A new year means a fresh start. It could be a fresh start to anything. Perhaps a fresh start to a healthier you. A fresh start to a rekindling relationships. A fresh start to your blog.
For the first Bloggie Wednesdays of the year, we’ll be talking about your blog and what 2013 has in store for you. Do you have any plans on how you can make your blogging journey a better one this year?
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed a lot of your posts on 2012 wrap-ups and what your resolutions are for 2013. Some of you plan to be more organised with your blog posts this year by having an editorial calendar for your blog. Some of you have decided to stop accepting products for editorial consideration (nothing wrong with that at all). Most of you have great visions for your blog, whether it’s to take it to a whole new level by going down the professional blogging route, collaborating with brands/bloggers, introducing more lifestyle elements to your blogs, trying new things and many more.
Two very enthusiastic thumbs up, bloggers. I wish you all the best and can’t wait to see what you have in store for us this year. 🙂
As for me, I’m a fickle blogger. I might plan to do something this month but can change all of a sudden and scrap the idea altogether (which is why I need a yearly editorial plan to keep me in place before I start rambling off-course). Having said that, there are a few things I plan to do this year:
Spend more time on commenting on blogs
I’ve been slacking on this department, only lurking on the blogs I visit daily but don’t leave a comment on. So if you haven’t been hearing from me for ages, it’s not because I haven’t been reading your blogs. I have. I’ve just been a lazy bugger who hasn’t been commenting. This year, I hope to improve on this.
Collaborate with one brand on something big
It’s no secret that I do write reviews on products that have been sent to me for editorial consideration and that I also publish sponsored posts on the blog from time to time. However it’s important for you to know that I’m very picky with what I choose to write about. If I don’t like it, I shan’t tell you I like it (that’s why you and I read blogs, right?). If the campaign isn’t what I think you’ll enjoy reading or if it’s not ethically right, I won’t do it. I turned down good money last year on those grounds (not an easy thing to do with no steady flow of income). Having said that, I’d still love to be able to properly collaborate with a brand on something really cool for you and for me. I don’t know what it is yet or if it will happen, but if it does, you’ll be the first to know.
Collaborate with bloggers on more stories
I’m actually most excited about this one. I kicked off the Five Minutes with my Favourite Blogger chats last year and it’s been quite a hit. I had a lot of fun reading what other bloggers have to say and this year I’d like to do more collaborations with bloggers on other things. Some of you will be hearing a lot from me this year. 😉
Figure out how to make Pinterest work for the blog
This is one area of social media that is still baffling me. I love the pictures and definitely understand the addiction but still am quite clueless on how to drive traffic in to the blog. Well, we’ll see about that this year, won’t we, Pinterest?
Meet interstate and international bloggers
2013 is the year of travel for me (will tell you more about it when the time comes); with that, I’d love to be able to meet the interstate and international bloggers I’ve had the pleasure of communicating with on the blog and social media. I’d love to be able to put a face to the name, even though I get to see the face in pictures on blogs (it’s just better in person, y’know?) Fingers crossed!
There are a lot more ideas I have for the blog in 2013, but these are the main ones I’d like to focus on this year. It’s good to have something to strive towards. Call it my KPI if you will. 🙂
What about you? What plans, big or small, do you have for your blog in 2013?
I love Bloggie Wednesdays. Even though my blog is a baby, thanks to you, I now have an editorial calendar and I am hoping this year to just have fun and have my blog be one which people love to visit each day and get excited about when they see an update in their email or on Bloglovin. Oh, I also hope to add a few new followers each month too, fingers crossed.
Thanks for all your advice and keep it coming.
<3 Dannii x
Dannii recently posted..Top 12 nail polishes of 2012
Aww thanks for your kind words, Dannii. Since your blog is still young, I’d say take it easy with the editorial calendar. I know I’ve been preaching a lot about having one to keep you organised but blogging for the heck of it at the spur of the moment is even more fun than following a strict schedule. I wouldn’t want all this scheduling to take away the fun from blogging and making it a chore. Let the editorial calendar be a guide of what you want to post but don’t let it rule you, y’know what I mean? 🙂
Wishing you all the best on your blog! x
What a timely & perfect post Tine! Yesterday marked my one year blogging anniversary so I wrote post about 7 things I’ve learned this year from blogging, I even indirectly mentioned you & your blog when I talked about having a blog mentor who doesn’t know she’s my mentor – that would be you, lol! You’ve been so helpful with Bloggie Wednesdays & your free e-book plus you always take the time to respond to comments. So few big-time bloggers bother. I was reading your ebook this weekend, thinking about putting together a media kit this year. Haven’t quite got the hang of an editorial calendar yet (still typing up future post ideas on my mac) but I definitely want to do more with my blogs in 2013, so thank you for the inspiration, the tools, and the interaction, it’s so very appreciated.
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Oooh happy first birthday! Blogaversaries are so much fun. Aww thank you for making me your blog mentor; it really is such an honour 🙂
Putting together future post ideas is a great idea. In fact, just having that document of ideas is a great start to putting your editorial calendar together. It’s just a matter of putting a topic to a date and then play around with the dates and topics. That’s what I do anyway. Nothing set in stone; there shouldn’t be any or else it just takes away the fun from blogging 🙂
Here’s to many more blogaversaries to come! x
Loving your 2013 goals Tine, I’m definitely with you on some of them!
