goal (gl)
n.
1. The purpose toward which an endeavor is directed; an objective. See Synonyms at intention.
2. Sports
a. The finish line of a race.
b. A specified structure or zone into or over which players endeavor to advance a ball or puck.
c. The score awarded for such an act.
3. Linguistics
a. A noun or noun phrase referring to the place to which something moves.
b. See patient.
[Middle English gol, boundary, possibly from Old English *gl, barrier.] Source
For the last two years I have set goals for my blog. I break it down into five key areas (I have added a new area recently – community as it is such an important part of blogging):
- Time commitment
- Statistics
- Revenue
- Products and Services
- Community
I then use these goals to help determine my priorities when the work load seems a little overwhelming. Which task will help me meet these goals?
Setting Smart Goals
I have taken the SMART approach to determining my goals:
Specific – I needed to focus in my broad ideas on things that I wanted to achieve. They needed to be clear and definitive in their meaning.
Measurable – General statements like grow my blog, make measuring success difficult. What area am I trying to grow? How much do I want it to grow by?
Attainable – The goal needs to take into account my current workload and known events for the oncoming year. They need to challenge me out of my comfort zone, but they are not set so high, that from day one I feel that I can’t meet them.
Realistic – I need to set goals that reflects my ability, time restraints and available funds.
Time Bound – Most of the goals are for the year period, but some of them may need more specific time frames e.g. by the first quarter.
Using SMART goals gives you the framework to set goals for your blog that can help you acheive your over arching blog strategy.
What Do My Blog Goals Look Like?
Below I have copied the framework I use to set my goals. I left the description of the goals, just without the exact numbers.
|
Time Commitment |
Products and Services |
Statistics |
Revenue |
Community |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aim for x hours a week |
Launch Book (Qtr 1) |
x unique visitors a day |
x% increase from Private Ads |
x% increase in twitter followers |
|
1 day blogging free |
Book marketing (Qtr 2) |
x RSS subscribers |
x% increase from Nuffnang |
x% increase in facebook likes |
|
2 x down load products (Qtr 1 & 3) |
x active Newsletter subs |
x% increase Freelance writing |
Commenting on xx blogs per week |
|
|
Freelance Writing (All) |
x book sales |
x% products and services sales |
Adding weekly to Digital Parents discussions |
I have a word document of this goal chart printed out and stuck to my wall where I blog. It helps me keep focused on what it is I want to do with the blog for the year. You can download a template to use for setting your blog goals directly below:
Did you set yourself blog goals for this year?
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This post is part of a series on Getting Your Blog Started. If you missed the other parts you can find them here:
