They are hosting a link-up Monday for posts about blogging goals for 2010, since the meet-up is supposed to be a roundtable discussion about blogging as a business.
Here's what they wrote about it:
For many of us, blogging started as a hobby and over time turned into a part-time or even full time business. The problem is that many of us still blog as if it were a hobby. Everyone knows that Apple or Google would not be the successful companies they are today without setting goals each year.
I had something written here that was fairly negative and I decided to remove it. I don't want to scoff at my potential as a blogger. I certainly never though I would have many readers, that I would make one dime, or that I would have the wonderful friendships that have been made as a result of blogging.
Colossians 3:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men" (NIV). I fully believe this blog is part of "whatever"! It is something I work at, after all. And so my main goal will always be that it is pleasing to Him. For me, that means I live life for Him and serve my family. If I can blog about it and perhaps help contribute to my family, like the Proverbs 31 woman, that is awesome.
Some other, more concrete goals I have?
Create a mission statement for Vanderbilt Wife and keep my posts within that thesis.
I would love to switch to Wordpress sometime this year. Mostly I dislike the Blogger commenting system, and I am not a fan of their new interface. I've been hesitant to do this because of time, cost, and a learning curve, but I think I am at the point where it could happen sooner rather than later.
Interact more with my readers and comment more on their blogs. That kind of has to do with the above and is the reason I dislike Blogger commenting. E-mail is not required so there are many, MANY times I've composed an e-mail back to someone who commented to find that I don't have an e-mail address for them. I LOVE the commenting system that Amy has, where she can respond to the comment on the blog and it automatically sends the commenter an e-mail as well.
Not make the blog my life. I am starting out this year with a big transition to being a work-at-home/stay-at-home mom, and I need to be there for my daughter first and foremost. That is so much more important to me than being a household name or making money.
Spend time actually reading sites like Problogger and Copyblogger so I can learn some good stuff. :)
Edit and reread my posts more thoroughly before I hit "publish."
Index my recipes.
Be willing to change if need be.
Honestly, I want this site to fulfill my goal of writing better as well as be helpful and fun for my readers. What can I do to make it better? You probably know better than I do!
