Apr 14, 2014 / Beginner

Last Call for Blogging U.: Challenges Start Tomorrow

The submission form is now closed; anyone who has registered should have received a welcome email and we’ll be responding to all requests for switching challenges. If you didn’t sign up, all assignments are posted here, so feel free to jump right in!

NOTE: the sign-up form for both challenges is now closed! However, all assignments for both challenges are published publicly here each day and comment threads are open, so even if you missed the sign-up period, you’re welcome to join in!

Anyone who filled out the form should now have received a welcome email, and any unfulfilled requests to switch challenges will be answered tomorrow as well. Thanks for your patience — and your enthusiasm!

Our Blogging 101: Zero to Hero and Blogging 201: Branding, Growth, and Traffic challenges kick off tomorrow, and it’s not too late to sign on. Learn more about each challenge and sign up below!

Blogging 101: Zero to Hero

Zero to Hero is thirty days of digestible blogging assignments to give you a solid grounding on all things blogging. At the end, 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.

Blogging 201: Branding, Growth, and Traffic

Branding, Growth, and Traffic is a 14-day challenge to give your blog’s growth a serious kick start. We’ll 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.

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 excited to start this thing. I was sort of unclear in my sign up form: I have a new blog called zabelly that is empty that I plan to use for this project. But I also gave the name of my sadly neglected, older blog: yousimplybeginagain. Either way. Advice on clean slate or using the older one?
    Looking forward!

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    1. The challenges both start tomorrow, and we’ll close the forms at the end of this week. However, the assignments are all publicly posted here, so there’s nothing to stop you from diving in next week if you decide you want to give it a try 🙂

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  5. I would be grateful, please, to have my ‘participation’ in Blogging 201 cancelled.
    Would someone be kind enough to advise when this has been done ?
    Thank you.

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    1. Nothing 🙂 This is just meant to support you and your blogging goals, so make time as you’re able. The assignments will still be here, so you can refer back.

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  9. Tried the submit button after signing up for 201, but got a page not found screen. Please help.

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  12. I signed up for 201 and have been getting emails for 101. So then I signed up again for 201 but have not received any thing in my inbox. Please cancel me for 101 and sign me up for 201.

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  15. Hopefully this will work. I signed up twice. Once for 201 for my primary blog. And once for 101 for a blog I have really wanted to do but have not really started.

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  16. I registered twice for 101, as the first time I registered with the wrong url, (one of my other blogs…)
    I wasn’t quite sure what to do, or if my application went through… so I registered a second time under the correct url. Does this affect anything? (I am pretty sure the application went through the second time.)

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  17. Are we able to sign up for both 101 and 201? I did Zero to Hero in January, but I would like to do it again, as well as trying out the 201 challenge. 🙂

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  18. Blogging is very new to me as a writer and I am excited about this opportunity to be a part this community.

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  23. Hi, I signed up for the blogging 101 challenge but I have received an email saying that I am part of the Blogging 201 challenge. Is there any way that I can be moved to 101? Thank you!

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