I’m Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard, and This Is How I Blog

I’m Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard, and This Is How I Blog 1

Adam Connell is the founder of Blogging Wizard, WP Superstars, Funnel Overload, and some other exciting blogs. He helps bloggers and entrepreneurs to grow their sites and reach more people online.

Adam has been building websites since he was 12 years old. He launched his first website for his non-profit record level. In 2012, he launched Blogging Wizard. Now he is one of the top bloggers of UK.

You can find Adam on Twitter and LinkedIn. This is our recent interview with him, as a part of our How I Blog series.

1. First of all, tell us a little about your background and how you got into blogging.

Hey folks, Adam here.

I specialise in content marketing, and I have a strong background in SEO. Before I became a full-time blogger I was the operations at a marketing agency here in the UK.

But, how I started blogging probably isn’t what you might expect. I never set out with the intention of blogging.

I started building websites in HTML when I was 12 years old. I didn’t launch any of those websites, but I picked up some skills in Dreamweaver. When I was at college, I decided to launch an online record label to promote music my friends and I were producing. It was initially a regular label before we converted it to a “netlabel” and released all music for free.

So, I began building a website in Dreamweaver and launched the site. As time went on, I developed several other iterations of the website. It was a lengthy process, and so was the process of updating the website.

I needed something easier so I searched for content management systems and found WordPress. I quickly rebuilt and relaunched the website with WordPress.

Since the platform was great for sharing blog post, I started publishing notifications about new releases in the form of blog posts.

Fast forward to today and despite closing the label years ago, our releases racked up millions of downloads. While I never made any money from the label, it taught me what was possible with a blog. And is probably one of the main reasons I got into digital marketing.

2. How many blogs do you have? And how do you manage them?

I have 5 blogs at the moment, including my new guitar blog called Tone Island. Some are more active than others.

For example, I rarely publish on my personal blog as I’m more focused on my other blogs like Blogging Wizard.

I’m Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard, and This Is How I Blog 2
– Blogging Wizard

But, still, that’s quite a few blogs to juggle. I do this with the help of my girlfriend, Nicola, who is my editor and social media manager. As well as some great freelance writers like David Hartshorne and Colin Newcomer, and sometimes guest contributors.

I also outsource all of my graphic design work because, well, I’m a terrible graphic designer. In the early days I’d spend over an hour designing a single image that looked pretty bad. Now, I just spend 2 minutes writing a quick brief and send it over to my DesignPickle designer. I get some great images back the next day.

In terms of staying organised, I have two main things for each website:

  1. Master “site management” spreadsheet in Google Docs – this is where I’ll keep track of logins, priority keywords, post ideas, etc.
  2. Task management dashboard in Plutio – this houses my editorial calendar, so I have something setup in a similar to how Trello works. I have different lists like “In progress”, “With writer”, “With Editor”, “Scheduled”, etc. And then I add cards for each post and move them between the different lists so we know exactly what’s going on.

I could manage editorial from my site management spreadsheets in Google Docs but I like having the ability to drag content and arrange them on Trello style boards.

3. How many hours do your work on your blogs every day? And how do you manage your time?

Good question. It’s not actually something I think much about.

Generally, I’ll block out different days of the week for essential tasks for each project, such as publishing content. On some blogs, we’ll publish more often. Blogging Wizard is weekly at the moment (but sometimes that changes), whereas my personal blog will be moreso when inspiration strikes.

When it comes to managing my time, I have a default calendar each week. So, Monday is mainly admin tasks, another day will be allocated to publishing & promoting content on Blogging Wizard, other time blocks will be for whatever my priority task is that week.

I like to gear things around the “one big thing” type of concept, so most of my time in a week is focused on one thing. That could be content writing, content promotion, or product planning/creation, or something else.

4. Do you outsource any blogging tasks? If yes, share with us some details like from where and what type of tasks you outsource.

I outsource a bunch of different tasks. Some editorial tasks like proofreading, adding posts to WordPress, and social media management is handled by my girlfriend, Nicola.

Then, I’ll outsource some content creation and design work.

Over the years I’ve experimented with outsourcing to help with content repurposing. So, I occasionally use a designer on PeoplePerHour to turn blog posts into infographics and Slideshare presentations.

And the logo designs for all of my sites are outsourced too.

Initially I avoided outsourcing anything, but eventually it became aparent that if I wanted to scale my blog, I’d have to find some way to free up my time and outsourcing is an easy way to do it.

5. How do you promote your blogs and latest blog posts?

Over the years, I’ve developed a step-by-step promotional checklist that I use whenever I publish a new post.

