At the start of 2012, I did something I had never done before: I published my internet marketing goals publicly. The idea came from watching Pat Flynn share his goals at Smart Passive Income, and from Pat literally calling me out on Twitter to do the same. So I did.
Looking back from 2026, some of those goals were met, many were not, and the exercise itself taught me more about goal setting than any book or course ever has.
Why I Published My Goals
Two reasons. First, I was deeply unhappy with my 2011 results. I had published sporadically, barely promoted the blog, and produced only three podcast episodes all year. My online business existed, but it was not growing. I needed accountability, and public goals create accountability.
Second, Pat Flynn's example showed me that publishing goals builds trust with your audience. When you share what you are working toward, people can follow along, offer encouragement, and hold you to your commitments. That transparency is a form of content in itself.
The Goal Framework: Talk, Teach, Do
I organized my 2012 goals around a simple framework that still guides my business today.
Talk: Create Great Content
The “talk” goals were about consistent content creation: weekly podcast episodes, regular blog posts, an improved email autoresponder sequence, and active social media engagement. The common thread was showing up regularly with content that helps people.
Teach: Create Products
I wanted to create a beginner's guide to part-time affiliate marketing. This was the teaching component, turning my experience into a structured product that others could follow.
Do: Build Affiliate Sites
I planned to actively manage 10+ affiliate sites, track their performance publicly, and demonstrate that the strategies I talked about actually worked. This is the credibility component. If you teach internet marketing, you need to be doing internet marketing.
What I Got Right
The weekly podcast commitment stuck. Going from three episodes in 2011 to a consistent weekly format was transformative. The content quality improved because I was practicing regularly. The audience grew because listeners could count on new episodes.
The “Talk, Teach, Do” framework proved durable. It forced me to balance content creation with actual business building, preventing the trap of becoming someone who only talks about internet marketing without doing it.
What I Got Wrong
Many of the specific numeric targets were unrealistic. 125 blog posts in a year while maintaining a full-time job, a weekly podcast, and a family is not attainable without a content team, which I did not have. Setting unattainable goals does not motivate you. It demoralizes you when you inevitably fall short.
The outcome-based goals were also problematic. “Get all 10 sites to number 1 in Google” is not something you can directly control. You can control the inputs: content creation, link building, site improvements. But Google rankings depend on factors outside your influence, including what your competitors do.
How to Set Better Internet Marketing Goals
Based on 14 years of setting, missing, and occasionally meeting goals, here is what I have learned.
Focus on Input Goals, Not Output Goals
“Publish two blog posts per week” is an input goal. You control it. “Reach 1,000 daily visitors” is an output goal. You influence it but do not control it. Input goals build habits. Output goals create anxiety.
Set Fewer Goals
My 2012 list had over 15 specific targets across three categories. That is too many. Three to five goals with clear metrics and deadlines is enough. Everything else is a to-do list, not a goal.
Build in Review Cycles
Quarterly reviews are essential. Goals set in January may need adjustment by April based on what you have learned. A rigid goal that no longer makes sense is worse than no goal at all.
Find Accountability
Publishing goals publicly worked for me. A mastermind group, an accountability partner, or even a simple monthly check-in with a friend serves the same purpose. The external pressure to follow through consistently outperforms willpower alone.
The Mission Endures
The mission I articulated in that 2012 goals post still drives everything I do: help people profitably. Focus on creating genuine value for your audience, and the business results follow. That has never changed, and in a world increasingly flooded with AI-generated noise and low-effort content, the commitment to genuinely helping people matters more than ever.
You’re welcome buddy. I’ll be watching you closely 😉
That sounds creepy – but you get the idea. 2012 baby!
That is totally creepy Pat. Did you hack into my web cam again?
LOL.
Seriously. Thanks Man. You Inspire Many. Me included.
Mark
Looks like its gonna be a lot of hard work but Im sure you going to see some incredible results. I think you did the right thing by showing everyone your goals.
I feel like checking out your blog every day now when I know the purpose of your blog and where you want to go. Some of your goals are similar to mine as well.
All the best!!
Thanks David. I hope to post an average of 3 times per week to meet my
125 post goal. I hope every post is well worth the time it takes you to read it. Thanks very much for the encouragement. I’ll need it in March or April For sure.
awesome Mark! Don’t be too hard on yourself. You’ve got a houseful, a global job and commute times. I appreciate you!
Thanks. Appreciate the support, Kent.
