Today, I’ve got a fantastic article from Silas and Grace on how to make your blog go viral. They currently get around 2,000,000 views a month and earn between $10,000 to $15,000 monthly, all within just a year of blogging. Here’s their story.
Achieving success feels surreal. You spend hours listening to podcasts and reading blog posts about how others made it with their online businesses or side hustles, wondering if it could ever happen to you. And then, after tons of hard work, research, experimenting, and asking questions, it finally does.
**How it Started**
In early 2015, my husband and I had just gotten married and were completely broke. We both had a passion for full-time travel and knew the corporate/retail world wasn’t for us. So, we started researching ways to work online. We explored writing articles, Youtubing, becoming virtual assistants, and more, but nothing clicked. Then, we listened to a podcast episode from The Side Hustle Show with Nick Loper, featuring Rosemarie Groner from The Busy Budgeter. That interview changed our lives.
We didn’t initially want to blog because everyone said it would take years to see substantial income, and we wanted quick results. But Rosemarie’s success using Pinterest to earn a full-time income within a year inspired us. We had a clear path to follow.
Of course, it wasn’t easy. We couldn’t afford hosting for a while, and the idea of me staying home instead of working a retail job was scary. We needed money badly; our car kept breaking down, unexpected bills popped up, and it seemed like there was never enough to get by. But we decided it was worth the risk. Even though it was a struggle, I stayed home while my husband worked a grueling 60-hour corporate job and helped with the blog.
After three months of pre-launch work, getting posts ready for our site Chasing Foxes, my husband quit his corporate job just three months after the blog went live. We moved to a beach town in Mexico, and within those three months, I found ways to make many of our blog posts go viral through Pinterest. Here’s how we did it.
**Learning from the Pros**
Our success wasn’t accidental. It came from studying the pros and constantly learning from them. They had already figured out how to attract people to their sites, so there was no need for us to reinvent the wheel. Being humble enough to learn from others took us from barely getting by in South Bend, Indiana, to thriving and traveling full-time.
Here are three key strategies I learned from pro bloggers to get high repin rates on Pinterest and thousands of views on blog posts.
**1. Titles**
In the first month after our blog went live, I realized my post titles needed work. I would write a post on grocery hacks and call it “5 Tips for Saving Money on Groceries.” It was okay, but not great. Studying blogs like Buzzfeed and Upworthy, I noticed their titles created urgency or promised transformation, like “22 Frozen Hot Chocolates You Must Make This Summer” or “27 Charts That Will Turn You Into a Baking Genius.” These titles grabbed attention and inspired clicks.
**2. Pain Points and WIIFM**
Early on, I wasn’t great at choosing topics. One of my first posts was on something no one cared about. I learned to hit people’s pain points and focus on WIIFM (What’s In It For Me). People want solutions to their problems, like losing weight quickly or cutting their budget. Make sure your posts address these needs and clearly communicate the benefits in the title.
**3. Pin Images**
I used to cringe at my early pin images. They didn’t follow basic rules like avoiding faces, using bright colors, or choosing high-quality pictures. Once I started creating pins inspired by top bloggers, my results improved. Make pins that stand out and experiment to see what works best.
**4. A/B/C/D and E Testing**
Instead of just A/B testing, I learned from bloggers like Upworthy to test multiple titles and pin images. Create 4-5 attention-grabbing titles for each post and use them on different pin images. You’ll be surprised which ones perform best. If one pin goes viral, the others often do well too.
**5. Quality Group Boards**
Group boards on Pinterest are a great way to get your pins in front of larger audiences. However, not all group boards are equal. Pro bloggers join high-performing boards with great repin rates. Look at the group boards bigger bloggers are on and politely ask to join.
**Final Thoughts**
The work you put in before your blog takes off is invaluable. The time and energy invested in creating content and building a strong foundation will pay off once your blog gains recognition. Don’t get discouraged when starting out. Remember, a year from now, you’ll wish you started today. Work hard now for time and financial freedom later.
Silas and Grace blog about lifestyle, travel, and food at Chasing Foxes. They love creating content, spending time together, and traveling full-time. How much traffic does your blog get? What are you doing to increase it?