It’s a new year, a new decade, and a fresh start.  So, you make a few blog resolutions: Post more often! Attract more readers! Make some money!
As always, it’s easier said than done, but here are some tips to keep you on the right path:

Set specific goals

Everyone wants to attract more readers, get more comments, post more regularly, etc.

1. The trick is to set SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Time-based):  How many readers do you want to attract?  How many comments would you like to see on each post? What’s the deadline for all this to happen?

Post more often

It happens to the best of us: life gets a little out of control and we don’t have time to write/take pictures/cruise the web, let alone set up an entire blog post. To prevent these lapses:

2. Designate blocks of time for writing, research, and taking pictures and develop a schedule. Set a time (like Sunday afternoon) to schedule posts in advance.

3. Create an editorial calendar and make sure you have a place (a notepad, Google doc, whatever works for you) to jot down ideas as they come.

4. Write about two weeks worth of “evergreen” posts and save the drafts to your blogging platform. When you’re crunched for time, all you have to do is hit post and you’re done!

Attract more readers

5. Promote your blog by commenting on other blogs, joining topically related social networks, and participating in events with your target audience.

6. Set up multiple outposts and use social networks to spread your content. Don’t be scared to re-post your articles and images elsewhere; it will attract new readers to your blog.

7. Add Google alerts and Twitter searches for the types of content you post to your RSS feed, and participate in the discussions taking place around those topics.

Earn money

We’d all like to be compensated for our time and effort. There are a number of options here, the most prominent being:

8. Advertising from a direct contact or through an ad network. If you have a large enough readership, you may want to contact companies that are interested in reaching your target audience.

9.  Affiliate programs let you earn commission on sales you make of someone else’s products. You can find more information about affiliate sales here.

10. Direct sales mean you make money by selling something you create. You can sell your artwork, your writing, vintage clothing, or crafts you make to name a few.

Add some glamour

Fashion bloggers like pretty things (duh!), so use your skills to help you spruce up your blog.

11. Learn HTML and CSS so you can edit your blog template to add a column, expand your header, or insert a signature image. Check out some design galleries for inspiration.

12. Find a favorite font or image and create a new header.

13. Learn to use a graphics program (like Photoshop or The Gimp) to create colorful and enticing graphics for your sidebar and posts.

If you have a blog you’re already ahead of the game, so if you put your mind to it, you can stick to your blogging resolutions!

Image by Katerha