For me, my main goal is to actually blog more and focus on making more youtube vids! Was a little slack in 2012 but I’m getting there lol. Also going to make the move to Wordpress self hosted! Which will prob kill my tech noob brain o.O
I’m going to try and join you on the WP bandwagon this year as well Jess! 😀 poor Tine is going to get hounded nonstop with noob questions…oops!
On a side note, I’m actually going to try and do up an editorial calendar this year. Wish me luck!
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Hee hee happy to help and good luck with the editorial calendar! 🙂
Awesome! I love your videos Jess. Seriously, your smiley face brightens up my day. Looking forward to more videos from you 🙂
I didn’t make any goals for the blog this year which is, if you ask me, a little silly because having a goal is important for anything. But I had one subconscious one that I decided on during the weekend which is similar to your last one – that I’d like to meet with more bloggers, but also readers, both near and far 😀 Am trying to see how best to accomplish this. Blog-wise, I think I’m going to stick to what I promised myself last year – that I’d do what I enjoy, how I want it. So, pretty much take it or leave it 😉
Paris B recently posted..Dior Cherie Bow Spring 2013 Collection: A lengthy overview
I would love to meet more bloggers, that’s for sure. I had the opportunity to finally catch up with Yuming from Beauty Box in Tokyo but couldn’t make it because my schedule was so tight. Nikki (Askmewhats) is a must for me as well (not fair that you’ve all met her TWICE and I haven’t even seen her face in person :P). And many many more. Fingers crossed this will happen.
As for your blogging goal of doing what you enjoy, you know what, more than good enough. Why do it if you don’t enjoy it, eh? 😉
This year is definitely a year for some changes for me, good ones of course. I want to start including more of everything I like, not just beauty. And I want to share life updates. I just like to talk, and this is an excuse to do it lol.
And thanks for reminding me about the editorial calendar idea, it’s the one thing id forgotten! I will definitely do that. 🙂
Kaye recently posted..What’s In Store For Beautiful Kayekie In 2013
I’d love to read more lifestyle and personal posts from you Kaye. I always enjoy the gorgeous pictures of your kids anyway when you post photography tips and all that. Talk away! 😀
Hmmmm I am pretty much a slacker of a blogger…but this year I want to try and keep up with my blog, also to try and visit my favorite cuppa good reads, comment regularly if i can, post updated photos of my munchkin ..i just wish there is a way i can put it on private mode where i dont need friends whom i trust to key in a pass word hmmmmm self host Wordpress would be an option i suppose … we shall see we shall see
You can put your blog into private mode and only allow the readers you want access. Try this out: http://en.support.wordpress.com/settings/privacy-settings/
for my blog, I want to collaborate with big brands and I am honestly thinking towards going full time but still confused so main focus is to grow the blog!!!
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Good resolutions for the blog, Swati. When confused, write it down. I find that putting my goals on paper keeps me focused. Hope that works for you and all the best for your blog! 🙂
I don’t have an official set of goals for my blog, but I’ve thinking about some changes. I’ve bought a new camera because my pics were really bad. Hey, here I have my first goal: I have to read the user’s manual! 🙂
Fun fact: last week I’ve met a fellow Argentinian blogger… in California. We’ve never got the chance to meet in Argentina, so it’s kind of funny that it finally happened in the USA.
Cé recently posted..Travel bag | Un rejunte
Haha yay for getting a new camera! I always love new gadgets so I’m sure you’re going to love yours too. What camera did you get?
Oooh that’s awesome! The world just got a little smaller 😉
I got the Nikon D5100. It’s my first “grown up” camera so I feel a little intimidated. It took some great vacation pictures, and now I have to see how it works for my blog. Again, user’s manual! 🙂
And it was awesome, indeed. As you’ve said, it’s great to put a face to the name!
Cé recently posted..Travel bag | Un rejunte
VERY insightful and charming post. Great goals to have for me as well as other bloggers.
Erin~
Thanks Erin 🙂
All the best with your goals for 2013! I really need to comment on more blogs, I lurk a lot! Lol I’m catching up tonight as away solo on a work trip… I’m guessing it’s unlikely but any chance you’re coming to Adelaide? We have a really fun beauty conference! 🙂 I’m in Melbourne late next month; would love to meet other bloggers if people are keen/interested (I haven’t been to MEL for 3 yrs!?!). 🙂
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Me too! I’m a big lurker. Trying to overcome that in 2013 and commenting more. I hope 😛
I would LOVE to be able to check out your beauty conference. I follow the tweets via Celeste and Stacey on Twitter, checked out the video and photos … it was simply fab! When’s the next one?
Oooh come come! Let me know, and we’ll do something related with food, as we always do 😛
Hi Tine it’s in August this year I believe – if you get in touch with Celeste she’ll be able to give more accurate dates as I’m not on the committee. 🙂
Great! I can never say no to food! 😀 I’m going to shoot an email to peeps soon it would be nice to do a lunch or dinner catchup with you lovely Melbournites! 🙂
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