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in Writing & Blogging &middot July 2, 2019

Can Canva Pinterest Templates Actually Help Your Blog?

Happy July, friends! Before we get into the July blog traffic report (in which I share my experience using Canva Pinterest templates), I wanted to give you all a heads up that this will be the only blog post this week due to the 4th of July. Thank you for understanding my need to take a blog-vacation last week – definitely wasn’t a real vacation because I was at a work conference – and hopefully I’ll be able to do 2 posts next week. That being said, subscribe to my newsletter to get blog updates so you’re in the loop! Now let’s talk blog traffic.

This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting Kate the (Almost) Great!

All blog traffic reports | How blog traffic reports can bring you blog traffic

Boston lifestyle blogger Kate the (Almost) Great tried using Canva Pinterest templates to see if they would help her blog traffic. Here are the results and her thoughts about it.

June Blog Traffic Report

Statistics

Google Analytics Statistics

Pageviews: 13579 (+16.60% from May, +33.78% from last year)

Bounce Rate: 17.04% (+7.98% from May, +3.9% from last year)

Sessions: 6560 (+19.42% from May, +46.2% from last year)

Users: 5542 (+16.50% from May, +47% from last year)

Bloglovin: 1791 (-0.16% from May, -0.7% from last year)

Email Subscribers: 678 (+1.34% from May, +43.94% from last year)

How I keep my bounce rate so low

Webhostinghub.com Statistics

Pageviews: 74339 (-20.8% from May)

Sessions: 23737 (-16% from May)

Users: 1594 (-28% from May)

Social Media

Facebook: 1066 (+0.28% from May, +3.79% from last year)

Twitter: 3541 (+1.63% from May, +6.97% from last year)

Instagram: 2625 (+1% from May, -2% from last year)

Pinterest: 8427 (+1.67% from May, +36.96% from last year)

Tumblr: 3934 (+0.48% from May, +1.75% from last year)

How I manage social media for my blog | How to get followers on Pinterest

Top Posts

  1. Chronically Ill Tips: What To Do When a Doctor Isn’t Listening
  2. POTS and Heat Intolerance
  3. 10 Things I Wish I Knew When I Received My Rheumatoid Arthritis Diagnosis
  4. What Does Endometriosis Feel Like?
  5. Tips for Writing from Famous Writers
  6. Loving Someone with Chronic Pain
  7. 31 Historical Fiction Novels That Will Take You Back in Time
  8. My Biggest Fear Realized
  9. Fun Things To Do in Boston: A 3-Day Guide
  10. Beginners Guide: Seronegative Rheumatoid Arthritis

Top Sources of Traffic

  • Pinterest (70.05%) – While this is a huge number, it isn’t nearly the highest percentage of traffic. For example, in May, 74.10% of my blog traffic came from Pinterest. I work very hard on Pinterest, which obviously pays off. (Psst – this percentage jumped up dramatically when I started treating Pinterest like the search engine that it is. If you’re not doing that, you’re miss out!)
  • Facebook (7.38%) – I participate in a number of Facebook groups for bloggers, so between those and my Facebook page, Facebook is usually one of my top sources of blog traffic.
  • Search engines (5.54%) – I try to use SEO in most of my blog posts, which is why search engine results are generally in the top 4 sources of traffic. You can learn more about SEO here.
  • Twitter (2.08%) – I love Twitter! It’s my favorite social media network. But my one issue with Twitter is how there’s such a short lifespan for tweets. Something I posted an hour ago is wayyyyyy down in people’s timelines already, for example. But while I do promote my tweets on Twitter, it isn’t my primary use of it, so I stick with it.

This does not include direct traffic.

How to use Pinterest for blog traffic | How to use SEO to stand out

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Can Canva Pinterest Templates Actually Help Your Blog? June Blog Traffic Analysis

What I Did

  • How I promote my blog posts
  • Big thing: make Pinterest images with Canva templates
    • I did this for every June post (5 total). I have heard about how great Canva is for making Pinterest images for years, but since I have Photoshop, I generally don’t use it. My strategy was to make my usual 2 images per post in my normal way and then 1 extra with Canva. I uploaded all 3 to Tailwind to schedule post promotions, including adding all 3 to the appropriate Tailwind Tribes.
  • Worked to speed up the site
    • Deleted plugins that I don’t really use/need
    • Added the plugin W3 Total Cache plugin, which I read helps speed up your website.
    • Here are some other ways to speed up your site
  • Actually got properly signed up for The Blog Societies and set up
  • Stopped using Disqus for comments
  • Had a blog post featured in an InfluenceHer Collective weekly email

I Haven’t Seen Results From

  • Joining The Blog Societies – I’m not surprised by this. I didn’t join specifically to increase traffic but for the community.
  • Using Canva templates – So, before I really get into this, I want to clarify that I’m not convinced that Canva templates do not increase traffic from Pinterest. I’m going to give this another month before I make up my mind. Right now, my pins made in my typical, branded way bring much more traffic than Canva ones do. However, I do see how Canva can be extremely helpful, especially for a new blogger who doesn’t want to use Photoshop.

