Why You Don’t Need to Blog Daily
There’s a bit of a debate as to how often you should blog if you want to have a successful blog and grow the community around it.
Some folks will say you need to blog every day, or every other day.
Others will say once a week.
Others will say only blog when you have something useful to say (I’m not too sold on the last one – one person’s definition of useful is another’s definition of crap).
To be honest, there’s no right or wrong answer. Or at least, no standard right or wrong answer.
There is a right answer for you, however, and that’s the one you need to look at.
Questions and Answers
Blogging’s a funny beast. It can be personal; it can be corporate. It can be funny; it can be sad. It can be a sales tool; it can be a simple connection tool. It can be written; it can be media.
Simply put, blogging is in a world of its own when it comes to set parameters. You can’t say what works for one blogger will work for another; it just doesn’t roll that way.
What it does do, however, is make it easy to choose how often you’ll blog by asking two must-know questions before you start.
- Are you passionate about the topic?
- What time can you realistically allocate?
These are just two questions, but they offer the best idea for you as to how often you’ll blog. If you’re not passionate about your topic, blogging will soon become a chore, and once something becomes a chore… Well, we all hate chores, right?
If you can only allocate a few hours a week (and this includes promoting your blog and responding to comments on the post), then you’re probably only going to post once or twice a week. An hour a day would see you post daily; a couple of hours a month, you’d probably only be able to blog bi-weekly. (These are just rough stats – they don’t necessarily relate to your timescales).
So these questions kind of dictate how often you might blog.
It’s Not Worth It Then, Is It?
Now, depending on who you read and who you listen to, if you’re posting infrequently then you’re never going to grow your blog or get the readers/subscribers you’re after. Out of sight, out of mind, right?
Not necessarily.
I blog pretty much every day. I don’t do it just to “get more readers” – I’ve never had a subscription run here and I don’t plan on having one, ever. I’d rather grow my readership and subscribers organically as opposed to giving faux reasons why you should subscribe.
Instead, I blog as frequently because I genuinely love blogging. I love the interaction with you; I love being able to bounce ideas off each other; I love being able to offer an alternative take on something and then invite you to offer yours.
My friend John Haydon blogs a little less frequently, but still pretty regularly. Chris Garrett, co-author of the ProBlogger book and owner of the popular new media site ChrisG.com, has been posting fairly irregularly over the last few months.
Now. Take a look at this chart from Compete.com, which shows the monthly traffic for all three sites over the last 12 months.
As you can see, while there have been dips and gains, Chris has the most traffic, while John and I have swapped it back and forth as to where the higher traffic has been on a given month.
The blog that posts less is more “popular” than ones that post either daily, or more frequently. Kind of blows the whole “post every day” argument out the water.
So.
Listen to you, and write for you. Everything else is a bonus – readers, commenters, community, subscribers. Get what feels right for you, and that comfort will come across in your blog.
And that’s when it starts being fun. And when others see it’s fun? Well, there might just be no stopping you then…
photo credit: markhillary
95 Responses to “Why You Don’t Need to Blog Daily”
I think the “problem”, if you like, is that (as new bloggers) we all get caught up in the “I want to emulate Blogger X” syndrome. But why be Blogger X – why not be Blogger You?
Very interesting observation, Danny. I’ve had a different experience so far.
For example, in one of my niche blogs, I increased traffic by 79% just by publishing a new post every day. I didn’t do anything else differently. In fact, other than publishing posts daily, that blog is pretty neglected. I wrote an article about that experience here:
Months later, the traffic to that blog has almost tripled from where it once was before I published every day.
I guess the key is to try publishing more often and see how your audience responds
Lexi Rodrigo recently posted…. Excerpts from A Video Blogging Webinar
Hi Lexi and Danny
Thanks for sharing your experiences. IMHO for smaller blogs, blogging more often is key to getting more traffic. More blogging = more content = more SEO traffic.
Danny, your example features 3 pretty well known blogs. You, John & Chris probably get lots of links which in turn gets you more SEO traffic too.
At the end of the day, there’s no 1 size fits all strategy (as with everything on the web). It’s also important remember that traffic in itself doesn’t mean anything. You can have a profitable site with modest traffic too.
Finally, I wanted to share some great articles I read on the Netsetter blog recently:
Does More Posts = More Traffic?
http://thenetsetter.com/blog/blogging/does-more-posts-more-traffic/Just How Popular are List Posts?
http://thenetsetter.com/blog/blogging/just-how-popular-are-list-posts/Though you could swing it on any three blogs of less “popularity” (or more), David, and see if results were the same? I see your point, but I don’t think the popularity matters as much as the comparison (if that makes sense)?
