Blog Goals You Need To Set

Last Updated on October 21, 2020 by ellduclos

It’s the 12 Days of Blog Tips – Day 4! Today’s post is going to be all about getting your blogging sh*t together! With the new year fast approaching, I thought this would be the PERFECT post. How many of us can truly say we have our blogging sh*t together? I know I definitely am not where I want to be! There are still days that I feel unorganized, unmotivated, stressed out and overwhelmed! WELL NOT NEXT YEAR! In 2018 I am taking my blog to the next level. Let’s talking about blogging goals you need to have the years to come.

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Disclaimer: Affiliate links are used, read my policy here.

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Blogging Goals to Set For The Upcoming New Year

Make Short Term Goals That Help Your Long Term Goal

Let’s be honest for a minute… we all make “new years resolutions” but, how many of us STICK to that resolution? VERY FEW! I am guilty of making a resolution and never following through. I think the reason for this is because our resolutions are so COMPLEX that we get overwhelmed and fail to follow through. It’s the short term goals that help us stick to our new years resolution. Creating a long term goal is hard to achieve without focusing on short term goals that help you eventually reach that long term goal.

For example, let’s say your “long term goal” is to take your blog to the next level. What are some short term goals that will GET you to that NEXT level?

Maybe it’s putting out more content or monetizing your blog? Maybe you have been wanting to self host for a while now and now you are ready to take the next step and self host? Whatever those next level steps may be, write those short term goals down and hold yourself accountable.

Plan Your Content Out

If there is one thing I learned about blogging it’s to be ORGANIZED and PLAN AHEAD. I am way too guilty of not planning ahead. I feel like my life is in constant chaos because I am focusing on my Boss Girl Blogger’s group, my blog, my part time job, and all of my social medias at once.

I know it sounds a bit ridiculous but, managing all of these things can be chaotic. I don’t recommend taking on this much work if you get stressed out easily. What I learned is that I need to PLAN AHEAD. Planning ahead has helped my sanity out immensely. 

The way that I like to plan out my content is with daily planners. I am the type of person who does better when things are written out in front of me. The old school way of writing out my goals and to-dos in my planner is more effective.

At the beginning of each month I will take my list of blog post ideas and plan them out by writing down which post I need to have published by which date. Just because I write them down doesn’t mean they will get done. The key is to keep yourself accountable! Make sure you follow your monthly posting schedule. Always be realistic and don’t schedule too many posts if you know you won’t have the time for it all.

Planning your monthly content schedule will save you time, energy and prevent writer’s block.

Set Timers

If you struggle with time management then this goal is for you! I LOVE setting timers for myself. It helps keep me on task and prevents me from focusing on one task for too long.

1. Write down the tasks that you need to get done that day.
2. Prioritize the tasks by the most important to least important.
3. Set a timer that gives you a reasonable amount of time to get the task done.
4. Once timer goes off, if the task isn’t finished put it to the bottom of the list and move on to your next task.
5. Once all tasks are touched upon, go back to tasks you didn’t get to finish and try to finish them.

This method helps me to stay on task and touch base on all tasks I need to get accomplished.

Take 5 Minute Breaks – Not long breaks

When it comes to working on my blog I know that breaks are necessary. However, long breaks can do more harm than good. That’s why to me it’s important to give myself short breaks. After an hour or two hours I make sure to take a 5-10 minute break. Whether it be breathing exercises, a break to eat or just to clear my mind. That’s important.

It’s the constant week breaks, month breaks, and multiple long breaks that can hold you back. Taking long breaks or taking too many breaks can make you feel even more unmotivated. It will just slow your journey down and make your audience feel as if they can’t trust you. Posting consistent content is KEY to getting your blogging sh*t together.

Get MORE Consistent

Another important blogging goal to set is consistency. It’s time to really get consistent this year when it comes to blogging. Create blogging schedules and stick to it. Get consistent with your posting. You can even create different themes for each day or a series.

Example:

Self Care Sundays

Tip Tuesdays

Motivational Mondays

Get Fit Friday

Fashion Fridays

Crafty Wednesdays 

Whatever it may be, get creative and get consistent! 

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Related: How to Stay Consistent as a Blogger

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Invest in Your Blog

If you are trying to get serious when it comes to your blog then it would be a smart idea to INVEST in your blog.

The first investment I ever made for my blog was self hosting and I am so happy I did! Self hosting is the BEST option for taking your blog to the next level. I share my top reasons as to why you should self host in this post. I use Site Ground as my self host and absolutely LOVE them!

The next thing I invested in for my blog was a good premium theme. I believe appearance plays a huge role in getting your blogging sh*t together. You want a blog that looks professional and put together. I bought my theme from Hello You Designs and I love my theme! They have so many stunning themes to choose from.

