Do your blog posts have a goal? Learn why they should.

Before you sit down and write the first word of your next blog post, stop and think about what you want to accomplish with your post. What’s your goal? How is this blog post going to help you accomplish something and move you forward with your business?
Here are some questions you may want to ask yourself:

• Are you writing a post that you hope will get shared across social media and grow your reach?

• Are you writing a post that also invites readers to join your email list so you can get back in touch later? (Learn More about Your Call to Action)

• Are you writing a post to get the attention of a big brand you’d like to work with?

• Are you writing a blog post to start a conversation with your existing readership?

• Are you writing a blog post with the end goal of selling your readers a product or service?

• Are you writing a blog post to start a conversation with a fellow blogger in hopes of growing a mutually profitable relationship?

All of the above are valid goals for your blog posts and I’m sure you can add a few more to that list. The important thing is that you are aware of what you’re trying to accomplish with your post.
Start with the endgame in mind. If your goal is to get the attention of a big brand you’d like to work with for example, think about a post you can write about your experience with one of their products.
If your goal is to grow your list, think of a topic that’s complimentary to your opt-in offer freebie. Write the content and then transition into an invitation to join your list and download the free report.
No matter what your purpose is, goal setting is one of the most important things that you can do for your business. However, I find that many entrepreneurs and small business owners don’t know how to set goals.  The questions above will start the goal creation process and below are a few tips to make them a reality.

Keep Your Blog Goals Challenging but Realistic.

Any goal that you set for your business should be challenging but not so grandiose that it is unreachable.  For example, if you had an average blog readership of 1000 last year, you wouldn’t want to set your goal for this year at 5000.  Unless you make drastic changes in how you write or promote your blog, that goal is just not realistic.  You know best what you may be able to achieve in your niche, so be honest with yourself and set your goals accordingly.

Write All Your Goals Down.

This is probably the most overlooked goal setting strategy. You set your goals with every intention of reaching the goal but if you don’t write them down it’s easy to forget them or “fudge” on them. For example, you may say to yourself on January 1, “I want to publish a blog post 3 times a week.”  A few months later you will be saying “Did I say I wanted to post 2 or 3 times a week?”  Or more realistically, you have forgotten that you even made that goal.  If you have all of your goals written down you will be able to not only go back and check them, you will also be able to go down the list every few months and check to see how many of them you have completed.

“If you have a goal, write it down. If you do not write it down, you do not have a goal – you have a wish.” 
― Steve Maraboli, Unapologetically You: Reflections on Life and the Human Experience

 Assess Your Current Situation.

To set goals you have to know where you are at right now. One of your blogging goals may be to extend your reach by writing one guest blog per month. (This is in addition to blog posts on your site.) That helps you extend your reach.  The first step is to establish a data base (this can be a simple spreadsheet) of sites that are a good fit and frequently feature guest blog posts. With this information at hand, you can contact several people a month to offer a guest post. Using this method you can keep track of how you are doing and what you need to do to achieve your goal.  Don’t assume anything. Always assess the current situation before setting a new goal.
Being able to do that is pretty powerful stuff. It allows you to craft different posts strategically. Write a post that helps you grow your reach. Then work on one that starts the conversation with your new readers. Next work on getting them on your list and finally make them an offer. Intersperse this with posts that help you get the attention of potential JV partners and Brands and you’re all set to grow your blog and your audience.
 
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