But yes, one size does not fit all. Especially at McDonald’s
Do you think the blog being niche helped, Lexi? Even though it went quieter for a bit, it would still be a highly targeted blog via search, so once content picked up again, it naturally rose to a higher position in search and thus traffic? Maybe, maybe not, but just a thought
Spot on Danny as usual!
PrincessTweep recently posted…. Social Media Guru of the Month – Sign up today!I think you can definitely gain more traffic if you post daily BUT that still doesn’t mean it’s the right thing to do. If, for example, you don’t think you’re going to sustain that, then you set up false expectations… or you force yourself to blog when you don’t want to. If you get traffic that understands who and what you are and what you offer, they’re more likely to stick around, even if you only post twice a week (like Chris Guillebeau) or, no doubt, even less. Finding that match is the sweet spot, and it all starts, I suspect, from that same point you make: blogging for yourself.
Greg Pincus recently posted…. Waving Goodbye to Google WaveThat’s a great point, Greg.
Once you set a routine that your readers know, changing that up drastically could put a lot of folks off. Bloggers are constantly “vying” for eyeball attention; you don’t want to hinder yourself unnecessarily.
I liked the metrics you provided and perspective on some well-established blogs. I’m just getting ready to launch mine and I had initially thought I would aim at daily writing but as I get closer to starting it, I realize that is an unrealistic expectation for myself. And, as Greg just pointed out, then it would set a false expectation for potential readers. Better to establish a pace up front that I can maintain reliably. Thanks for the insights.
Thanks, Andrea, and recognizing your expectations is half the battle right there. Good luck with the blog – make sure you stop by and let us know when it’s live.
Great post. I need to revive my blog from a hiatus. I haven’t posted in a long time and I need to get it up to date and post at least once a week. I think it would be best for my career to do so.
Jamie Favreau recently posted…. What Role Does Technology Play for YouIt’s surprising just how much a blog can help on the career side, Jamie. You’re offering how your mind works, and that can go a long way into convincing either a potential client, customer or employer to have a second look at you. Which is always nice.
Aaahhh! That is my huge sigh! Thanks for the voice of sanity!
Sometimes there is just too much advice. I agree with David…there just isn’t a 1 size fits all and each of us has to set up a schedule that works for us.
For sure, Elli. We do it elsewhere – why not our blog as well?
Elli – soooo agree with your comment and share your sigh of relief!!!
Ali Davies recently posted…. Is it Time to Disconnect
Its not a matter of how often you blog as long as you are consistent in blogging. If your readers are used to read a nice article every 2-3 days, then you start to post every 2-3 weeks, you may certainly lose readership.
Consistency versus frequency wins every time, Andreas. Cheers!
Danny – great points. In terms of traffic and posting frequency, the more you post, the more content you have to be indexed and the more likely it will show up in Google or other search engines. Of course if you post extremely frequently that can help as it widens the likelyhood that one of your posts will get searched out.
As you say, what works for you is best. And more people should stick by that.
Frequency definitely helps with the search engines, Ryan. Though I’m curious how much that will be a factor as social search continues to eat into Google and other search engines?
Say you post just once a week, but your blog is hugely popular via Twitter, Facebook, Stumbleupon, etc. Would they offer more authority than some keywords on Google?
Should be interesting to watch it play out.
A lot of great points here, Danny – in your post and in the comments above.
At the risk of being redundant, here are some of my personal thoughts:
1. For a small and/or new blog, writing everyday might definitely help.
2. If we are not passionate about our writing, we won’t be able to keep up with the posts after the initial excitement wears off.
3. Consistency trumps frequency. But don’t try to overdo it. One post a year won’t make the cut – no matter how consistent we are
4. Blogging is a great leveler of life. There isn’t anything write or wrong in terms of frequency, format, platform, length – or anything else. We just need to keep cracking about what we’re passionate about, and good things happen
Kapil Apshankar recently posted…. Social Media Blend Cycles- Online Offline And Online AgainI’d agree to a degree about your first point, Kapil (and to those who have mentioned that as well).
The only “problem” with that is, as you know, blogging takes up a lot of time, both from a writing angle and a follow-up angle (promotion, comments, etc).
If you’re writing every day (or as good as) and you don’t see any return, then that would put you off quicker than if you’re trying to build steadily at your own rate. And it’s easier to understand “Okay, I might need to increase my rate to gain more readers” as opposed to “Why am I doing all this and no-one is here?”
