9 Goals for Bloggers in 2015
1 | Add time to your day by unsubscribing from listservs.
As bloggers our email addresses get thrown around all over the place as we are often early adopters – new social media sites, apps,fellow blogger newsletters not to mention favorite stores and restaurants. Parse out what’s important, inspiring, and educational and unsubscribe from the rest. You’ll be amazed how efficient email will become. When you do actually need to buy something I guarantee that you’ll be able find a coupon code online.
2 | Add Dropbox to your workflow.
Sharing your own images and other files across platforms (cell, laptop, tablet) and with those that need it, such as sponsors and partnerships with customers. No more emailing images and documents to yourself.
3 | Less is more.
When it comes to posting, instagramming and tweeting, focus on sharing your best work and dismissing the rest. If you’re creative juices aren’t flowing, shelf your posting schedule in place of better content a few days later. Your readers and followers will appreciate it.
4 | Track every expense (and profit!).
Even if you’re not a full time blogger, every dime spent should be counted and submitted as a business expense at the end of the year. Bottom line, this is a tax break. On that note – track any profit made too!
5 | Strive for honest engagement.
There’s so much talk about the importance of commenting. This is the absolute best way of engaging with readers. If you aren’t already using Disqus then install it right away (where have you been?). When making and replying to post comments try your best to make them as genuine and thought-provoking as possible. Sure, a “Great idea! Thanks for sharing!” is appropriate at times, however, using the Disqus platform to create honest conversations will make the entire blogging experience far more enjoyable and productive (in terms of reader engagement) for everyone.
6 | Leverage Google Calendars to simplify your life.
Track everything from sponsorships, guest posts, to personal trips that might impact your blogging availability in your Google calendar. Download the app for easy reference across all platforms. Bonus points for color coding!
7 | Clean up/out old posts.
Formatting, grammar, or generally lake-luster, clean out and update all those posts from the past. If a post isn’t aiding in the raising the bar on the quality of your blog then kick it. For WordPress users, look for the handy little eraser icon, ‘clear formatting’, on the Post editor page to quickly clean up funky formatting.
8 | Learn the tools for being a better blogger.
Google analytics, photography, graphic design, skills in these area are at the foundation of nearly every blog. The better you understand how to use them the easier it will become. Case in point, I tinkered in Lightroom for weeks before finally taking a class. What was taking me hours now takes seconds thanks to a few simple shortcuts I learned. Not to mention, improving skills in these areas is resume-worthy. I highly recommend Skillshare and A Beautiful Mess courses.
9 | Move the conversation off the internet.
There’s a lot to be said about our online blogger-buddies. It’s crazy how well you can know someone without ever actually meeting them. Reach out and make plans to meet in… you know, real life. Nothing like a face-to-face convo to solidify a friendship. The personal connections made through blogging are a huge perk of this hobby/job, enjoy them!