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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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There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm g There are a lot of medical advancements that I'm grateful for, but one of them is the ability to do IVIG at home. ⁣
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I'm on IVIG - or, in my case, subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy - because I have to kill the better part of my immune system. There are, in fact, some parts of my immune system that don't attack me, which is why we add them back in. This helps reduce my chance of serious infection and also made my rheumatologist feel comfortable enough to increase my Rituxan dose. ⁣
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This is a weekly treatment that I do, but it's so much better that I can do it at home than going into the hospital. It takes around 2.5 hours from taking my pre-meds to tossing my needles into a Sharps container. While it's another thing that I have to do, because I do it at home, I don't have to risk exposure to infections at the hospital or deal with Boston traffic, which would add another hour to the process. ⁣
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I can finish my treatment and then go about my day, which I'm very grateful for.⁣
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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: A Kindle on Kate's legs. There are tubes for an infusion coming out of her shirt.⁣
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#IVIG #ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #Autoimmune #AutoimmuneDisease
Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! The last two wee Weeks 23 and 24 of 2026 Weekly! 

The last two weeks were prepping for my infusion, having/recovering from my infusion, and getting caught up after. This meant things were very busy but also I don’t have a lot to show for them. 

1️⃣ New glasses! I really like having multiple pairs so I can switch them as I want.
2️⃣ One of my current projects. I got this standing hoop for my birthday and I’m working on an alphabet (uppercase and lower, although I’m still working on the lower) with extra floss.
3️⃣ Infusion time! I got my higher dose so hopefully my symptoms improve a lot in the upcoming weeks🤞🏻

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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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IDs: 
1️⃣ Kate takes a selfie. Her new glasses are thin silver circles
2️⃣ An in-progress cross-stitched alphabet in a special hoop stand that Kate is sitting on.
3️⃣ Kate takes a selfie in an infusion chair.

#ChronicallyIll #RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #CrossStitcher
Week 22 of 2026 Weekly 1️⃣ Off to see my foot doc Week 22 of 2026 Weekly

1️⃣ Off to see my foot doc … and my foot is healing! Yay!
2️⃣ A very cool notification to get!
3️⃣ This is 35 🎂
4️⃣ Featuring Harley snuggles 
5️⃣ And then it was my mom’s birthday! 
6️⃣ With Harley again 

ID: 
1️⃣ Kate takes a mirror selfie 
2️⃣ a notification from WordPress saying “Receive views from 150+ counties. The United Nations has nothing on you!”
3️⃣ Kate smiles for the camera in a cafe 
4️⃣ Kate in the same outfit with Harley the golden retriever on her lap. 
5️⃣ Kate’s mom smiling in a restaurant 
6️⃣ Kate with Harley again 

#GoldenRetrieversOfInstagram #ChronicallyIll #ChronicPain #InvisibleIllness
Lifestyle Changes I Made for My Rheumatoid Arthrit Lifestyle Changes I Made for My Rheumatoid Arthritis⁣
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While these are not my treatments, they have made my life better in some ways. ⁣
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What lifestyle changes have you made, for RA or another condition?⁣
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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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IDs: ⁣
A series of pictures. Each has a text box on them related to the picture. ⁣
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1️⃣ Lifestyle changes I made for my rheumatoid arthritis⁣
2️⃣ Wearing a mask⁣
3️⃣ Using a cane⁣
4️⃣ Changing my diet⁣
5️⃣ Working from home⁣
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#ChronicIllness #RheumatoidArthritis #AutoimmuneDisease #Arthritis #ChronicallyIll
What helps you mentally get through a tough time?⁣ What helps you mentally get through a tough time?⁣
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I'm struggling right now with my broken foot, which brings back a lot of tough memories. That plus being due for Rituxan and the heat starting up has made things hard. ⁣
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Here are somethings I do: ⁣
▪ Stick with my routine⁣
▪ Make recipes that I really enjoy⁣
▪ Work on embroidery projects so I can do something productive that involves stabbing fabric⁣
▪ Cut myself slack ⁣
▪ Get Harley hugs⁣
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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 and Harley the golden retriever hugging. Kate is a redheaded white woman wearing a black dress, pink sweater, and round pink glasses.⁣
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#GoldenRetrievers #RheumatoidArthritis #Fibromyalgia #POTS #SjogrensSyndrome
Week 21 of 2026 Weekly 1️⃣ First real cross-stit Week 21 of 2026 Weekly 

1️⃣ First real cross-stitch project: done! 
2️⃣ The magic machine that is hopefully healing my broken foot 
3️⃣ When your 2 refrigerated medications are delivered on the same day

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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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1️⃣ A completed cross-stitch project, which shows 2 bears walking past a lake, trees, and mountains.
2️⃣ An Exogen machine showing use 13 days in a row
3️⃣ A couple of styrofoam refridgerated containers for medication

#ChronicallyIll #CrossStitch #RheumatoidArthritis #SjogrensSyndrome #IVIG
You guessed it, I'm one of that 25%. ⁣ ⁣ May is Ar You guessed it, I'm one of that 25%. ⁣
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May is Arthritis Awareness Month. Like, comment, and share to spread awareness 💖⁣
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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: Fact or Fiction? Let's Check! ⁣
Fiction⁣
You only have rheumatoid arthritis if your rheumatoid factor tests positive.⁣
Fact⁣
As many as 25% of RA patients test negative, which is called being seronegative.⁣
katethealmostgreat
Things are tough (all over pain, heat with POTS, i Things are tough (all over pain, heat with POTS, in a walking cast waiting to see if I need my 6th foot surgery), but so am I.⁣
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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. She's a white woman with auburn hair wearing a navy-based floral dress, green glasses, and silver Celtic knot necklace.⁣
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#RheumatoidArthritis #POTS #POTSie #AutoimmuneDisease #ChronicallyIll
Week 20 of #2026Weekly 1️⃣ IVIG + Kindle reading Week 20 of #2026Weekly 

1️⃣ IVIG + Kindle reading 
2️⃣ Almost done!!!!!

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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⁣⁣.

⬛ 

IDs: 
1️⃣ Infusion tubes coming out from under her shirt. There’s a Kindle on her lap.
2️⃣ An almost-finished cross-stitch project

#IVIG #ChronicallyIll #CrossStitcher #CrossStitchersOfInstagram
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