Tuesday, February 7, 2012

How Often Should I Post—Keys to a Reasonable Blog Schedule


There is lots of information about blogging around, some of it good and some of it not so good. One of the biggest misconceptions I see is in regard to how often you should post your blog. The common misconception seems to be that daily is always best. While this may be true for some, it’s definitely NOT for the majority and here’s why. 
  • Daily blog posts don’t always get read. People are busy and few (if any) have time to read every blog every day. If you post once or twice a week I’m much more likely to read every post than if you post every day. For the sites I follow that post every day I pick and choose what I read by the title of the post (which is a whole nuther subject!).
  • A daily schedule can cause burnout. For many people, a blog is something they do in addition to their regular writing. If you have to work too hard at it you may be tempted to quit.
  • Frequently the posts are better when they’re spaced further apart. Let’s face it, it’s hard to be great day-in and day-out. This definitely holds true with blogging.

So what is a reasonable blogging schedule? Truthfully it depends. But here are some things to think about to help you find that magic number for you. 
  • Your personality – are you easily discouraged when you don’t live up to expectations? If so, I’d start slowly. Once a week is a good goal and then, if that’s manageable you can add another day. But keep the schedule in line with what you can accomplish. If you’re like me, when I fail at something too often I give up and quit.
  •  Your goals – think about what you want the blog to accomplish. Are you trying to connect with your readers or start a network? That will entail posting more often and replying to comments in a timely fashion. Do you want to build a platform? With that, a regular schedule of two to three times a week, with focused articles and posts should do the trick.
  •  Your lifestyle – what does your home life look like? Do you have a full-time job or are you a full-time writer? I have a friend who writes and she homeschools five kids. Believe me, posting four or five times a week just isn’t a reasonable goal for her. 

So what’s the answer? Mainly, I think we need to be flexible. We need to give ourselves the time and space we need to figure out what works best for us and our readers. When we do that, we’ll be well on the road to excellence.

So what have you found? I’m curious, how often do you post and what feedback have you received about your posting schedule?

Don’t forget to join the conversation!
Blessings,
Edie

16 comments:

  1. Great points! I've been falling into a trap myself of daily posting from the weekly Friday post I used to accomplish. But, it could be because I've been going blog crazy lately, so that's probably another reason for my unpredictability lately!

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  2. Great advice, Edie! I tell my friends that it has to be manageable AND enjoyable, or you won't do it. And having a schedule was good to help me be disciplined. Thanks!!

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  3. Hey Edie. I started posting more regularly back in November. I now post 3x a week (MWF), though Fridays I've made more of a "fun question" post that actually gets MORE reads sometimes (ironically). I usually write all of my posts at once so I don't have to commit time each day to it. It's just easier for me to know that all the posts for the week are taken care of. I have considered at times going down to 2x a week, but I've got some pretty regular readers (surprisingly!), so I wouldn't want to lose that. Anyway, 3x seems to work well for me for now!

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  4. This is great advice! I'm trying to revive my blog after being away for awhile, and I'm trying to revamp the way I do it. I just did a post today about what I'm after as a blogger, and I'm looking for ways on how to get it. So this post is timely for me! :)I think I will try to aim for 3x a week. Now to come up with attractive content...

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  5. I appreciate your post! A number of people have said I should blog daily, but that's not a good fit for me.
    Consistency is burdensome when we set our schedule according to others' expectations insteadd of by what God is calling us to.

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  6. I post M-F. But here's why it works for me:
    I keep my posts short & focused.
    M, W, F it's all about quotes, hence the title of my blog: In Others' Words. My word count per post runs 100 to at most 400 words, and that includes the quote for the day.
    On T-Th I post on writing, but I still keep it short.
    Two reasons for keeping it brief:
    1. There are lots of other blogs out there, so I hope by being brief, others are more inclined to read my posts.
    2. Short posts are easier to write.

    :O)

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  7. I used to blog twice and week, then my time went out the window. Not I blog for sure once a week, then if I can twice. I always love your practical advice. Thanks.

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  8. Hi Edie, I used to post one long post a week, but that became way too long. So now I post 3X a week: Tuesday--teaching, Thursday--announcements/opportunities, and Friday--very short devotion. So far it seems to be working, although there are some weeks it feels like too much with everything else that's going on.

    I'm certainly not married to it and may change it in the future.

    Thanks for addressing this much-needed topic!

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  9. As always, great post, Edie!!

    I'm trying to blog 3 times a week. Monday Meditation~a verse to ponder, Wednesday Worship~a song to encourage, and then whatever God lays on my heart (hopefully on Fridays).

    Blessings!

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  10. I think you're all doing a great job of following what works for your particular situation. It's just sometimes hard to tune out all those "shoulds".
    Thanks for stopping by!
    Blessings, E

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  11. Thanks for the reality check. I am experiencing some burn out.

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  12. Thanks for the helpful hints. I find that I feel bad for not posting more than about 1-2 times a week, on average.

    The idea that spacing posts apart is a good thing is encouraging. It feel like I've got 'permission' to just do what I can. Thanks.

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  13. Thank you for your great post. I post three times a week and have considered going down to two. You have some great points. I appreciate your encouragement.

    Glenda Parker
    http://glendaparkerfictionwriter.blogspot.com

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  14. Hi Edie, I'm a stay at home mom with four kids, and I just started blogging in October. I post once a week, and I'm happy with that for now. I want to offer thoughtful, well written posts and can only do that on my current schedule. I've decided that I can always add on later when I'm more comfortable my blog writing process.

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  15. I'm just coming off a blog hiatus so this is a pretty relevant topic for me today. I'm planning on blogging twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays. On my author blog, I blog three times a week, so on my professional work blog, I'm doing two blog posts a week, so I can plan out the content a little more, and not have to be constrained by the amount of time I have between blog days. I'm filling the third day each week on my professional blog with a podcast that I let fall off. While podcasting isn't easy, it takes a different skill set, so I can keep it lively for me, and I won't lose interest.

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  16. I have been trying to post on Saturday's because more people tend to read it on weekends, which is when I have a longer post. Then I post one every monday that's a little shorter. Those are the only two I schedule. Anything else is just gravy! =o)

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