It’s designed in a way that keeps me focused and able to get initial promotional work done. The checklist is broken down into several section. Here are some examples of what it includes:

Getting everything prepped for promotion such as:

  • Writing multiple headlines.
  • Preparing social media messages.
  • Finding Twitter accounts of everyone mentioned in the post.

Typical content promotion tactics such as:

  • Email article to subscribers.
  • Share to social networks.
  • Submit to Quuu Promote, Zest.is, Triberr, etc.

Tactics to get more mileage out of the content by repurposing it:

  • Creating Slideshare presentations.
  • Creating infographics.
  • Republishing to Medium, and other platforms.

Additional tactics such as:

  • Supporting with guest posts on other sites.
  • Social media outreach to those mentioned in the post.
  • Email outreach to those mentioned in the post.
  • Additional email outreach.

6. How do you monetize your blogs?

Mostly through affiliate marketing and advertising. On WP Superstars, we’ve published sponsored content too which has gone down well (we don’t do it often though).

I’m in the process of working on some courses and other products.

7. Which devices and gadgets are you using now for blogging?

I prefer to work on iMac if I’m at home (or office). Or MacBook Pro if I’m working elsewhere.

I’ll sometimes use my phone for checking analytics/data (social media, Google Analytics, etc). But, I prefer to work on a desktop computer when possible.

8. What apps, tools, or plugins do you use to make your blogging journey easier?

I use a lot of different apps, tools, and plugins.

Here are a few of the main ones:

  • Plutio – task management.
  • Google Drive and Dropbox – file storage.
  • Google Docs – writing, making spreadsheets, and presentations (the collaboration functionality and deep integration with Google Drive are incredibly useful).
  • Sendible – all of my social media management is handled within this tool. I used to use Buffer for scheduling, and a bunch of other tools. Now I just use this for everything. The team and task management features are great, and the social scheduling is extremely powerful. The most robust and full-featured social media tools I’ve tried so far.
  • Ahrefs – my go-to tool for most marketing research, competitor analysis, backlink checking, rank tracking etc. One of the reasons I love this tool is how much they listen to their users and how they keep cranking out new features.
  • ConvertKit – the perfect email marketing provider for bloggers. The interface is slick!

There are plenty other tools and plugins that I use frequently, but these ones in particular, I consider “top-level” tools for my business.

9. What’s your workspace setup like? If possible, share a picture of your workstation or home office.

As I write this I’m working at my home office that I also use for music production. Here’s a photo:

I’m Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard, and This Is How I Blog 3

10. What’s the best blogging advice you have ever received?

Wow, difficult question. There’s been a lot over the years.

But, there’s one particular piece of advice that has always stuck with me about writing headlines.

“Headlines should leave a question unanswered.”

I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s the best advice I’ve ever received, but everytime I write a headline, this piece of advice pops up in the back of my mind.

Also Check: I’m Lily Ugbaja, Founder of FindingBalance.Mom, and This Is How I Blog

49 responses to “I’m Adam Connell, Founder of Blogging Wizard, and This Is How I Blog”

  1. Swapnil Harpale Avatar

    Very insightful interview. This type of interview motivates more and more people to join the blogging industry. Looking forward to more of such an interview.

  2. Subhendu Mahato Avatar

    Yes, Adam’s blogs are Very attractive and mobile-friendly. I am following him a few years and he is doing a really great job.

  3. Ashish Avatar

    Hey,
    Such an amazing interview with Adam and I am following him a few years and he is doing a really great job.

  4. Sandeep Khyalia Avatar

    Hi istiak
    It’s a amazing Interview With Adam. First time I see your blog in 2015 when I was searching for blog ping list. After that every time I use that list.
    Thanks For Posting Great Stuff Buddy.

  5. Raj Avatar

    Hey Rahul sir,

    Yes, Adam’s blogs are Very attractive and mobile friendly. I am also a big fan of you sir.

    Thanks for sharing good article

  6. Rajat Kumar Singh Avatar

    Hello Istiak,

    I must say, it’s a great Interview. I am a big fan of Adam and his work. I am a frequent reader of his blog. His articles are very comprehensive and well crafted.
    I think he is one of the best pro bloggers in the market.

    Regards,
    Rajat

  7. Zuber Khan Avatar

    Hi Istiak,

    This is really a nice post.
    Being a blogger, I think this is the best way to know about other bloggers and get inspired.

    Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article. I loved the simplicity of words and detailed explanations

  8. Nick Jones Avatar

    Hey Dear Istiak Bro,
    Feeling really very inspired to after reading this full interview! There is no doubt ADAM CONNELL is one of the best pro-bloggers. Thanks for this awesome interview!