What I Can Learn This Month

  • Many more people wanted to comment on my blog than people who actually were commenting – I haven’t been getting many comments on my blog for a while, and I thought that was just because people didn’t want to comment. Turns out, it’s because they didn’t want to sign up for Disqus. I ditched them and started getting comments on my posts again. Once upon a time, Disqus was THE commenting forum. But blogging has changed a lot in the last few years, and apparently people don’t want to deal with it any more. Lesson learned!

June Goals

  • 5 blog posts – Success! I published 5 posts exactly.
  • Keep page views essentially where they are – Success!

July Goals

  • 6 blog posts
  • Keep page views essentially where they are

What has been your experience with Canva Pinterest templates?

Like this post? Check out:

What Should I Blog About?, 8 Ways To Blog Better, My Proven Method for Blogging with Limited Time, Tips for New Bloggers

Kate Mitchell

Kate Mitchell is a blogger, chronic illness patient, and advocate who helps people understand chronic illness and helps chronic illness patients live their best lives.

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Related

Previous Post: « What Every POTS Syndrome Patient Needs for the Summer
Next Post: 2019 Recent Reads: April-June »

Reader Interactions

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  1. Ways To Promote Blog Posts: 2022 Edition says:
    January 25, 2022 at 7:04 am

    […] Can Canva Pinterest Templates Actually Help Your Blog? […]

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  2. The Process for Writing a Blog Post | Kate the (Almost) Great says:
    January 28, 2024 at 8:44 am

    […] Step 7: Images – The last thing I do for a post is make the images! Sometimes, I use stock images mostly from Unspalsh and Pixabay, but over the last year, I have been using images I took myself. Then, I put white space and text over it. I started doing this so that my text would stand out, but I continued doing it and ended up branding my images this way. Hopefully, people who are familiar with Kate the (Almost) Great see my images on sites like Pinterest and know that they’re by me just by looking at how they’re styled. Scroll back up and look at the images from this post to see what I’m talking about! I’ve also started recently trying Canva Pinterest templates to see how those images – made from templates created by the pros – compare to my traditional images. I’ve only been doing it for a little while, and I’ll give it a few months before deciding if I’ll stick with it or not, but it was the “big thing” I tried in June. […]

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  3. Self-Care Tips That Chronic Illness Patients Need | Health & Lifestyle says:
    May 31, 2026 at 7:55 am

    […] The other 30 minutes, I use to do morning blog stuff. I manually pin 5-7 pins on Pinterest, make new pins on Canva for existing posts, and promote a new blog post if I have one. Then, I get ready for work or […]

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July is: ⁣ - Disability Pride Month ⁣ - Juvenile A July is: ⁣
- Disability Pride Month ⁣
- Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month ⁣
- the anniversary of when I was diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis at age 19 after 9 years of symptoms ⁣
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As you can imagine, that makes me very aware of my disability via juvenile arthritis⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Screenshot of a Bluesky post. The background is dark teal, and it's written by Kate Mitchell | Kate the (Almost) Great with the username katethealmostgreat.bsky.social. ⁣The text reads what's above the first black box.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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#DisabilityPride #JuvenileArthritis #RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease
There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't doubt There are a lot of reasons why you shouldn't doubt someone's chronic illness, but this is one of them. ⁣
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I'm always amazed by how people can have the exact same illness or set of illnesses and still have different experiences. Sure, there will be similarities, but which symptoms are the worst, what medications you respond to, and your quality of life can vary significantly. ⁣
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It doesn't mean that one person is necessarily worse off than another; they're just different.⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Kate takes a selfie. A white text box reads "Chronic Illness Looks Different in Each Person"⁣
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#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Endometriosis #Fibromyalgia #POTS
This basically sums up my summer so far: Harley, a This basically sums up my summer so far: Harley, a sewing project, and my foot in a cast⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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ID: Harley the golden retriever has his head on Kate's lap. Also on her lap is an in-progress needlepoint project and Kate's leg (in a walking cast) is elevated.⁣
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#Osteoporosis #RheumatoidArthritis #GoldenRetrievers #Needlepoint #Needlework
Week 28 of 2026 Weekly A very busy week! 1️⃣ Foo Week 28 of 2026 Weekly

A very busy week!

