Back at the start of the year, I set myself some blogging goals to keep me focused and ensure I keep moving my blog forward throughout the year. Six months have passed of 2016 already, so it’s the perfect time for me to check in with the goals I set to see how things are looking. I might even add a few new ones too!
2016 has been pretty awesome so far for my blog. I made it into the finals of the BIBs, been nominated for the outstanding achievement award at the MADs, scored contracts that I never thought would be possible, been on some amazing holidays and best of all met some more amazing bloggers and deepened my friendships with the ones I already know. In terms of the concrete goals I set, here’s how I got on;
Follower numbers
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Reach 10,000 followers on Instagram (Jan 1st 4141)
This was the most challenging goal I set myself and I didn’t think for one second that I would achieve this goal, but wanted to set myself a decent challenge. I couldn’t believe it when about 3 weeks ago I passed the 10k follower mark! 41% growth in less than 6 months, I’m happy with that.
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Reach 5,000 followers on Pinterest (Jan 1st 2,500)
Pinterest is a platform that is lacking my focus. My half year check in numbers were 3.5k, I think with some concerted effort I should be able to get to 5k; but I actually need to remember to go on Pinterest every day.
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Reach 20,000 followers on Twitter (Jan 1st 14,400)
18905 is my half year figure. I am thrilled with 4.5k growth for a platform that I don’t actively focus on growing. I am confident to reach my 20k target within the next couple of months.
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Reach 8,000 likes on Facebook (Jan 1st 5074)
I struggle with Facebook and this is the platform that is the hardest for me to grow. My half year figures are 5983, which makes it a little doubtful that I will get to 8k by the end of December, but at least I have something to aim for!
General
- Increase my monthly page views by 20% – My page views seem pretty static at the moment, so I am starting to work on better SEO, not just at post level, but deeper ensuring my blog is submitted to search engines properly and things like that.
- Press on with a book project I have with another blogger – This has stalled due to a lack of time, however we have another project together, which will be quicker and easier to get off the ground. Watch this space!
- Become more efficient – use a notebook and don’t rely on keeping everything in my head – I have tried a few different things, Trello, Bullet Journal and more recently Meister Task. Meister Task has come out as my favourite, although I still use my bullet journal for my weight loss progress and things like that.
- Introduce working hours – Time block for certain tasks and have set hours during the day and night. Never working past 11.30pm – I have totally failed at this and will try to refocus for the second half of the year.
- Try to break the top ten in the Tots100 – I reached number 9 in May, so goal achieved!
New goals for the second half of 2016
- Finish my eBook – I am struggling to find time to do this, but setting myself this goal might help me prioritise it.
- Produce my email course – Still very much in the planning stages but it shouldn’t take too much to pull this together. This will be a free challenge.
I think you might need to wish me luck! Did you set yourself any blogging goals for this year? I would love to hear about them in the comments.
Comments 16
Well done Aby. Your doing so well. My goals since JAN have changed and I think my health has affected them…For now I am trying to grow my IG and learn more about Pinterest and to start writing one “Fun Food idea” each week on the blog…slow and steady wins the race.
Amazing Aby, you’ve done fantastic. Keep going with your ebook, it will be fantastic. Some advice I received about writing my book was to just write it and come back to edit it later, writing and naturally editing at the same time were making it a slow process. Just write, even if it’s babble and come back to it after to edit. So much easier. Good luck beautiful, you’ll do it x
You are a force to be reckoned with, so many we’ll dones Aby this is amazing, I really must set myself some blogging goals and focus more! X
Well done Aby! Amazing growth this year and some solid challenges for the next six months.
My goal was to carry on blogging – I returned to work in January and it’s been a total challenge to squeeze any kind of blogging on, not to mention doing seo, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. Everything has skidded to a slow crawl and stuff I know I should be doing I just do not have time for.
Time is such a rare commodity!!
Aby I love reading your blog, posts like this always motivate me. I read and reread your Bloggers Club on a weekly basis.
I need to get more focussed but I have such time issues I also need to be realistic. I am going to set myself some blogging goals over the next few weeks and try to stick to them.
Well done you have done amazing! x
Author
Oh thank you so much, that does mean such a lot. I am so glad my ramblings are useful x
Wow they are some tough goals but well done on hitting some of them so far! Especially the instagram follower goal! Well Done!
Wow you are doing amazingly well! I darent set myself goals as I still very very small in the blogging world.
Well done on the goals you have achieved already and the ones you are set to achieve. My goals are a lot lower than yours, but I only have a small blog. I find your posts very helpful with improving my blog. Thank you x
Oh gosh never working past 11:30pm. That’s one of mine too – go to bed before midnight. I fail most nights. Wonderful blog goals. Would love for you to link it up to my goals linky when you have a moment.
I am now going to get the diary out and set some goals for the next half year; you are doing amazing! You are a blogger I aspire to that’s for sure 🙂
If you have any tips on growing Facebook following I would love to hear them as I have a measly 59! Same for Pinterest I have about 40 🙁
Just taking the time to set, and evaluate, achievable goals reeks success to me! And those numbers are simply incredible; congrats to you!!
If you end up with 2 comments it’s because I pressed post comment and then my internet crashed so I don’t think first one went through! Anyway so well done on Instagram and so well deserved!!! #Thelist
Congratulations on your IG achievement and others you’ve hit. I’m pretty rubbish at setting targets for my main blog, and tbh after a brilliant 3 months at the start of the year, my starts are shocking now – even though my pinterest referrals have gone up well. Turns out that spending time on commenting groups is the way to go for views, but then it’s keeping the people there if you’ve not got time. I’m going to be a bit more structured for my dance blog and because that’s niche it should be a lot easier.
Well done for your achievements so far hun! You’ve smashed some of your goals and you’re well on your way to achieving the rest! Start setting an alarm for bedtime! xxx
I want to say good luck but I don’t think you’ll need it! You are so focused and efficient I’m sure you will achieve all your goals. Well done on your massive achievements so far. #TheList