If you haven't read Part 1 of the Blogging Goals series, you can read it here.
Back in January, I talked about the benefits of setting goals for your blog in this post. I mentioned that when I look back at my blog's lifespan, there are a lot of things I would have done differently from the beginning and setting goals is one of those things. Doing so is important because it helps you to grow, measure results, evaluate your progress, make changes, and much more. If you haven't read that post yet and you're looking to set goals for your blog this year, you can read it here.
One thing I realize is that writing a whole list of goals for your blog can be challenging and a bit overwhelming- but it doesn't have to be. For 2015, I've separating my blogging goals into 7 different categories. If I was to just list every single goal I've made for the year, I would get so overwhelmed! However, putting these goals into categories makes them seem very manageable and easy.
These categories are:
1. Social Media
2. Networking
3.Marketing
4. Advertising
5. Statistics
6. Research
7. Income
Here are 25 goals that you might want to set for your blog to help you grow in 2015!
Social Media
-Set measurable goals for your social media growth and make them realistic. (Think about how many followers you have now and how many you'd like to have by the end of 2015. Gaining 50-100 followers per month on Instagram is realistic, where as gaining 1,000 per month may not be... so keep that in mind.)
-Ask yourself if you are maximizing your reach on social media. Are you using all the platforms that will benefit your blog? If the answer to that is no, perhaps you should set a goal to become more active on that new platform.
Networking
-Set a goal to comment on a certain number of blogs/social media accounts each day/week. E.g. I strive to read/comment on a minimum of 5 blogs per day.
-If you're interested in working with other bloggers, set a goal to collaborate/partner with a certain number of bloggers per month.
Marketing/Advertising
-Develop an advertising budget, so that you can plan for advertising goals and expectations in 2015.
-Place advertising in the areas where you want to grow.
-Start a Facebook ad campaign.
-Purchase ad space on some of your favorite blogs.
-Set up an email newsletter for your blog that will draw readers in.
Statistics
-Set a goal for how much you would like your pageviews to increase in 2015, by the month and by the end of the year (Again, make it realistic).
-If you have a high bounce rate, set a goal to lower it.
-Set a goal for how many followers you'd like to gain in 2015.
Research
-Develop a survey to learn more about your audience.
-Make a goal to learn more about your analytics in 2015- perhaps your want to become more familiar with Google Analytics.
-Set a goal to better keep track of your social media statistics, which will in turn help you evaluate your other goals. Some tools you can use are: Pinterest Analytics, Iconosquare, and Facebook Analytics (found within your page settings).
Income
-If you haven't monetized your blog yet and you want to, set a goal to do so in 2015.
-Set a goal for how many sponsors you'd like to work with each month throughout the year.
-Set up Google Adsense on your blog in 2015 to start generating passive income.
-Sign-up for some affiliate networks that you think would be a good fit for you blog and your blog niche.
-Apply to become a member of multiple blogger PR agencies that you can work with in 2015.
-Once you set up revenue streams, you'll get a good idea of how much money you can ideally make this year and you can set a goal for how much money you would like to make monthly and annually.
General Goals
-Strive to set up and stick to an editorial calendar each month.
-If you aren't happy with the design of your blog, set a goal to get a new and more responsive design.
-Similarly, if you don't have a responsive mobile site setup, make a goal to do so this year. (This is something I'm working on!)
-If you'd like to post more often or avoid blog intermissions, set a goal to blog a certain number of times per week/month. (Mine is 4-5).
*Always remember to give yourself a big pat on the back and reward yourself for reaching your goals- big or small! Growing a blog is hard work and it doesn't happen over night, but by small steps. You deserve to celebrate when you hit that milestone you've been working towards. I recommend donuts, but use your own discretion on this one :)
I hope this installment of the Blogging Goals Series has been helpful! What are some of the goals you're setting for your blog in 2015?
Like this post? Be sure to follow along via bloglovin' or sign-up for the Afternoon Style newsletter so you don't miss the next one!
*Always remember to give yourself a big pat on the back and reward yourself for reaching your goals- big or small! Growing a blog is hard work and it doesn't happen over night, but by small steps. You deserve to celebrate when you hit that milestone you've been working towards. I recommend donuts, but use your own discretion on this one :)
I hope this installment of the Blogging Goals Series has been helpful! What are some of the goals you're setting for your blog in 2015?
Like this post? Be sure to follow along via bloglovin' or sign-up for the Afternoon Style newsletter so you don't miss the next one!