1️⃣ Foot checkup! Walking boot is on occasionally from now until September 
2️⃣ Boston 
3️⃣ IVIG
4️⃣ Dentist 🦷 All good! 
5️⃣ Not a filter - this was the Boston area the second half of the week 
6️⃣ Physical time!

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.

⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣

IDs:
1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in a doctor’s office
2️⃣ Looking at TD Garden, the bear statue for the Bruins, and Zakim Bridge in the background 
3️⃣ Looking at tubes coming out from under Kate’s clothes. There’s a Kindle on her stomach
4️⃣ Kate takes a mirror selfie before leaving
5️⃣ Medford Square looking like there’s a yellow filter over it
6️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in a doctor’s office

#ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #AutoimmuneDisease #Bostonian #IVIG
Also, if this is how you’re finding out, I’m sorry Also, if this is how you’re finding out, I’m sorry. I’m fortunate enough to have a lot of people who care about me and this is the fastest way to tell everyone. 

Video: Kate talks to the camera while putting on makeup. There are captions. 

#RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimnuneDisease #ChronicIllness #Arthritis #ChronicPain
Week 27 of 2026 Weekly (Delayed because last Sund Week 27 of 2026 Weekly

(Delayed because last Sunday was baaaaad)

1️⃣ Due airport difficulties, we got a few more days with Emma. Harley was THRILLED!
2️⃣ Beautiful bird/squirrel visitors
3️⃣ A beautiful Maine summer day

⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣

I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.

⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣

1️⃣ Harley the golden retriever putting his front legs up on Emma’s legs to demand hugs.
2️⃣ A bird feeder and hummingbird feeder on a deck. There is a hummingbird at one and squirrel at the other.
3️⃣ A barn, a pond, and the Maine woods

#207 #MaineLife #MaineTheWay #NewEnglandSummer #IGMaine
Reminder: you can be proud of your disability comm Reminder: you can be proud of your disability community while wishing your body cooperated more⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
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 ID: Screenshot of a thread post. The background is dark teal, and it's written by katethealmostgreat. ⁣The text reads what's above the first black box.⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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#DisabilityPride #ChronicallyIll #InvisibleIllness #Disabled #Disability
I don’t know the exact date of my RA diagnosis, bu I don’t know the exact date of my RA diagnosis, but this is from right around then in July 2010. ⁣
⁣
When I was diagnosed, I had been having symptoms for 9 years. ⁣
- 9 years of foot pain (partially from tarsal coalition)⁣
- Arthritic damage in said food⁣
- Carpal tunnel off and on for several years⁣
- And more⁣
⁣
I was finally diagnosed because I woke up one morning and was unable to open my jaw more than 8 mm. It turned out that I had horrible arthritic damage to my TMJs, which got me off the waiting list at MGH rheumatology. I left that appointment with an autoimmune arthritis diagnosis. ⁣
⁣
The fact that July is not only my diagnosis anniversary but also Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month has always seemed right. I may not have been diagnosed with JA, but given the amount of arthritis I had along with my many years of symptoms, it's generally accepted that I had it. ⁣
⁣
This year marks 16 years since diagnosis and this fall marks 25 years since my symptoms started. It's pretty weird that so much time has already passed!⁣
⁣
⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
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ID: Kate at 19 at Fenway Park for a Red Sox game. ⁣
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#RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #Arthritis #JuvenileArthritis #JRA
Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is di Dos and don'ts for when someone in your life is diagnosed with autoimmune arthritis! What are some that you would add?⁣
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⬛⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣
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I’m Kate, a chronic illness patient and advocate sharing what my life is like with 10+ chronic illnesses. Follow me for more and check out my blog at katethealmostgreat.com⁣⁣.⁣
⁣
⁣⁣⬛⁣⁣⁣
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ID: "So someone you know was diagnosed with Autoimmune Arthritis". Under the Do column (indicated with a green checkmark) is:⁣
"As how they feel about it⁣
Offer specific ways to help⁣
Treat them normally⁣
Ask follow-up questions⁣
Wear a mask around them when sick."⁣
Under the don't don't column (indicated with an x in a red circle) is:⁣
"Say “At least it’s not xyz!”⁣
Say that and not follow through⁣
Assume nothing about their lives has changed⁣
Conflate autoimmune arthritis with osteoarthritis⁣
Pass your cold to an immunosuppressed person".⁣
⁣
#AutoimmuneDisease #RheumatoidArthritis #PsoriaticArthritis #AnkylosingSpondylitis #JuvenileArthritis
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