It’s 2018… how wild! I am back feeling rejuvenated and refreshing from my vacation! I’m ready to kick some butt and hammer out some big goals this year for the blog.
Blogging is a pretty tough job, which probably goes against your presumptions. Many people think that bloggers just write content and get photos taken of them, but that’s not the case. There is so much hard work and determination that goes into blogging, just like any other job. While it can be trying, I am very thankful that Michael and I are in a spot where I can pursue blogging as my full-time job.
Here’s just a brief overview of all of the work I do on a daily/weekly basis:
- Write content
- Editing content
- Photography
- Fashion shoots
- Product shoots
- Stock photo shoots
- Editing Photos
- Promotion of content
- Social media strategy
- Networking
- online & in person with other bloggers/creatives
- Collaborating
- Pitching brands
- Logging expenses/income
- Scheduling/content creation/misc.
- Planning for the future
[bctt tweet=”Bloggers aren’t just writers. They’re also marketers, content creators, photographers, editors, strategists, and so much more. It’s a tough job!” username=”SummerTelban”]
Again, this is just a very brief overview of all the work I do on the regular. Does my work entail going out to coffee or lunch with other bloggers on occasion? Yes! But, it’s still work. When we meet up, we’re brainstorming and helping each other grow.
I love my job. Being my own boss is the most freeing thing, but it’s not an easy thing, either. There are so many lessons I’m always needing to relearn like balance, determination, grace, and productivity.
Last year, I hit some of my blog goals and others, I didn’t come close to achieving. It’s discouraging sometimes, but then I remind myself that I went through two major life transitions last year: 1. Moving to a brand new area. 2. Buying a home and moving all over again (same area, though). So, to say I need to have some grace on myself… is an obvious statement, haha. 🙂 Life happens and that’s okay. For all of this transition, I’m very proud of all that I accomplished last year.
LONG-TERM BLOG GOALS FOR 2018:
Continue To Monetize My Blog // This is an obvious goal, haha. Blogging is my job, so I have to continue to monetize it. 😉 While this is a no-brainer, I have super LARGE goals in this area for my blog. To be fully transparent, I’m a full-time blogger, but I’m not technically making a full-time income off of it yet. I’m making an ever-growing and steady part-time income off of it, but this year, I’m reaching for more.
I easily put in about 50 hours of work (if not more) on my blog a week, so I really want to see my work start to take fruition. How am I going to make this happen?
Here’s my game plan:
- Participate in less sponsored campaigns. WHAT?! Yes, you read that right. Last year, I participated in over 50 sponsored campaign (not just blog posts, but social media, as well). While this is a great accomplishment, it was exhausting! Some of those partnerships were long-term partnerships, but the vast majority were one-time. Again… exhausting.
- For me, now that I’ve been monetizing for a couple years now, it’s not really beneficial to me or you (my readers) for me to partner with so many different brands each year. While yes, they’re all brands that I genuinely love, it’s time for me to be more efficient in my work. If that means scaling down to more long-term partnerships, then I’m game.
- I want to make more by participating in less. This means I’m hoping to finally break away from most blog networks that pair bloggers and brands up together.
- Pitch my heart out. Instead of depending on networks to stay afloat, I want to work one-on-one with brands that I love. Over the past year, I have gotten really confident in my ability to pitch my brand and my vision. I have some growing to do in the “selling my abilities” department, but that comes with practice. Practice makes permanent. When I work with brands one-on-one, it means many things for me, but especially…
- Being paid my worth. Blog networks typically take a 50% cut out of what the brand is paying them to get access to bloggers. That means in blog networks, most of the time, you’re only making 50% of what you should be.
- Focusing on long-term partnerships. Instead of doing one blog post here and one blog post there, I want to come together with brands for long-term projects that are more than just a blog post. This will take some time to pitch and land, but I know I can get there.
[bctt tweet=”Practice makes permanent.” username=”SummerTelban”]
Cultivate My Blog Coaching Sessions Side-Hustle // It’s no secret that I love, LOVE helping other bloggers learn and grow into all they envision for themselves and their blogs. This is why I have decided to re-launch my Blog Coaching Sessions for 2018. There are limited spots available, but if you’re interested, you can learn more by clicking the link below. If you don’t see an option that fits your needs, I’d be more than happy to explore the option of coming up with a custom package for you.
Blog & Social Media Coaching Sessions
Write An E-Book // While I really want to shoot for the stars and make a goal to establish an e-course, I’m going to start small with an e-book. Again, I love equipping other bloggers with the tools they need to succeed, and an e-book (that’d one day lead to an e-course) would be an awesome way to do that. This goal is one that I’ll be focusing on more mid-year.
Go To A Blog Conference (Or Blogger Event) // Going to a blog conference has been a dream of mine since I got serious about blogging. This year, I am going to make that happen. I live just about an hour and a half from the great NYC, so I’m hoping there are a few conferences and/or blogger events that’ll be happening that I can go to. It’d be a great way to learn, connect, and grow!
Grow My Email List “The Brew” // This has been something I’ve really been wanting to do, but with so much transition this past year, it was hard to stay consistent. This year, I want that to change. I’m also creating something exclusive for my subscribers that will really help cultivate more community here at CWS. Make sure you subscribe below! 🙂
Grow On Social Media // Social media is my favorite hangout zone, for sure. It’s work for me, but it’s also fun, because I get to connect with so many great people and other influencers. Here are the numbers I’d like to reach over the year. I have some new strategies that I’m excited to implement and I’m praying they work!
Instagram: Currently: 9,730 Goal: 20,000 is the BIG goal, but with the way Instagram treats its users, I’m okay to settle at 15,000. Just keeping it real.
Twitter: Currently: 3,270 Goal: 6,000 – Twitter is where I hang all of the time, make sure you join me!
Pinterest: Currently: 46,40 Goal: 10,000
Facebook: Currently: 2,200 Goal: 5,000
These are just my long-term goals for CWS for 2018. The bulk of my focus will be primarily on monetizing my blog, but I’m excited to take on other projects, as well. Here’s to a great year!
What are some goals you have for the year?
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