  9. Vishesh Avatar

    Awesome, You are the master of Blogging. In India, I heard your name from few and created my first blog last year. Yes it’s growing.
    Kudos.

  10. Roshan Naik Avatar

    Hi Istiak,

    It’s was very helpful to me. Such a nicé interview òf a one of pro blógger. It’s Inspiration for me. I have been reading his blogs since a couple of months & learned so many things. Thanks Sharing this Valuable information.

  11. Amrit Maury Avatar
    Amrit Maury

    Hello Ishtiak,

    Such an awesome interview of Adam and I am following him after A few years and he is doing a really great work.

  12. syed Avatar

    Adam is very adorable person he shared many important trick which many people hide to share. his post on submit your blog to SE was very interesting and helpful for me. I followed each and every step. thank you! Adam.

  13. Ram Thakur Avatar

    Adam and Istiak,
    I am a beginner and I am learning something new about blogging every day from both of you. Thanks for publishing this written interview here. Every paragraph of this blog worth reading.
    You guys are shaping the future of the blogging universe and I am really excited to be part of it.
    Please keep helping beginners like me.
    —–
    Regards,
    Ram Thakur

  14. Deepak kumar Avatar

    Hi,

    Such a nice interview of a one of pro blogger. I have been reading his blogs since couple of month’s and learned so many things.

  15. Pradip Nalwaya Avatar

    Awesome!!
    It’s was very helpful to me. It’s Inspiration for me and also a newbie like me.
    Thanks for this Interview Istiak sir. and very thankful to @ADAM CONNELL for Sharing this Valuable information.

  16. Devender Gupta Avatar

    Hey Ishtiak,

    Such an awesome interview of Adam and I am following him a few years and he is doing a really great job also I am very much motivated after reading the interview.

  17. Amit Garg Avatar

    Hi Istiak
    This is really a nice post.
    Being a blogger (newbie), I think this is the best way to know about other bloggers and get inspired.
    Can I have the privilege to ask the same questions (or more) to you?
    Thanks
    Amit Garg

  18. Kumar Avatar

    Hi Istiak, The interview is really good. Adam share some really useful tips and secrets, will start using it. Kindly keep taking such inspirational interviews.

  19. Umer Qureshi Avatar

    Hey Ishtiak,

    Such an awesome interview of Adam and I am following him a few years and he is doing a really great job.

  20. Sahil Shaikh Avatar

    Hey Adam,

    Great to see you here,

    Really amazing interview Istiak. I got many great ideas to fluently running the blog.

    Thanks a lot

    1. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Great to know that, Sahil.

      And yes, it’s full of wisdom. Thanks for stopping by.

  21. Rahul Avatar

    Thanks a lot, Istiak for this great interview.

    Also, I am personally a big fan of Adam’s content and have been a regular reader of all his websites. I particularly like the way he has designed his websites and represents the content in a way that is very easy to understand.

    Again, thanks Istiak for interviewing a great blogger and thanks to Adam for sharing his secrets with us.

    1. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Hey Rahul,

      Good to see you here.

      Yes, Adam’s blogs are awesome. I am also a big fan of him.

      Thanks for stopping by.

    2. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Thanks for the kind words, Rahul – much appreciated!

  22. Dhiraj Kumar Yadav Avatar

    Thanks for sharing such a wonderful article. I loved the simplicity of words and detailed explanations.

  23. Lily Ugbaja Avatar

    Great Interview questions Istiak!

    Loved reading all the answers and especially loved that tip about making headlines leave a question unanswered.

    It’s really good to get to know you even better Adam, I didn’t know you were that organized! My organization strategy is sticky notes, writing posts on the morning of publication and more sticky notes! Haha!

    I didn’t know Nicola was your editor, she edited my post or was that someone else?

    Great interview! Checking out Sendible

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hey Lily,

      Thanks for checking out the interview!

      I can relate to the sticky notes, for sure. I’m naturally disorganised so it’s been a work in progress getting to this point. In my “agency days” my desk would get out of control with sticky notes haha.

      That said, organisation is all about finding a system that works for you. So, if it works, then it’s all good :)

      It was both of us (I think). We have a two step editorial process. Nicola will do an initial proof read (checking with Grammarly too) and load the post into WordPress, sorting all the formatting & images, etc. Then I do a final check on the day of publication, usually to make any minor edits, check over on-page SEO, add internal links if needed, etc.

      Thanks!

    2. Gavin Hammar Avatar

      Hey Adam,

      Thanks for sharing so many of your secrets and mentioning Sendible in your list of tools! 🙏 It’s great to get a behind-the-scenes glimpse of how you work.