Create a Space

If you don’t have a space already then it’s time to create one. Having a space where you can go to focus on your blog can help keep you productive and less distracted. Your space should be somewhere quiet and away from distractions. Maybe your own home office? Or a quiet corner in your room. It doesn’t have to be a large space.

Set up your space to inspire you. Fill your space with things that bring you happiness, inspiration and motivation.

Some things to include in your space are:

1. Photos that make you happy or inspired. Even creating a dream board with inspirational quotes and images.
2. Scents that soothe you. Whether it’s a candle or essential oils. Scents that soothe me are eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, or vanilla.
3. Have soothing music. I use Spotify or Pandora and play jazz music or focus music playlists.

Focus on Better Content Marketing

If you want to see growth in blog traffic or sales this year then you need to focus on a better content marketing strategy. Some of my favorite ways to market my content are through Pinterest marketing and promoting my content in my Facebook group.

Creating my own Facebook group has made a huge difference for my blog. Being an admin of a Facebook group is a ton of work but it has so many benefits.

I started Boss Girl Bloggers in April of 2017 and it is now a thriving group of over 43,000 women who are pursing their dream of becoming a blogger. Facebook is the 2nd largest source of blog traffic for this blog.

Since I am the admin and creator of my own Facebook group I am free to make my own rules. This means I can also share my own content to the group whenever I want. 

If you want to learn how to create and grow your own Facebook group then check out this post. 

Monetize Your Blog

A great blogging goal to have is monetizing. This means making money from your blog and It doesn’t hurt to try. As your blog grows so can your income. 

I started my blog in April 2017 & began making consistently over $1,200 each month just 6 months into my blogging journey. If you take your blog seriously, put in the dedication, and learn the right marketing strategies then you CAN make money. 

In 2018 I made over $40,000 from my blog. 

In 2020 I am making over $10,000 a month from my blog. 

I break down where this income came from in this blog income report.

Here are some ways to monetize your blog:

1. Brand Sponsorships: Brands will essentially pay you to talk about their products on your blog. 
2. Affiliate Marketing: With affiliate marketing you can earn commission if someone purchases a product you recommend using your affiliate link. I have an affordable ebook that teaches you how to increase your affiliate income. You can check out that ebook here.
3. Selling Digital Products: I love creating digital products to sell because it makes for awesome passive income. Some digital products I sell are my Pinterest course, my Mastering Sales With Ell ebook, and customizable Pinterest Templates. Your digital product should be related to your niche. I have some helpful tips in this post BUT, this ebook will help you sell your digital products like a pro!
4. Ads: You can place ads on your blog to generate a small amount of income in the beginning. As your blog traffic continues to grow so can your income from ads. I didn’t enjoy using Google Adsense. It was a waste so I waited until I had the blog traffic to qualify for Mediavine. Their payout is great. They require 50,000 sessions in the last 30 days to qualify.
5. Offer Services: Offering a service can be a great way to monetize your blog. Some services I offer are Pinterest managing and 1:1 Pinterest Audits. What is something that you are good at that you can offer as a serivce? It could be coaching, photography, virtual assistant, managing ads, and so much more.

Wake Up Earlier and Have a Morning Routine

There is nothing better than starting off your day right. Having a morning routine can help you have a more productive day of blogging. I find that it helps me stay focused and motivated.

Tips for starting your day:

1. Wake up and start your day off with a positive thought. Make sure you tell yourself “it’s going to be a good day.” If you start your morning off with negative thoughts you are only setting yourself up for a bad day.
2. Do something in the morning that you enjoy. Whether it be a good cup of coffee or journaling.
3. Have some quality “me” time in the morning.
4. Try to get to bed earlier so that you can wake up earlier. Having extra time in the morning makes your days feel just a bit longer and you can get more done!

Eliminate Distractions

If you are anything like me then you have many distractions that get in the way of your work. Whether it be your phone, tv, little ones or just loud background noise. It’s important to set aside time where you know you won’t have these distractions. It might mean you need to work while the little ones nap. In the beginning of your blogging journey you may need to work later or wake up earlier just to have that time away from any distractions.

When you are working on your blog make sure your phone is away and out of reach. Don’t have anything around you that will bring your focus away from your work. I know it can be difficult but, it’s going to help you in the long run. 

Eliminate Negativity

We need to leave all the negative vibes, energy, and people behind. The negativity only delays your journey and gets in the way of your success. If you are surrounded by negative people who don’t support you it’s okay to leave them behind.

We tend to mimic those who we are surrounded by. Being surrounded by negative people can rub off on your own energy. 

I love to surround myself with those who are ambitious, working hard, setting goals, and spreading positivity! Those who support me and make me want to continue to do good are the kind of people I want to take with me next year!

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I hope you take these tips with you into the years to come. Let’s make it the most PRODUCTIVE and  SUCCESSFUL year yet!!! I have a good feeling about this!!!!

Until Next Time,

xx

ELL