Inspired by Daniel’s 2008 Goals blog writing project over at Daily Blog Tips, I recently published my blogging goals for 2008. Now what?
So here are the goals again, with a few more details (I hope!). As always, if you have any ideas for me by all means please share!
Write at least one post every day I’m already behind on this one (although I guess technically 2008 hasn’t started yet so I’m still ok, right?) I think the key here will be to write ahead so I’m not pressed everyday to write something. Writing is a chore for me but when I get on a roll, I can just let the stuff fly! Maybe by taking advantage of that the blog can stay fresh and filled every day. I’ve also thought it might be a good idea to come up with a content schedule / outline. Does anyone else do this? How does it work for you?
Network with (not just link to) other bloggers I’ve really become a big believer in networking, both on-line and off. If you are not intentional in building relationships you can simply wander through life and miss out on some great support and experience that is just wait on you to ask. I’ve tried re-inventing the wheel and its hard.
Average at least 100 daily unique visitors Networking will help this but I think it will just take a little time. I’ll continue my linking quest(s) and commenting sprees and the like to get the name out there. I’m not in a huge hurry to build traffic and I really want organic growth so I’m really trying to avoid building traffic through ads like AdWords. I am trying to be diligent about putting links out there in my email, on Facebook and LinkedIn, etc.
Average at least 300 daily page views This is simple math. If Life In the Internet gets 100 daily visitors and they look at three pages each (on average of course) then there are my 300 page views. Key here is interesting content (see number one above).
Have at least 100 RSS subscribers I was talking to a good friend of mine once who used to sell cars. He told me one of the first things they were taught to do was ask potential customers to buy the car. Seems simple but… So key number one to making this one happen is asking my readers to subscribe to my RSS feed! (There, that wasn’t so bad was it?) Beyond that however, more interesting content (wow, that seems to be coming up a lot!)
Average at least 3 comments per post I was reading Mark Cuban’s blog (www.BlogMaverick.com) the other day and he said the best way to make sure you get lots of comments on a topic is to say something you know will push peoples buttons (paraphrased). Not so sure that will work for me but maybe. Any ideas?
Break into the top 5,000,000 on Alexa (currently 8,167,786) As I look back at the other goals here (100 visitors, 300 page views) I’m realizing this may be a bit unrealistic, but it’s a start. Again, it will just take a little time and giving readers a reason to visit.
And finally, Generate at least $500 monthly I’m working on two concepts here. One, under promise and over deliver. If I only aim for $500 a month it should be easier to hit and I’ll feel much better about making $600. Second, I don’t think I want this blog to be the sole source of income. Sure, it needs to support it’s own habits but I think it could work much better as a gateway into other ventures, similar to the way Brian Lee over at GeniusTypes uses his blog. At any rate, here are some of the things I’ve got going. Suggestions are, of course, welcome and encouraged:
- Of course there is AdSense (as you can see). So far it has made a grand total of $4.11 for me. I know that will improve some with more targeted content and with more visits / page views. Any other ideas?
- The Tip Jar is always there (top right, just under my LinkedIn profile button). I don’t really expect it to be a primary source of income but a few buck here and there would be nice (hint, hint)
- There are a couple of ads from Commission Junction (Boca Java, Calendars, etc). I probably need to revisit those ads in light of the content focus to make sure relevant ads are rolling.
- There are a few ClickBank links scattered around the site. Nothing really going on with them either.
- And then of course there are the ads to my other income producers. They are all the way at the bottom on the right. Should I move them up higher?
Ok, there you have it. A slightly more detailed look at my goals. Please, feel free to leave a comment if you have any suggestions for me. I’m all in for trying to learn from other folks experience.
Thanks for stopping by, reading and commenting. Oh, and Happy New Year and best of luck in 2008!
@jtrigsby
