The time has come again where we can sit back and analyze what happened in the past year in order to figure out what to keep doing and what to change in the year in front of us. I know that in 2013, even though I had the best intentions, I didn't have the time to concentrate fully on my blog and I really do regret that. As I've always said, blogging is a emotional outlet and a way for me to share who I am with others and it is incredibly important to me. 2013 was very busy with my mom being sick, moving and being in between jobs, because of that I was not able to blog as much as I would have liked to. I've worked hard, in the past few weeks, to come up with an editorial calendar for 6 months which would definitely help me with my blogging. I'm getting back on schedule with my writings.
I barely concentrated on my business in 2013, which I hate myself for. My goal for the future is to grow my business successfully so I would be able to make that my sole source of income. Unfortunately, frustration, depression, plus the other three factors above also made me not able to put my all into it this past year. Though, I may have two new clients for 2014 -- so that's pretty exciting. This year, I want to put my all into my business to try to grow it to be successful, I want to accomplish my goals.
So what are my blogging goals in 2014?
1. Follow My Editorial Calendar - I've worked hard in the past two weeks to put together an editorial calendar for my blog. I really wracked my brain to come up with topics that are unique, fit my blog niche, and would be interesting to my readers. I really want to follow my editorial calendar so that I am able to keep up creating new and interesting content to draw in some new readership as well.
2. Get Some Sponsorships, Ambassadorships or Reviews - I used to work with a few different companies (Libman, Nutrisystem, etc...) for different blogging ventures but had to resign from working with them due to life happenings that were beyond my control. This year, I want to work with companies again and get some great products going for my readers to have the opportunity to win. Though, I know that before I get that far, I need to build up my blog a bit and get my readership back up.
3. Build My Blog & Readership - I used to have close to 2,000 followers/readers and a lot more pageviews than I have now. I understand that it's because of the fact that I had to flat out abandon my blog for a little bit while I worked on life. One of my blog resolutions is to create interesting and engaging content to build my readership back up again. I'm going to get there by 2015 and hopefully will even surpass my goals by that point. This year I am going to concentrate heavily on blogging and learning more about the art.
4. Work on Business & That Blog - My business will definitely flourish in 2014. Since I have more time now to work on my business and it's blog as well, this year will be a great one for my business. I will have funds to put aside for my business and various business investments which will also help me along to gain clients and visibility as well. I also have two potential clients that are interested in negotiations in the coming weeks, so that will also be a huge thing for me. I have faith in myself for this coming year. (Shameless plug: Infopoint Virtual)
5. Take More Photos for Blog - A few months back I invested in an amazing new camera and have used it extensively to take photos but not for my blog. I want to start learning how to properly use the camera and take more photos to share on my blog. I really want to feel like my blog is completely mine with photos and content by me.
6. Push my FB Fan Page - Irony? I'm a Social Media consultant and work with other companies and brands on the importance of Facebook and Twitter in their businesses and promotion. Though I don't push it myself. The pot calling the kettle black, right? This year I really want to focus on using what I do for a living to promote myself.
7. Read More Blogs & Comment - I have my few favorite blogs that I'm reading daily, though I need to take the time to find new blogs and make more bloggy friends by commenting and getting some comments in return. I always see great posts but hardly ever comment. I need to reach out more often.
8. Try to Attend Blogging Events - Two years ago I attended PLENTY of blogging events and had such a good time doing so. I was able to meet some great bloggers, learn some useful tips and got awesome information. I need to get back into that, it was a blast.
I really want to change myself and my blog for 2014 and I believe that I have the motivation and drive to do so. I'm going to be working very hard, but at the end of the year it would be completely worth it. Look for my Personal 2014 Resolutions post in the coming days.
