I’m well aware that it is already two weeks into 2014 and it may seem I’m a little late getting on the ball setting my blogging goals for 2014. Let’s just say it hasn’t been as smooth as start to the year as I would have like. After taking some time to mull over how my 2013 blogging goals worked out and deciding on which word I wanted to describe my year, I have finally figured them out!
Be Fierce.
Its my word for the year and I most definitely want to bring it through my blogging and online life as well. I’m ready to regain some of the confidence and spunk I feel like I’ve lost over the last several years as my health has taken such a sharp decline but I am ready to jump back in and find myself so to speak. Maybe its more like rediscovering myself. I am a firm believer that regardless of the situation you may find yourself in, you can make the choice to allow it to let yourself become bitter or you can allow it to make yourself better and find a way to honor God in spite of it. I believe that this blog is an avenue of the ministry that God has called me to and I need to be a fierce follower of His guidance and allow that passion to be a fire in every aspect of my life.
Get more organized.
I have been a part of the blogging community for almost seven years now (wow!) and I completely understand the need to be organized and how much it can benefit not only your sanity but your readers and community in a big way. The Content Brew* course over at Momcomm was amazing but I feel like I’ve lost the momentum so I am definitely planning on working back through it and building up an editorial calendar. I want to develop a posting schedule that is realistic without being rigid. There are way too many benefits of being an organized blogger to not make it a priority. (*affiliate link but I stand 100% by the awesomeness of this course and would share regardless!)
Write outside of the house at least one day a week.
Not only is it a great goal for me to get out of the house in general one day a week, I know the change of scenery will do great things for keeping the creative juices going! We have a great little coffee shop down the street so I think that will make a great spot to cozy up with a cup of their amazing white hot chocolate and get to writing.
Finally try my hand at vlogging.
I’m sure it seems that vlogging is old news but I have yet to give it a try. I’m not sure if its because I’m pretty shy on top of being introverted or hating the way my voice sounds on recording but I have just not been able to let go of my insecurities. There are a ton of awesome things to do with videos and even take it a step further with Google+ Hangouts (can we say awesome spoonie sister chats?) so I definitely think as a part of embracing being fierce this year, it is time to make the leap!
Complete at least one blog-related pin a week and update at least on old post a week.
Raise your hand if you have the habit of pinning some pretty awesome things yet never actually getting around to doing it. ::Raising both hands:: I am AWFUL about this. I have some pretty great blogging Pinterest boards (if I say so myself) but I need to make being intentional about putting those pretty great resources to use. I have my blogging boards broken down into categories (such as organization and time management, monetization, and traffic/SEO) so by rotating through the categories on a weekly basis, I know I can fix some of the kinks I currently have going on and take A New Kind of Normal to the next level.
Also, with almost seven years of content in the archives, there are some pretty good posts that could use some dusting off by adding some photos (as I know most of my early posts are naked) and updating key words and titles for better SEO. Not only does this make content more Pin-worthy (which is a huge source of traffic), but I like sharing old posts that not only remind me where I’ve been but to share about the journey one takes when living with chronic illness.
Complete the blog redesign and make sure pages are up to date.
Let me clarify. The amazing April from Creative Girl Media is working her design magic to makeover the look here at A New Kind of Normal but I have a thing or two (or ten) to do to make sure that every part of the site is clean and sparkling! Maybe even some glitter thrown here and there! I learned from Melissa in Blog Design for Dummies that a great design is more than visual aspects of a site. It is also about user-friendly navigation, having a consistent style guide so content is visually appealing, and building pages to support and enrich your site.
Read at least 4 books on blogging.
There are some amazing resources out there and its about time I tapped into them. I have read some fabulous books so far (check out my recommended reading list) and I have even more on my must read list. I am determined to get through Mom Blog SEO by Kelby Carr that was on my goal list last year. There are definitely others on my pinterest boards I am ready to get my hands on as well!
Community, community, community.
Creating community and building relationships is at the heart of why I blog. It is why I work hard at Blogging for Endometriosis Awareness and the Secret Support Sisters project. I want more conversations and connecting. I feel like there has been a shift in the blogging world to more of a business approach (which is not an entirely bad thing as even I want to look into options of monetizing) but I think as a result the community aspects have taken a backseat. Maybe I’m the only one who has noticed it or maybe I am crazy. I don’t know but I do know that I want community to be a priority.
Have you created any blogging goals for 2014? Any goals for 2014 in general?
P.S. – Here are some great posts on achieving some bloggy awesomeness in 2014:
Go Big! 52 Blogging “To Dos” in 2014