Reflections of Blog Goals 2012

It has been an exciting year here on Sakura Haruka, to say the least. I set some blog goals for 2012 to give myself some direction. Now that it's the end of 2012, it's time to look back on those goals to see how I fared, and to reminisce on some highlights of the year.

1. Build a better brand presence
I identified myself as a Parenting & Lifestyle blogger to provide some perspective into what people {readers & sponsors} can expect to find here. Indeed, over the year, I have written many posts on this aspect.

As a parent, I was anxious as a first-time preschooler's parent, I pondered on the issue of household chores and maids at home, grinned widely whenever I found matching accessories to wear with Lil Pumpkin, enjoyed exploring old playgrounds with my family, and feared for my girl's health when Singapore faced an epidemic in Hand-Food-Mouth Diseases or when she had eczema flare-ups.

As an individual juggling different lifestyles, I shared tips as a busy working mum, introduced the sights & sounds of Singapore, and shared my passions for food {have you tried my pineapple & kiwifruits fried rice recipe??}, fashion and travel amongst other things.

In building a better brand presence, I also got myself some name-cards, prepared my media kit {still need touch-ups, but finally!!}, and designed a blog makeover in July all by myself thank you very much :) Am very pleased with the result and don't think I'll be doing another one anytime soon haha.

One important thing that I neglected for a better online presence was to be more SEO-optimised though. I think doing that would take up a lot of time and require a lot of technical knowledge so I side-lined it. What's your thoughts on this?

2. Build content
I don't really have an editorial calendar whereby I plan way ahead the content, when to write and when to publish it. The earliest I will schedule a post is just about 2 weeks ahead, as I like to keep things current. However, I did set some perimeters to post usually on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. I host a weekly Wordless Wednesday Linky and I do love my parties with Jess and Grace :)

As planned, I rolled out more regular feature series throughout the year to engage readers on their favourite topics. These included:

• Danboard Photography #WW {creative pics using Danboard anime figurine to tell a story}
• Bub & Me {fun family ways to spend with kids}
• 10 Things to Tell Your Kids {10 tips to tell your kids about a certain topic}
• Tips from a Busy Working Mama {sharing my experience and know-how as a FTWM}

I think I did a fairly well job of creating interesting content here. They may not be the wittiest, funniest, or most wonderfully-crafted posts around, but they are definitely written from the heart and I am proud of them.

3. Build community
This was definitely the hardest bit, and one which I spent much effort on - to build better relationships with my readers, fellow bloggers, and sponsors. This was done both on the blog, and off via Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and lately I've joined Tumblr too heh. If you haven't connected with me off the blog yet, please do!

I did join the local bloggers club which provided opportunities for me to run the Greenwich V Amazing Race,  be an ambassador for Casio Sheen watches, meet other Hello Kitty lovers, travel to Macau, and even be recognised for my efforts as a family blogger at the Singapore Blog Awards 2012. The Singapore mum bloggers also provided me another avenue to meet other mums {had about 4 playdates for Lil Pumpkin organised yay!} with the same interest in blogging and to share our experiences.

1 year isn't too short, but it isn't too long either, and relationships certainly need time to flourish. I hope that you have gotten to know me a little better this past year, and continue to grow your friendship with me in 2013. That really is how I see my readers, fellow bloggers and sponsors - as genuine friends wanting the best for each other.

Overall, I think I accomplished the my 2012 blog goals :) So what's in-store for 2013? Check it out here!

How did you think I fared in my blog goals for 2012? 

Did you complete the resolutions you set for yourself?

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