Have you ever stopped and reflect why we fail to meet our goals as content creators? Have you set your 2021 goals as a content creator? If you’re looking to build your brand or scale your business this year, avoid these four mistakes content creators make.
Goal setting has always been a big part of my brand and business strategy. I launched my blog in 2014 during my senior year of college for fun but didn’t start taking seriously until 2016. Year by year, I made goals to build up my skills as a content creator, learn the business side of the influencer industry, and learn how to make an income.
Today, I wanted to share a few reasons why we fail to meet our goals as content creators. These are a few ways I’ve personally missed a few annual goals as a content creator. I hope sharing these mistakes helps you stay focused and achieve your 2021 goals!
Here are 4 Reasons Why We Fail to Meet Our Goals as Content Creators:
Reason 1: We focus on a place of lack instead of our actual goals.
Instead of actually being focused on our goals, we focus on the reasons why can’t achieve or reach our goals. We focus on the barriers and we laser in on the constraints like:
- The Instagram algorithm
- The influencer industry being overly saturated
- Not having the right equipment
- Not having enough time
What we can focus on instead that will help us achieve our goals:
The reasons why we want to achieve this goal.
For example, if your goal is to take content creation full-time, take the time identify why this is the career switch you want. Will it help you live a more balanced lifestyle? Does being able to be creative and focus on writing or filming videos bring you joy?
The lessons we’ve learned.
Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, we can refocus our energy and reflect on the lessons we’ve learned. You know more today than you did a month ago, three months ago, and a year ago. If you take the time to acknowledge what you’ve learned, you’ll feel better about your path.
For example, a year ago I didn’t have a podcast. But my friend Maddy and I teamed up to launch one in February 2020. Together, we committed to learn how to launch and run a podcast. It took us a full year to learn how to record, edit, and create content for our podcast. We’ve grown so much in a year!
The weekly/daily wins.
If you’re working towards a long-term goal, don’t be afraid to celebrate weekly or daily wins to help motivate you along the way. If you’re working on posting consistently, acknowledge and give yourself some credit for showing up on Instagram or your social platform 3 times this week.
Reason 2: We haven’t defined what success means to us.
Success to everyone is defined differently. Some people define success as financial freedom, others define it as building a following on Instagram. You’ll find people setting their standards of success around their habits, routines, skills, and expertise.
People feel like they fail their goals when they haven’t fully defined what it means to be successful. You can set a goal that says, “I want 100,000 followers in a year”. However, is success just the following number? Or is success something else beyond that milestone? What will hitting that following number do for your brand and business?
Reason 3: We feel bad about the goals we set
If you set a goal feeling dread, it’s probably not the right goal to be setting for you. Your goals should not make you feel bad about yourself. If you set goals that you think are unattainable or you don’t actually think you can achieve, you automatically set yourself up for failure.
Check in with your emotions and your intuition when you’re setting your goals. When you write a goal or statement down like, “I want to diversify my platform and brand on Pinterest this year”, how do you feel? Do you feel optimistic and a little nervous? Do you feel a pit in your stomach?
If you’re experiencing negative emotions, take a step back and reflect on where you’re at as a content creator. Make sure you’re identifying goals that you believe you can achieve, even if it’s a stretch goal. And if you’re emotions are around neutral, to optimistic, to excited, your intuition is telling you you’re on the right path.
Reason 4: We give up too soon
Have you ever tried to build a new habit or routine?
As content creators, we might try to build a new platform like TikTok or start a blog in 2021. After a few months with nothing happening on our platforms, we might feel like giving up. But the truth us, sometimes you just need to get the 6-month mark, 1 year mark, or even 2-year mark to see real traction and growth.
As influencers, we have to constantly be testing out new platforms and content that connects with our audiences. The testing out phase doesn’t always immediately result in growth. We have to remember that we need to learn and improve our skills as content creators as well as learn what type of content resonates with our audiences.
If you’re looking to set your 2021 goals as a content creator, but have no idea where to start, I highly recommend checking out my latest course:
How to Set Goals for Your Brand & Business.
This course includes:
Tips and examples on:
Evaluating your mindset & emotions around your goals
How to Set Financial Goals
- How to set an annual revenue target
- Basic business terms
- Exercises to outline your costs and lay your your revenue by quarter
How to Set Goals to Build New Habits/Routines
- An exercise to help you evaluate your time
How to Set Goals Around Your Audience/Customer
How to Set Goals to Build your Skills/Expertise
Tips on establishing accountability
What other mistakes do content creators make when it comes to staying focused on their goals?
For more goal setting/goals blog posts, I recommend checking out:
2020 Blogging Goals for Emma’s Edition
5 Blogging Goals for Emma’s Edition in 2019
Thank you for reading! I hope learning about reasons why we fail to meet our goals as content creators helps you achieve your brand & business goals this year.
Love,
Emma
This makes total sense! I try and keep my goals realistic and take it day by day!
Candice x
theblogsocial.com