Sunday 11 January 2015

Blog Goal's For 2015

Last week I wrote about my personal goals for 2015, with it being the new year and all that. You can read about my personal goals for the year ahead here if you wish, yes there are cliches like losing weight on there. Anyway as it is a new year and I made personal goals for the year ahead, I thought that I would also make myself some blog goals for the year ahead too. 

blog goals for 2015

I have only been blogging for less than a year and only blogging properly for the last few months and I still have so much to learn, so I thought a set of goals that I can work towards in the year ahead was a good way to focus more on my blog. So here are my blog goals for 2015.


1.) Post more often on my blog. I blog very much as and when I get the chance and there is no consistency with my blogging, one week I may post five days in a row and another week, not at all. I know carrying on like this is not so great as my readers will have no idea when to expect a post from me. I had planned on blogging every day this year but we are already almost two weeks into the year and I have failed at that. I would love to blog every day but realistically with three children, two of whom are very young, I don't think that will happen. I also don't want to be one of those blogs who blog every day just for the sake of it. So I aim to blog more, hopefully, every day but realistically probably 3-5 days per week. 

2.) Take better photographs and learn to edit them properly. One thing that I am really rubbish at and always have been is photography. I have never taken nice photos. Since starting blogging I have realised that photos are a huge part of blogging, they draw the reader in and really make a blog look beautiful. Most of my photos are quick snaps off my iPhone that I do not even edit, my photos are shockingly bad. So I plan on using my camera more often, once I have learnt how to use it properly that is. I also need to learn to edit photos better, I see so many blogs with clever edits on the photos and I don't even know how to do them. So I plan on taking lots of photos, learning to use my camera and how to edit properly.

3.) Comment on other blogs more. I read a lot of blogs but I very rarely comment on them. I really must start commenting more, as a blogger I know that there is nothing better than someone taking the time to read your post and leave a little comment, as it shows that someone has actually read what you have written. So I have started using Bloglovin more to keep up to date with my favourite blogs and will be commenting on every post I read from now on. 

4.) Take part in more linkys. I enjoy taking part in linkys but I keep forgetting they are on. There is a few I try to take part in when I remember that is. I want to take part in more though as not only do I receive more page views and get more comments when I take part but also because I think it is a great way to find other blogs to read, I love discovering new blogs to read. 

5.) Get organised. One of the things I have struggled with blog-wise in the last few months is organisations. Since having Jacob, four months ago, I have had so many ideas for blog posts and I have never got around to writing them as I have them wrote down all over the place. I also had so many reviews and I had no idea in what order I had received products so some reviews were going out in the wrong order and I had a few chase up emails off Pr's asking where their review was. So I have gone out and bought a planner and I have spent the last few days getting organised, I have a list of posts to write, a few review posts that need to be written and I have also tidied up my draft files and got rid of most of the unfinished blog posts just to bring some sort of order over my blog.

6.) Grow my social media. I have a good Twitter following (almost 2000 followers since April) which is grown every single day and is the social media channel I use the most blog-wise. I also use Instagram and have 360 followers since August. But my Facebook page is rather neglected with only 56 followers. I want to grow my Facebook page more this year and use it more often as I don't really use it much. I also want to continue to grow my Twitter and Instagram following. 

7.) Learn how to use Pinterest and Google +. I have got as far as setting up a Google + and a Pinterest account and that's it. I have not set my profiles up on the sites and I have no idea at all how they work. I have heard they are brilliant social media sites for bloggers though. So this year I plan on setting my profiles up on them properly and actually figuring out how they work and start using them and grow a following on them. 

8.) A new blog design and go self-hosted. When I started this blog I had no idea what I was doing I just set it up on a whim. All the names I wanted were taken and I came up with this one and used it without thinking. I also opted for blogger platform to host my blog on as its free and easy to use. I brought my blog template from Etsy and went for something bright and different to other blogs. However, now I have been blogging for a few months I have realised that I want a change. I have been thinking of changing the name of my blog, but I'm unsure what to. I have also been thinking of going self-hosted as I have heard there are lots of great features you can have on your blog doing this. I also really want a blog redesign, I think my blog is too pink and bright and I would love a custom made design. 

9.) Go to BritMums Live. I have my ticket all booked and paid for, but I still have to find the courage to actually go. Britmums is a two-day blogging conference in London in June. I really want to go as I will learn so much and will be nice to see some bloggers who I talk to and read their blogs. However, a lot of bloggers seem to have sponsors and I don't think I would feel comfortable asking a company for money and I don't think my blog is established enough to ask for it if I'm honest.Without a sponsor it will cost me a lot of money to go, train fares Newcastle to London are not cheap and nor or London hotels. Hopefully, I will find the courage to go. 

10.) Have fun with my blog. I started this blog as a hobby as somewhere to record my pregnancy and our family life. Yes, I have been lucky to have some amazing opportunities through this blog but I'm not in it for the freebies and the stats and all that. Blogging will always be a hobby to me, I don't care about rankings and SEO and any of that, its all alien to me. So I want to just carry on having fun with my blog and I don't ever want to be worrying about stats and rankings or any of that stuff because then I feel blogging will stop being fun and more like a chore or a job and I don't want that, I want to blog because I enjoy it not because I have too. 