Danny,
Your post has made me feel a lot more realxed about this whole subject. For those of us relatively new to the blogging world the amount of conflicting advice out there can be confusing.
This is very timely for me as I am currently reviewing my blog and blogging approach, including frequency so will keep your post in mind.
Ali Davies recently posted…. Is it Time to DisconnectThat’s the problem with opinions and viewpoints, Ali – we all have them. We can’t all be right!
I think the one key thing that everyone would (should) agree on is that the set-up is right for you.
Anything else will come naturally.
Something I have found with my blog is that on days where I post content, Google search traffic increases for the following 24 hours. This seems odd and I am not sure if there is a direct correlation but my hunch is that Google is rewarding those that share new content more frequently.
Regarding the frequency of blogging, I couldn’t agree more with you Danny. We all have our own circumstances, our own followers and our own style. For some individuals, trying to blog everyday is just too much when you also need to post comments on other blogs and forums, write guest posts, get involved with networks and stay up to date with your industry.
I think @Andreas nailed it with the consistency comment. If you can only write once per week so it gives you time to do the necessary networking, then just make sure you post on the same day each week. Not everyone uses RSS Feeds (actually very few people do), so it means people are manually visiting your site when it’s time for a new post.
JayTurn recently posted…. Getting Click HappinessDo you have any other ping services other than rpc.pingmatic set up on your blog, Jay? I’ve found the same as you, but I have a bunch of ping alerts set up for various blog networks as well as search engines that could account for the activity?
Then again, maybe it is just Google’s way of saying thank you for bringing fresh content to them.
Danny, my blog is only pinging rpc.pingomatic. The rise in traffic I am referring to is received via keyword searches in Google. Obviously we see a rise in referred traffic from the usual blog sites after new posts.
On occasions where I let the blogging lag for a day, there is a noticeable change in visitors finding us via Google searches. It’s not huge but obvious enough for me to notice.
Are you finding general traffic increases or Google traffic increases after posting, Danny?
Would be great to hear if other people are finding the same.
JayTurn recently posted…. Getting Click HappinessI find traffic increases, primarily from social networks (especially Twitter) along with RSS feeds.
Since I don’t really write a ton of stuff with search engines in mind, I don’t really see a huge increase. There is the occasional post that I’ll do especially for search engines (though still writing “humanly”) that does see a spike.
And I’ve experimented with trends before to see how instant pick-up is.
But apart from that, most of my spikes are social and RSS.
Whilst there are benefits to writing stuff for search engines, there are plenty of instances where people like yourself are kicking ass without focusing on it too much.
I get the feeling you are looking toward the social sites outdoing search engines in the not too distant future which is a highly probable movement. Thanks for the insights Danny
JayTurn recently posted…. Getting Click HappinessI think they’ll have a far bigger impact, for sure, and we’ll probably see folks getting very smart with how they promote something on Twitter, Facebook, etc.
By contrast, I am pinging three services every time a new article is written:
http://rpc.pingomatic.com/
http://ping.syndic8.com/xmlrpc.php
http://rpc.blogrolling.com/pinger/Additionally, I use the MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer to avoid losing SEO by telling the plugin to NOT alert search engines when I update blog posts.
Ari Herzog recently posted…. Understand Social Media in 3 Words
Danny,
Thanks for your thoughts. You’re one of the most quoted bloggers in my circle and your perspective helps me as I try to rebrand myself to blog for the betterment of my career. One thing that frustrates me with my blog is that it seems like people like it(they come), but they never comment. Do you feel like posting every day compels people to comment more or feel comfortable commenting?
Thanks for the compliment, Kristen, glad to be quotable
Commenting’s a funny topic for bloggers. There doesn’t seem to be any set “rules” that will encourage comments.
Some posts of mine that I’ve considered the best I’ve written have had fewer comments than ones that were “easier” to write.
I have noticed that if you don’t cover a complete topic in the post, and leave a bit of room for opinon, then that can encourage more comments.
Or asking a question at the end of a post. You’re almost inviting comments.
Of course, that’s still no guarantee either. The best option is to be active in your own comments section. Readers feel more compelled to comment if they see the blogger interacts (at least I do, as a blog reader).
Here’s a couple of posts about commenting that might offer some more perspectives – hope they’re useful:
http://dannybrown.me/2009/08/25/is-twitter-killing-blog-comments/
http://dannybrown.me/2009/08/27/why-would-you-bother-to-comment/
It’s not how often you blog. It’s how many words you put in each blog.
