Blog Career Goals I’m Setting for Myself
I’ve never been shy about the fact that if I could, I would like to blog full time. I’m not talking full-on celebrity status. But if I could somehow combine reducing my hours at work because the blog made the other half of my wages then I would. In today’s modern world, the norm of jobs and career goals is very blurred. I like to think I have a multi-hyphen career, a term coined by Emma Gannon. And whilst before if people asked me about my blog I would shy away and talk it down, I’m very proud to announce when people ask me what I do for a job ‘well, I’m a Marketing Executive but I also run my own lifestyle blog.’ Which is why, in my new mindset, I think it’s time to start setting myself some blog goals…
Turning dreams into a reality…
What’s got me thinking about this is the influx I’ve had recently of collaborations. To this day, I still have pinch-me moments when an amazing brand contacts me and asks if I wanna work with them. And yet, I also have a ‘hell yer!’ moment too. Because when brands want to work with me, it means all the hard work has paid off. So one day over a good cuppa, when I was thinking to myself about where I would like to be with the blog in a few years time, I had the sudden realisation that I COULD be there if I put my mind to it. If I really wanted to, I could make this a career. As mentioned, the dream of going part-time and blogging in between could be a reality. Who knew it?
So, being the type-A person that I am, I decided that I would need (and also want) to set myself some blog goals. Something to aim for. The possibility of going part-time won’t be happening within the next year or so. This is because we’re aiming for another major life-changing thing (no, it’s not a baby), which requires me to keep my full-time job status for a little bit longer. However, this gives me plenty of time to work towards these blog goals. So to make sure that I actually stick to them, here are the blog goals that I’m aiming for…
MY BLOG GOALS.
The blog’s branding. First and foremost, I need to identify the blog’s brand. I think this will be a combination for reading a few books and then plucking up the courage to speak to a branding expert (I’m scared of them picking the blog apart!) Either way, it’s a step that has to been done sooner rather than later.
Grow my following. I know numbers are not everything. However, as an OCD person (I like to call it Elle-C-D) I like nice round even numbers. I know that I can get to 5K on Instagram this year if I put my mind to it. Ideally, I would like to hit a minimum of 10K before taking the plunge. This is also, keeping my engagement the same/ more if I can.
Bank three months worth of salary. This one is non-negotiable. I would not dream of getting off the full-time conveyor belt, without a nice safety net. This would have to be separate from the things we’re also saving up for. Which is probably a good thing that I’m giving myself a nice long time to work towards this. It just means on a bad month (because this always happens for freelancers) I’m not going to scare myself by not being able to pay for the bills, etc. Now I’ve just got to resist buying myself some nice pretty shoes…
The five-year plan…
Think like a glossy. Whilst I’ve played around with the identity of what this blog is all about, I do think at heart it’s always been a lifestyle blog. I like to think of this as an online coffee table book (which you guys know I absolutely love). I think for the future of this blog, scheduling will be the same of three times a week (until I’m consistent, then maybe I’ll up it). But I think I could be smarter with planning out some post themes. Which is where I turn to some of my favourite monthly magazines. They have a nice cohesive layout to them that I would like to achieve. So now, I’m thinking like a glossy magazine and planning the content out depending on the time of year. There will, of course, be the organic posts (where the idea comes in the middle of the night and I’ve got to make a note of it there and then). Hopefully, you guys will also like the ‘professionalism of the posts to come.
Keep a balance. Another big important one. Because whilst I do not mind spending my weekends and evenings working, it can’t be my everything. Because at the end of the day, I do need to switch off. Granted it’s not the thing I’m best at. But it’s something I need to do to stop myself getting both blogger and life burnout. So actually taking a Sunday off just to watch a movie or play The Sims (a guilty pleasure of mine) is going to become more of a regular thing. And I cannot wait.
Would you also like to take your blog to the next level? Check out my other lifestyle posts here.