So those are my blog goals for this year. Have you got any blog goals this year? 

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22 comments

  1. Love your blog goals for the year and good luck with achieving them. Definitely agree that the most important thing is to have fun with blogging. Good luck with learning more about taking better photos - I know a lot of people use PicMonkey to edit their photos and it's quite straightforward to use (plus You Baby Me Mummy) has some great tips on her blog too :-)

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  2. Thank you Louise . I love you baby me mummy she always has such great tips on her blog. I think I will spend some time on Pic monkey trying things out when I get a chance. I think as soon as blogging stops being fun then it will be time to stop blogging for me as it's my me time xx

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  3. Ha, all of your goals could be mine! I'm terrible for just snapping a quick photo. Rob commented yesterday that half of my photos show James with a trail of snot. Oops. You sound like you're doing all the right things so your blog will go from strength to strength with these goals. Good luck.

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    1. Thank you. I am terrible at taking photos i always just take a quick photo and think that will do and then don't even think about editing it or anything. Haha im sure no one noticed he has a snotty nose. Good luck with your goals for this year xx

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  4. Great goals - I've set some specific blog goals too. Posting on Friday morning. I really am determined to be more organised with my blogging too - I've even made a blogging spreadsheet and daily checklist! Haha! Maybe too much! Photo-wise I've decided never to feature iPhone photos again. I have a DLSR and you can really tell the difference in quality. I think it's fine to use only iPhone photos but then when you see them on same blog compared to DLSR ones you can really tell the difference. Thanks for linking to #NEBrilliantBloggers

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    1. You sound very organised, i really think being organised and planning posts in advance and scheduling them is for the best as it is helping me blog more only after a few days. I know photos taken on a proper camera look so much better and i deffinatly need to dig my camera out and start using it a lot more as i very rarely use it. Good luck with your goals xx

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  5. The important one on their is to have fun. When blogging becomes a chore then I will give up. Oh I want to improve my photography too.

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    1. Thank you for reading Jen. Yes having fun while blogging is my number one priority, it is my hobby and my 'me' time if it ever stopped being fun or i started worrying about age views or anything like that then i will give it up too. Your photos are pretty good already , i love the ones you take of your boys they always look like they are having fun x

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  6. I want to improve my photography, there are some amazing blogs with gorgeous pictures, but at least I have made some progress least the backgrounds look tidier than they used too lol, I make the boys stand in the tidiest corner of the house! I enjoyed reading your blogging aims for the year! Good luck x

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    1. Thank you. Haha I know I try to make my children stand in the corner where there is no toys and clutter but it doesn't always happen xx

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  7. Fab goals, I have some of the same and I'm hoping to go to Brit mums too! We can be Geordies on tour;-) #nebrilliantbloggers

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    1. I hope you do go to BritMums then i will have someone who understands me haha Geordies on tour sounds like a brilliant idea xx

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  8. Gosh I'm so unorganised when it comes to blogging too but I've decided to switch my mindset to 'hobby' and that means that I pick it up as and when, without feeling under any pressure. I fell out of love with it a bit last year and I don't want to do that again. Thanks for the linky list, it's helpful to know where to link posts up after they've been written :)

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    1. Your blog is amazing you would never guess you were unorganised. Yes mine is very much a hobby and always will be so I have started turning down a lot of reviews as they were what was stressing me out as I felt pressured to get them done. I love You baby Me Mummy blog for things like the linky list it is so helpful as I keep forgetting when they are on xx

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  9. Great goals and so many that I want to achieve myself as well. I've already been taking part in more linkys and commenting on more blogs. It's been great fun but very time consuming. However, the inspiration you get and the new blogs you discover is well worth it. Good luck with your list! #TheList

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    1. Thank you. I know commenting on blogs takes so much time as I try to read and comment on a as many as I can when I join in with linkys. I have discovered so many fab blogs too so it's worth it. Xx

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  10. Hey hun, I have my ticket booked for BritMums live too, hope to see you there xx

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    1. I hopefully will see you. I am so nervous about going though. Have you been before ? xx

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  11. Having fun with the blog...I think that's my goal too. Although I've been "blogging" for almost 2 years, it's only now I feel like a blogger. I've found linky's and connected with other bloggers, it's been great!

    I went to Blogfest last November and although it's daunting, everyone's in the same boat and you can make friends quite easily. Hopefully I'll be at Britmums this year :)

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    1. i wish i had of went to Blogfest as one day would have been less daunting then two and everyone who went seemed to have a great time. I hope you can attend Britmums , i know if i end up not going i would regret it and i have my ticket so i just need to work up the courage to go. x

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  12. What a fab list hun and thanks so much for the mention. I am very flattered. You must come to BritMums, it is great and I consider it my 'me' time and I get none so 2 days is great. Think of it that way and you may feel less guilty. Any questions please ask and thanks so much for linking up to #TheList x

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    1. You are welcome, you write such useful posts it was only right that i mentioned them. That is a good way of thinking about Britmums as i don't get any 'me' time either any more and it will be so lovely to meet you there. xx

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