  • Understand and use your blog’s stats to grow your traffic.
  • Make the most of your existing posts, to bring them ongoing attention.

We’ll help you focus your brand and explore different ways to boost your internet infamy. At the end of the two weeks, you’ll have some new readers, new tools, and a to-do list you’re excited to attack.

If you’re participating in either challenge, you’ll also have access to The Commons, a private, conversation-focused site where you can chat with other participants, share works-in-progress for feedback, and more (there will be separate sites for 101 and 201 bloggers). Staff will be on hand there to answer questions, give feedback, direct you to more resources, and keep the conversation flowing.

Get ready to blog!

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  1. I’m not quite at zero but I’m not a hero, either! So although I’m tempted to start with 201 I think the best place to begin is the beginning. Hopefully there’ll be another opportunity to sign up for 201, later in the year?

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  3. Yipppeeee! It’s back and I’m back and I can’t wait to reconnect with the original ZeroToHero mates at a challenge…..and get to know many new ones too…and last but not least it’s good to have Michelle and team back to tickle our blogging grey cells!

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    1. In one of the comments above, there’s a link to the forum threads from January’s 101 — you might take a look at them to see the kinds of things we cover, as it’d be difficult to do them simultaneously. 101 has many elements of branding and traffic in it, just at a more introductory level.

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  8. looking forward to the challenge 201-next step for me is taking blog to book. Blogging has been an incredible experience meeting people all over the world. Thank you WordPress.

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  9. I am about to start a blog, can I join in even if I don’t have an address yet? It might seem silly but I’m not sure where to start. I already have a lot of ideas but I’m missing the first step.

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  11. I filled the form and clicked submit, but I’m not sure it went through. I’m using mobile. Do I receive a confirmation email or something? Or what’s next?

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  12. Sounds really cool. I don’t think I have the time for it, though. 😦 That stinks. Plus, I don’t like to rush things with my posts. I value quality, not quantity!

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    1. If it helps, the assignments are not all writing assignments — in fact, most of them are not. You’ll do all kinds of things, from exploring the features of your blog to making connections with other bloggers, and you can post more or less frequently.

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    1. If the form in the post itself isn’t accessible in the app, just wait ‘ti the next time you’re at a computer — there’s no rush; the sign-up form will stay up.

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  21. I cannot remember if I officially signed up for Zero to Hero last time but I know that I followed it through. It was great because I was still a newbie to the blogging & wordpress. I learned a lot & it really got me posting & trying fetures that I didn’t know we had. Although I would call myself totally experience in blogging am ready for Blogging 201& what it has to teach me. Bring it on!

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  22. Honest I doubt I even have time to blog every day. But 201 challenge sounds useful. Can one participate on certain exercises only?

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    1. The exercises aren’t all writing exercises, if that helps.

      How you participate is up to you — we’re not tracking what you do, the sole purpose of the challenges is to help you meet your own blogging goals. Feel free to adjust/interpret them how you’d like.

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  25. Signed up for 101! Excited !! (I think I signed up one too many times. First 2 times I got a blank page after I pressed “submit”. But 3rd times a charm and after “submit” got a confirmation that my info was sent.)

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  30. I posted my first blog entry and picture today…pretty well put the rest of my life on hold for about 3 hours, while I set the blog up and then wrote my first post. I’m looking forward to 101!

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