It’s the new year! Many of us have goals and resolutions around blogging- which is AMAZING. The new year is a great time reset your goals for your blog. It’s important to make sure you are finding joy, creating content you love and growing your following (if that’s your blog goal!). Sometimes our goals can be too generalized. For example “I want to work on my blog” or “I want to grow my blog.” We are here to help refine your blogging goals and help you find attainable resolutions to help your blog succeed in 2018. We have 5 specific blogging goals you might find relate to your goals as well.
Create a Content Calendar
Having lots and lots of content is great, but sometimes it can feel unorganized or stressful. Creating a content calendar is a great way to organize your posting topics, schedule, and ease your mind! You can also plan types of content to make sure you are touching on all types of topics you want to write about. Go ahead and put all of your ideas on paper. Plan your blog’s content ahead for at least few months & set a new challenge for each of them. This way, you will be more focused & strategic throughout the whole year.
Clean up your Blog
Even without your knowledge, blogs can get messy over time. Content and tools can get outdated which won’t let your blog shine like it should. Check all your static pages (About, contact, etc) and make sure the content is up-to-date. Maybe even spruce them up a bit if the content has been the same for a long period of time. Also look at your older posts. Is everything is formatting correctly? Do your links still work? Another good idea is to check into any plug-ins (wordpress users!) or widgets you are using on your site. Are they all updated? Do you still use them all? If you don’t get rid of them! They are slowing your site speed down. If you need help cleaning up the backend of your site- shoot us an email. We can help!
Relaunch Fresh
There is something about a fresh, new site that really boosts motivation and drive for content creation! Has your blog had the same look and design elements for awhile? Trying changing things up. You can also look into installing a new theme, adding new graphic elements, or using new widgets to create content areas on your site. A new look and feel will help keep you on the path to success for your blog resolutions. If you need help with development or design- let us know. We can put you in touch with someone who wants to work with pdxbloggers members for discounted rates.
Strategize New Content
This can be a tough goal because it’s easier to write about what comes naturally to you. Push yourself to think about new ways to engage readers. Think about what types of content have been most successful for you in the past. Elaborate on those topics, clearly, people were very interested in your point of view- so give them more. If you are a niche blogger try pushing the envelope and reaching a bit outside the box. For example: are you a Mom/Family blogger? That means you can write about your kids, parenting, and family events. What about quick dinner recipes, utilizing kid-free time and more. Really strategize all the types of content you are passionate about because if they are like you, your readers most like are passionate about these things too.
Take a Break
Now we know this might seem counter-intuitive for blogging goals, but hear us out! If you are blogging weekly, daily or monthly the routine can become a chore or mundane. A long or short break can give your mind the creative refresh it needs to hit the ground running. Your readers will be happy if you take a short break but come back with amazing content. It can be as easy as chatting with friends and family, going on a trip, or just having a week to think. Amazing content comes when you are excited and passionate about the content you create. Give yourself time to cultivate that passion.
No matter what your goals for 2018, we are excited to have you as part of our community. If you have some blogging goals for the new year leave them below! We’d love to hear what you are working on too.
– pdxbloggers