<img class="alignleft wp-image-10241" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/8908225_s-300x200.jpg" alt="SMART Blog Goals" width="246" height="164" />Setting goals has always been a wise, growth-motivated thing to do for a business, individual, website, blog or any other endeavor. However, you can't just set goals and expect to reach them.

The goals have to be set in the proper way to ensure you have a fighting chance of reaching and achieving your goals.

Your blog is no different. Setting <strong>S.M.A.R.T. goals</strong> will make a huge difference in the effectiveness of your efforts. It doesn't matter why you're blogging - the way you set your goals will make a difference.
<h2>Defining a S.M.A.R.T. Goal</h2>
S.M.A.R.T. goals are not a new thing. They have been used by many very successful professionals and individuals for many years. S.M.A.R.T. is an acronym and helps you set the right type of goals. It stands for:
<ul>
	<li><strong>S</strong>pecific</li>
	<li><strong>M</strong>easureable</li>
	<li><strong>A</strong>chievable</li>
	<li><strong>R</strong>elevant</li>
	<li><strong>T</strong>ime-Bound</li>
</ul>
By setting S.M.A.R.T. goals, you will have the right plan in place to make achieving your goal much easier.
<h2><img class="wp-image-10242 aligncenter" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/12701763_s-300x199.jpg" alt="SMART Goals" width="440" height="292" />S is for specific</h2>
The first part of setting a S.M.A.R.T. goal is making the goal specific. If you set a vague goal, such as "I want to grow my business by using a blog," you don't really have much to shoot for.

It will be much harder to achieve this goal compared to a more specific goal, such as, "I want to add 10 new posts to my blog every week to increase the number of new leads I get for my business," or "I want to use my blog to earn enough money to pay my monthly rent/mortgage bill."

By making the goal very specific, it can become a motivator and you can use the other steps of SMART goals to make it more achievable.
<h2>M is for measurable</h2>
Once you make your goal specific, you need a way to measure the goal. This can be very easy to set up, depending on your goal. An immeasurable goal would be, "I want to use my blog to increase how many leads I get every month." This type of goal only means if you get one more lead than a normal month, you have achieved your goal.

A measurable goal would be, "I want to add 10 new leads every month by using my blog." This sets a specific and measurable goal you can actually see as you work towards achieving it.
<h2>A is for achievable</h2>
Making your goals for your blog achievable is another very important factor. If you set your goal too high, it can be discouraging instead of motivating. Make sure the goals you set are realistic and that you can actually achieve them.

An un-achievable goal may be to make $100,000 your first year of blogging, while an achievable goal may be to build your blog to make $500 per month by the end of the first year. You want your goals to stretch you a bit, but they still need to be achievable.
<h2>R is for relevant</h2>
<img class="wp-image-10243 alignright" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/32138177_s-300x277.jpg" alt="Blog Goals" width="212" height="196" />Setting relevant goals makes a difference, as well. There's no need to chase a goal that won't help you or your company achieve your overall focus.

An irrelevant goal may be to double your audience on social media, while a relevant goal would be to double your actual blog subscribers. While social media may be important, it's not your blog, so setting goals for social media doesn't fit with your blogging goals.
<h2>T is for time-bound</h2>
A time-bound goal gives you focus and allows an end date for achieving the goal. You don't want to just set a goal, such as "I want to increase my blog traffic." Instead, you want your goal to be time-bound, such as, "I want to increase my blog traffic to 100 visitors per day by the end of this year."

By adding a time-frame for achieving the goal, you will be able to see how close you are and keep yourself on the right track.

As you set S.M.A.R.T. goals for your blog, you want to make sure they fit with every part of the acronym. With S.M.A.R.T. goals, you will have something to shoot for and something you can achieve. As you achieve every goal, you will build confidence and it will help you find success with the blog you are working on.