2012 Goals
This post was scheduled to publish on Thursday per our normal posting schedule. However since The Millionaire Corner posted a quote about our goals today, it seems fitting to publish now rather than tomorrow. Read our quote at Millionaire Cormer: Finance Bloggers Share Their New Year’s Resolutions By Donald Liebenson.
Do you set goals? I do.
In my prior life I was a project manager (and in fact am still a certified PMP by the Project Management Institute). In that role, defining objectives and laying out steps to get to them is a vital skill. So you can imagine that I am a big goal setter, however, to date I have not inflicted my goals on my online readers.
That changes today! There is apparently some interest in learning what personal finance bloggers plan to do in the coming year – so here is a summary of my 2012 goals.
Become an official member of Yakezie
Family Money Values Blog has been a Yakezie challenger site since April of 2011 when we posted our challenger post and met all qualifications by October 2011. Unfortunately I just missed being able to join officially with the ‘Gamma’ class of challengers. This month I will be submitting my application to join with the Delta class.
The challenge was a great experience – I’ve met some wonderful bloggers online and pushed myself to do more based on what I saw them doing. Membership should push me even further.
Spruce up the blog
A new logo and design as well as a general cleanup of the bits and pieces to make the pages easier for you to read and find is in order. There may also be a conversion from Blogger technology to WordPress on the burner.
Grow the reader base
Family Money Values currently gets between a hundred and a hundred and fifty visitors a day. My goal is to increase those numbers to between 300 and 350 per day.
To do that I plan to write more guest posts, do more giveaways, and become more active in social media as well as continue to submit to blog carnivals and comment on other relevant sites. I will also be working on optimizing for search engine results, trying hard to write shorter posts, and spending several hours a week researching how to build readership.
Increase revenue
Family Money Values paid it’s way for the first time in 2011. The goal for 2012 for all online income will be an average of $1000 a month (which is really quite a reach!). My ideas currently on how to increase revenue include:
New sites
In 2011 we developed and published two of several new sites we have planned.
AgingBodies is the supersite that will have general information about what happens to us (from a layman’s viewpoint) as we age.
In addition, two complementary sites (not blogs) to Family Money Values are planned.
Develop a product to sell
The Family Money business plan has always included a product. In 2012 I will begin to develop either an eBook, a tools package or an online course for Category I wealth holders to use.
Continue staff writing
As you know I have been writing for Broke Professionals and Prairie Eco Thrifter. I hope to continue writing for them.
Grow my affiliate network
Currently I am an affiliate for Host Gator (my web hosting company) as well as Amazon. As I go through the year I hope to find more great products that I can recommend to you – and receive a commission on any purchases you may make through me.
Grow subscriptions
I will be looking into changing my newsletter service from ACY Mailing to something more mainstream. After I convert to a new service, I will be launching a number of campaigns to build a subscriber list, as well as sending out cool information more often.
Personal goals
My personal goals include finding a way to invest in real estate; holding my second annual Grandma Rie’s Money Camp (to teach my 2 grandchildren about personal finance); celebrating my 40th wedding anniversary with my wonderful spouse and family; sponsor a graduation party for the second daughter-in-law in our family graduating from college with a nursing degree; and finish moving my retirement funds from my old company’s plan to my IRA.
What do you think of my goals and action steps?