      David Hartshorne also writes for our blog and I couldn’t recommend him enough!

      Lily – if you’d like any help getting started with a free trial of Sendible, let me know!

  24. sayem Avatar

    Hey Adam!
    This a great opportunity for a newbie like me to get inspired by your stories. I am new in this blogging industry. And thanks to Istiak for letting me get introduced with another icon through this interview.

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hey Sayem, thanks for dropping by to read the interview. Hope you’ve got some extra inspiration and ideas to implement for your blog :)

  25. Ashfaq Avatar

    Thanks Istyak, Love with your all question which you have asked.. This Interview giving me more inspiration, just Awesome. I am also a big fan of Adam and following for a long time and to be honest I am really very Grateful to RoadToBlogging for publishing this..

    Thanks Adam!!

    Cheers!!
    Ashfaq

    1. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Thanks for your kind words. I am really grateful to Adam to make “How I Blog” series happened. I was a bit confused whether it’s a good idea or not. And talk about it with Adam. He approved the idea and I asked him to be our first guest. He happily accepted the invitation. He is such an awesome guy.

    2. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Sure thing, Ashfaq – hope you found my answers helpful :)

      Istiak, this interview series is a great idea. Really appreciate you inviting me to be the first to take part! Great questions!

  26. Mahmudul hasan Avatar

    Hi, Adam
    great to see you here.
    I love to read bloggers interviews because I find a lot of gems every interview I read.
    and this time, it’s no exception. learn something new.

    thank you so much Istyak vai for arranging the great interview

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hi Mahmudul,

      Thanks for leaving a comment, great to hear you were able to learn something new.

    2. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Adam is awesome. He never fails to amaze us with amazing contents. Thanks brother for stopping by.

  27. Ryan K Biddulph Avatar

    He is such an inspiration. I have been following him for many years. Feels like a decade LOL. The over delivers all the time and Adam just brings it day after day. One of the best bloggers on Earth.

    1. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Hi Ryan,

      Thanks for stopping by.

      I actually asked Adam who else he would like to see answer these questions. And he suggested your name. If you are interested, you can be our second guest for this ‘How I Blog’ interview series.

      Let me know what do you think.

    2. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Oh man, thank you! I’m humbled. You’ve been (and continue to be) a source of inspiration!

  28. Masud Parvage Avatar

    Hey Dear Istiak Bro,

    Feeling really very inspired to read the full interview! I am also a fan of Adam. To be honest- First time Google introduced Adam to me! Once I was searching for something related to WordPress on Google! And I found my answer on “Blogging Wizard”. Really a tremendous blog for the beginners, marketers and WP lovers.

    I am really very Grateful to RoadToBlogging for publishing such a nice thoughts. And also, Thanks Adam for sharing your secrets…! Keep fine you and your girl-friend…!

    Masud Parvage
    Founder @ Micro Dollarz

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hey Masud,

      Thanks for the great feedback! Glad Istiak invited me to take part and share with all of you.
      – Adam

    2. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      Hey Bro,

      Thanks for stopping by. Glad you found the interview useful. You’ll see more interviews like this in future inshaAllah.

  29. Enstine Muki Avatar

    Hey Adam,
    I don’t think I have mentioned this to your hearing before but one thing about you is your humility and that makes you a very attractive person in the industry. Many top bloggers in your category feel they have arrived. But you still go round maintaining cordial relationships with not-known bloggers.

    Keep that up man. We are learning from you.

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hey man,

      Thanks for the kind words – I appreciate it!

    2. Istiak Rayhan Avatar
      Istiak Rayhan

      So true. I had very hard times to reach out other bloggers like Adam. But Adam is a very down to earth guy. He’s thriving but still responding not-known bloggers.

  30. Santanu Avatar

    Hi Adam,

    I am a regular reader of your blog from years. And learned a lot about how to write, what to write and most importantly how to blog on this competitive niche.

    Your website is an awesome place for finding everything related to WordPress.

    I am happy to see your blogging story here. Great initiative Istiak.

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hi Santanu,

      That’s awesome – really glad to hear that. Thanks for stopping by!

  31. Vishwajeet Kumar Avatar

    Hello Istiak,

    Great Interview. I am a big Fan of Adam and his blog. I am a regular reader of his blog. His articles are very informative and crafted with keeping newbies in find. Anyone can understand and grasp his blog posts. There is no doubt that he is one of the best pro bloggers out there.

    Regards,
    Vishwajeet

    1. Adam Connell Avatar
      Adam Connell

      Hi Vishwajeet,
      Thanks so much for the feedback & kind words – much appreciated!

      – Adam

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *