With every new year comes a new set of goals or resolutions to aspire towards. Content creators and content creation are no exception – in fact, I’d say a lot of us start the year wanting to make something on our social media better. But setting those goals is always daunting. Even more so is the fact that meeting them seems improbable.

Improbable, that is, until now. Here are 10 tips for setting content creator goals in 2023. And, good news, they’ll work for any other goals you have, too!

Think Smaller 🤏

We all have big goals we want to achieve, but don’t be afraid to start with smaller ones. Breaking one lofty goal into smaller pieces can make achieving it even easier. So instead of “getting a consistent posting schedule”, try “post three or four videos a week” and “create content on Mondays”. Think of the steps you’ll need to get to your big goal and focus on those. Or, just start with little goals! “Get 50 likes on a video” is a great goal, and you can keep pushing yourself once you get it.

Be Specific 🎯

Instead of saying “to grow my channel” or “reach a new audience”, give yourself tangible goals. Even something like “reach 1,000 followers” is great! Clearly state what you want and how you’ll measure your success. It will be easier for you to track your progress, to see when you succeed, and to break into smaller goals.

Make Them Controllable 🎮

Make sure that your goals are within your control. Social media is a little tricky, because something like “get 100 followers” is dependent on other people. Still, you have some sway over this and there are ways to influence that number! Set goals that you have actual sway over, and break them down into smaller, more controllable bits if you need to! What can you do to get those 100 new followers?

Adjust As Needed 🎚️

Social media changes a lot, and fast. You may hit your goal or far surpass it; there may be some new trend or challenge that changes your goals; something in your personal life might alter how much time you can spend on them. Don’t be afraid to recalculate and figure out what will work best for you in this shifting environment. A flexible goal is so much more helpful than a rigid one!

Make Them Visible 🖼️

Having your goals clearly displayed makes them easier to achieve. I’m not sure on the exact science, but seeing them means they’re on the forefront of your mind, so you’re more likely to work toward them. Take some time to write your goals down, to make a vision board, or even to sketch out what you want to accomplish. Then display that visualization wherever you’ll see it!

Do Your Homework 🔬

Whether you look through your niche to see what works for other creators or review your past goals and growth, take some time to research before you set your goals. This will inform what you decide to do, may give you some new ideas or inspiration, and can help you figure out how long it will take to reach a goal. Which leads to our next point…

Give Yourself a Deadline 📅

Speaking from experience, this absolutely works! The key is to be flexible: understand that it’s okay if you don’t hit that deadline, and make sure you’re giving yourself plenty of time to meet it. If you’re realistic and gentle with yourself, having a due-date for a project or goal can be an incredible motivator. As an extra tip, build in a few rewards if you meet your goal, meet it ahead of schedule, or meet it ahead of schedule and end up surpassing it!

Find New Tools to Use 🧰

At some point in your goal setting, look for new tools to use this year. What will help you accomplish your goals? What’s something you want to try out this year? What might help you stand out from other creators and make your content more unique? Clapper already comes with some incredible tools that you can work into your 2023 goals! Start a Group Chat to connect with your followers; set a schedule for your Lives and make them fun; jump on or host a few Radios to reach a wider audience. The possibilities are endless! Explore Clapper’s features and the other tools out there, see what you like, and work it into your goals.

Be Realistic 👓

It’s fun to dream and fun to push ourselves, but be realistic when you’re setting up goals. Think of this both in terms of what you want to accomplish and what you know you can accomplish. With everything going on in your life, what can you really do? How much time will this goal take, and can you spare that time? Don’t be afraid to push yourself or alter a goal if it doesn’t quite work out, but be mindful of your limits and commitments. You’re human, after all, and we can only do so much!

Have Fun! 🎉

Whatever you decide to shoot for this year, make sure you’re having fun! Your plans and ideas should be exciting to you, because you’re investing your time into it and the audience will be able to tell if you’re not feeling it. Stick to what you love, make sure you’re enjoying it, and everything will come after.

Ask yourself The Hard Questions🧐

As you’re thinking of what you want to accomplish this year, be sure to ask yourself why you want to do it. Not only will this help you figure out if you actually want to devote a lot of time to meeting this goal, but answering these questions might help you stay motivated. Ask yourself:

• Why do I want to do this?
• What will achieving it mean?
• How can I keep myself motivated?

If you feel up to sharing, let us know what you want to accomplish this year! Use the hashtag #Resolutions or #2023Goals to help hold yourself accountable and inspire people across the app to come up with a few resolutions for themselves. For more help with your content planning and creation, check out our Ultimate Creator Guide!