Hi Mark!
That’s quite a lot of work for 2012 but I know that you can do it. Your goals sound amazing. I’ll watching out for your new blog posts and podcast. 🙂
Thanks. I have a great Virtual Assistant. That should help a lot!
Totally agree, Pat is an inspiration and you are as well. If it helps, you’ve responded almost immediately on the comments I’ve made on your site, so you’re already on your way. Looking forward to following your progress.
As a result of Pat’s post I too posted both last years goals and this years goals on my personal blog. I’m new to the internet marketing side of things and one of my main goals is to create 3-5 sites with at least 10 unique posts initially on each to help my audience solve a particular problem or achieve a particular end goal. As a result of providing epic content, I plan to derive revenue from those sites through several different means. Primarily through affiliate links to related products which will help my audience solve their problems, in addition to Adsense content and eventually sponsor ads. That would be through a combination of email subscriber lists and click through links/ads. I’d like to obtain an email subscriber list of 10 people by June 30th and 50 by Dec 31st. My revenue goal is to bring in $100 by June 30th and $250 by Dec 31st.
The goals are no where near the level of yours or Pat’s, but I think for a newbie they’re realistic and the more I learn through both of you, the more I hope to be able to substantially raise those goals as time goes on.
I’m getting familiar with Market Samurai right now to help me choose the right niche for the ideas I have, so once you get started I’d really be interested to see the process you go through. I plan to document the process that I go through as well. Thanks and good luck!
Thanks Chris. Agree that Pat totally rocks.
I like your goals a lot. Very smart to get lists up and running at the very beginning, and helpful to set achievable revenue targets.
Regarding MS, I plan to restart the OPEN NICHE PROJECT — that will certainly cover keyword research in a way simular to Pat’s Free Keyword Webinar.
Thanks again for your comments.
Great, looking forward to it. And also, let me know if I can be of any assistance on your goals as well. I’d be glad to help out as I’m sure I would learn a ton as well!
Sounds like a great plan, I’ll be following you closely.
Franck
Thanks Franck — should be very interesting, that’s for sure!
Jan Willis · from Cranfield School of Management left this comment via Facebook.
The comment was caught up in the comment system transition (she was commenting as I was importing comments into the new system.) I am reposting her comment here for completeness.
Hi Mark I came across your blog post via Pat’s Facebook wall which is proof that all this social media voodoo really does work so like you I plan to do it more consistently in 2012. I was struck by your comment about how you can’t teach someone how to do something unless you’ve done it yourself first. Glenn Dietzel (creator of the New Stealth Guru Model) says is that the skills of making it and teaching it are completely different. Seems to me there are lots of people in the online marketing world offering coaching programmes who claim to have made millions. The key thing is that they have credibility because we believe they are successful and they have lots of testimonials. But does anyone ever check out their track record? And does it really matter at the end of the day so long as their content is good and they can help others to be successful? Are those of us who insist on walking the walk before talking the talk effectively competing with one hand tied behind our backs? I’d love to hear your take on this. In the meantime good luck with your plans for 2012. I will be sure to check in from time to time to hear how you’re doing so do post updates from time to time.
Dave Starr · BCVTHS left this comment via Facebook.
The comment was caught up in the comment system transition (he was commenting as I was importing comments into the new system.) I am reposting his comment here for completeness.
I’m glad you posted this. I was on your feed due to some very valuable content you wrote a few months back, but lately very little had come through. A few days ago I was ‘spring cleaning” my feed reader and was actually deleting the feed for the blog in the lest above yours (which had also grown cold) when this post came in. Saved by the bell. You have good stuff and value to share. I’ll keep reading, you keep writing and here’s to a great 3012 for both of us.
— Here was my reply
Saved by the bell — yep. 2011 was not my best year from an internet marketing standpoint. Thanks for sticking with me. I will do my best not to disappoint you.
Jan — nice to meet you. I completely agree that the Making It skills and Teaching It skills are different. There are lots of people that cannot effectively teach the stuff they know how to do. As you point out, the problem is when people teach stuff they don’t really know anything about. That is a bad thing, because a lot of people in IM are trying to feed their families and pay the light bill. That’s why I like Pat Flynn. He tells the truth and is completely transparent.
Hey Mark, just heard your podcast with Pat Flynn – good stuff. Your goals are pushing yourself, keep up the good work!
@Addicted2Italy Thanks. Appreciate the positive feedback. Should be an interesting 2012.