The new year is less than a month away, and I’m already thinking about how I want to make 2016 the best year yet! I’ve got all sorts of plans for myself, from travel destinations to college goals, but I also have a ton of ideas for my blog. I want to start the new year with a plan in mind of how to grow my blog more than ever before, so here are a few of my blogging resolutions and other ways to prepare your blog for the new year!

Preparing Your Blog For The New Year

  • analyze which topics you covered this year, and how your audience responded to them
  • write down your most-viewed posts for the year and why you think they did so well
  • come up with a list of posts you absolutely want to create next year
  • figure out which social media platforms you received the most traffic from, and how you can replicate that success on the others
  • write down anything you wish you’d changed about your blog, but never had the time to
  • think about whether this is the year to make a big change to your blog (new design? complete rebrand?)
  • reestablish who your audience is and figure out if you’re really gearing your posts towards their interests
  • decide whether your post images are grasping people’s attention, and if not, brainstorm some new designs!
  • look over your social media profiles to see if they’re cohesive and speak to your brand

Blogging Resolutions

  • invest in a great design that you can’t take your eyes off of
  • learn a new skill that can be applied to your blog (graphic design, coding, creative writing)
  • commit to a blogging schedule that works for you, even if it’s just a day a week
  • take more pictures to use on your blog in place of stock photos
  • start a big project that’s connected to your blog (write an e-book, open up a shop, design blogs)
  • create an email list if you don’t already have one (I still don’t!)
  • clean up your sidebar/footer if it’s getting cluttered by making all of your images the same width and removing any unnecessary sections
  • write more engaging posts that keep your readers wanting more
  • organize your navigation bar and remove any unnecessary links
  • update your blog/social media profiles with a more recent picture of yourself
  • set aside some time for yourself this year away from your blog!
  • start monetizing your blog, or revamp your current monetization strategy
  • update your about page (you’ve probably changed a lot over the year!)

Do you have any big plans for your blog in 2016? Share them below!