Friday, August 18, 2006
Setting Goals - Monetary and Otherwise
Ok we've got our blog going. What's the next step? Well before you move to fast, I think it's important to set some goals. You're response here is "Well, duh. I want to make some dough." Fair enough. But you may want to be a little more specific. Let's talk about a few good goals.- Money - Of course that's our most obvious goal, but let's define it a little more carefully. Start simple. Take the title of the first blog on this site for instance: Earning that First Dollar. I think this is the most important goal you can have. This goal says that you are going to stick with it until you reach this point no matter what. "Ok, Braford, I got my dollar. Now what?" Expand your goals:
- Percentages - Set a goal for increasing your income by a percentage each month. I can't remember where now maybe at Problogger, but I saw someone talk about somewhere around 10% increase as a goal each month. That doesn't seem to far fetched if you're sitting on that one dollar, but it adds up over time. This percentage idea can be applied to site hits per day as well, but we'll talk about that later.
- Static Goal - So this is the same as your first dollar goal. "But wait, I've already got my dollar." Yeah I know, now you need to raise that goal to a higher amount that will keep you interested and motivated. The key to keeping it interesting and motivating is to set a goal that is high enough that it will be a challenge, but low enough that it is still within reach. The static goal and the percentages goal can be used in conjunction with one another or separately.
- Site Hits - More visitors means more people to help earn you money. Let's not forget that the way to get people to your site is quality content that is updated frequently. Once you have that content hopefully people will continue to visit your site regularly. Don't get complacent though, new readers mean potential new regulars. The percentages method can be used here as well. Use Site Meter to keep track of what kind of hits you're getting.
- RSS Subscriptions - Shoot for five... shoot for ten... go crazy. Well, not too crazy. Start with a fairly small goal just like with the money and raise it up as you reach each level you set for yourself. Try FeedBurner on your blog.
Don't be afraid to advertise your goals! People will respond. People want to feel like they're helping to do something. They want to help reach a goal. Let them help you. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.
Happy hunting!
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