No affiliate links are contained within this post. There are only internal links to posts on this blog, and two external links to sites I trust. However, there are Google Adsense advertisem*nts.
I recently published my basic blogging goals for 2019.
I referred to these goals as basic because it was mostly about setting the tone for the year, and it was a fun post to write.
Anyways, from the moment I published it, I knew I wasn’t done yet. I’m not capable of having a hobby without trying to get better at it. That’s just not how I’m wired.
As such, I decided to write a part 2 to expand on what I want to achieve with blogging in 2019.
These goals get right to the point. They are focused on tasks where the amount of work is measurable and impactful.
I published 57 posts in 2018. That’s an average of 4.75 posts per month, which is ok.
I thought about increasing the target to 75 posts this year instead of 60, because it would be possible to accomplish. I would only need to publish 6 to 7 posts per month in order to reach 75 posts.
On the other hand, I discontinued the monthly goal-setting and blog traffic reports. That’s 24 posts gone over the span of 12 months.
In turn, I am setting the target to publish 60 posts this year, which is 3 more than last year.
Of course, I will try to publish more than 60 if possible. There is no better way to drive traffic than new content. Publishing original content and sharing it to social media channels is the best way to build an online community based on my experience.
I also want to make sure that the content remains high quality and in line with the central theme of this blog.
I have not counted how many blogs I commented on in 2018. It was a lot though. Some months were higher than others.
Nevertheless, I am aiming to comment on an average of 1 blog per day in 2019.
There are many benefits to commenting on blogs in your community:
First off, it is very motivating. Personally it keeps me inspired to continue blogging.
It’s networking for bloggers too. If you want to get to know someone, you can start a conversation with them. That concept works the same for blogging. It’s about building your personal brand.
You also get to make friends and build relationships with like-minded people. In my case I have met many bloggers that I can learn from.
In addition, it increases referral traffic and puts your name out there around the community. And it even helps the blogger’s site that you commented on. It’s a win win.
I’m grateful to have been featured on a few websites over the past 3 years.
There was my guest post for Apathy Ends that I wrote very early on in my blogging career. It was truly an honour to be featured.
And there was also my recent feature for Camp Fire Finance. That was a real honour as well.
Since I really enjoy blogging and want to spend more time on it, I am trying to do what is recommended. Based on what I’ve read, guest posts are a great way to improve traffic to your blog because it adds backlinks to your site. Backlinks show Google that your site is trusted by other websites, so it’s a great way to improve search engine optimization.
Therefore my goal is to be featured on 1 website in 2019. I do have a website in mind and have already had an email conversation. I just have to put in the effort and hopefully I am provided an opportunity.
I am reluctant to include this goal because it’s not the most natural for me.
However, I think it would be a valuable experience and a great way to build the community.
I am considering sharing my portfolio holdings in exchange for an email. Since I want to keep things basic, I may just send all e-mail subscribers 1 copy per year.
It’s not a groundbreaking concept, but I do think it offers more incentive to subscribe.
Twitter Goal: 2,500 followers
Current: 2,285
Pinterest Goal: 1,000 followers
Current: 837
Instagram Goal: 500 followers
Current: 203
E-mail Subscriber Goal: 100 subscribers
Current: 79
As shown above, the main channels I am focussed on are Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and e-mail subscribers. Facebook and Google+ have become secondary. I will share links from new posts there but that’s it.
Even though I stopped publishing blog traffic reports, and even considering that I referred to those goals as “noise” in the basic goals post, I am still focussed on building the community.
Especially Instagram. I have noticed that Instagram is driving a lot of new traffic lately. Furthermore, the engagement has been great, and traffic acquired through Instagram has the lowest bounce rate of all the channels.
Besides a creative outlet for writing, photography and design, I do want to make money from blogging. What blogger doesn’t?
Ideally, I will earn money as a side hustle to support dividend investing once I reach financial independence. The plan is to build my dividend income stream up enough so that it provides a basic income, and then I will create a product or service to help the community around the blog. I already have the ideas. I just have to build credit by proving I can accomplish my goals first. That’s the only way I’d feel comfortable selling anything.
I’d also be willing to simultaneously work part-time to support this dream. Ultimately, I just want more time for art. I realized this the other day while I was devouring documentaries on artists. It’s not a race against time that’s bothering me. I just want to spend as much time as possible on blogging, design, and photography. And then maybe painting and drawing for a while. Then I want to play the piano. In short, I want to manage my stock portfolio and work on art. That’s it.
As of right now, I have Google Adsense ads running, a Bluehost affiliate page, and Amazon affiliate links. To be honest, I don’t make much money from any of these. Google sends a cheque each time the Adsense account reaches $100. Unfortunately that’s not very often.
Aside from those income streams, I’ve had the most success with sponsored posts. But business mostly stopped after I went back to work to avoid any conflict of interest.
To get to the point, I have been overcautious. Straight up, I even let fear hold me back from making money.
There are a few updates to the site I must make in order for that to happen. Mainly, I need to update the information on the contact page to make it easier for potential sponsors to contact RTC again.
Although I would blog for free, extra side hustle money helps.
The extra income can be used to pay for hosting costs or for a social media service like Tailwind. Better yet, it could be invested directly into the dividend portfolio to earn more money forever.
Between the $670 in dividends I am aiming for, and the goal to earn $500 from blogging, I will create an extra $1,170 of income. That’s a decent haul of additional income.
As for the rest of the goals, including the basic and advanced, I have attempted to steer the blog in a direction that is natural and enjoyable.
All of the goals are impacted by hard work. It may seem like a lot of work for a minimal payoff, however, the plan for blogging ties in with my financial goals. They fit together perfectly. Moreover, it doesn’t seem like a lot of work to me because I’ve been making incremental improvements over time. It’s the same strategy I use to save money and build my portfolio.
In conclusion, I plan to follow up with the blogging goals for 2019 in early 2020. I haven’t completed my recap posts for 2018 yet. However, it’s likely that recaps are coming soon.
I looking forward to putting in the effort required to complete my advanced blogging goals for 2019, and I’ll have fun working on the basic ones too.