Daily blogging is good if you keep it mostly to 250 words or less and only once a week go north of 500 words. See Seth Godin blog for example of how to do it.
Ah, but not everyone is Seth Godin (nor should they want to be)
It depends on the content. Could you offer a solid post on 10 different monitoring platforms in 250 words or less? More than likely not.
I’m not completely sold on the brevity angle. If you look at bloggers like Brian Solis and Tamar Weinberg, they rarely write short posts but their blogs are hugely popular.
If the content is interesting and relevant to me, I’m not too bothered about length (unless you start to write a book, then that’s something else altogether).
I blog everyday because I love it.
I blog everyday, because when I don’t…I get people asking what happened to me, or if there is something wrong.
It’s a good routine, and I’m stuck…in a good way.
Hockeydino recently posted…. Truth- Im No FunAs long as you enjoy it (and your readers obviously do), that’s all that really matters.
Good post, Danny. I mainly post two articles a week because I just can’t find any other time once I get home from work.
It’s definitely hard work, but I wish I could post more because it’s a great feeling helping others out.
@Worob
PR at Sunrise – worob.comIt’s always a balancing act, fella, that’s for sure.
Hey D. I used to wonder about this myself as I worked on my blog and built up its presence online. Now, I dont, cause with its increased traffic and presence I have got busier and consequently found less time to blog myself.
I refuse to ghost write or hire someone else to write on my blog so I guess it has hit the threshold of traffic for both of us menaing its exactly where it should be!
One small note, compete.com is lovely but its not including me. Im not kidding. It dosent count visits from outside the USA so any site comparisons you do on it will be messed up (such is analytics I guess)!
Just thought to mention that!
Justin Parks recently posted…. Could Google have predicted the recessionHmm, that’s a shame about Compete. Funnily enough, two of my top five traffic sources are India and Ireland – wonder what the stats would be like then?
You not using Google analytics crossed with server side stats D?
If not let me know, I can point you in the right direction to get you sorted with really drilling down and understanding where your visitors are from and who they are.
Justin Parks recently posted…. Facebook profile and pages navigation updateNow, did I say I wasn’t using Google, mister?
Yep, I use Google along with Quantcast and Compete to get a good overview of complete visitor profile and activity.
Cheers for the offer, though, much appreciated mate.
Sorry mate, I wasn’t thinking straight when I wrote that. I should have known you would be!
Justin Parks recently posted…. Facebook profile and pages navigation update
While I have been following my instincts and have also chosen to grown my audience organically I have gotten so much input that has left me feeling like I am “doing it wrong”. Thanks for this Danny!!
I’ll add that if I spent any more time blogging I would not have any time to read and engage on other people’s blogs in a meaningful way. Blogging for me isn’t just about starting my own conversations but rather engaging in others conversation as well.
Susan Mazza recently posted…. Stamping Out Political CorrectnessThat’s a great point, Susan.
I’m a firm fan of the “once your blog is done, leave it alone” category. Apart from the comments, step away and look elsewhere. Read, comment, share – it all builds your own awareness of good stuff and helps raise that blogger’s as well.
Danny,
You are spot on in that the secret seems to be finding the formula that works for you, the individual blogger, and (perhaps even secondarily) your audience/community. I am a total newbie, but find this topic fascinating because it is an exercise in human interaction and community building which fundamentally evades a formulaic or algorithmic approach.
I wanted to share two of the best posts I’ve seen on this topic – how often to write and how to get readers/subscribers – as I think they’ll be interesting/useful to you and your audience.
The first is the Seth Godin / Tom Peters clip that’s been going around lately. Seth’s point is to blog daily for yourself. He sees value in the exercise even if your cat is the only reader of your blog. The value he says, is the humility that comes from writing it and the meta-cognition portion of the exercise.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=livzJTIWlmY
The second is from Jason Cohen founder of Smart Bear. His post is “How I got 6000 RSS subscribers in 12 months.” What’s great is how he debunks many common thoughts on best practices and did things differently. Spoiler alert: he says he did NOTHING to get those subscribers. Of course he did some things, but used no TACTICS. It’s a great read. And for more details you can watch his interview on THE RISE.
http://blog.asmartbear.com/how-i-got-6000-rss-subscribers-in-12-months.html
THE RISE interview with Jason Cohen: http://blog.therisetothetop.com/2010/07/jason-cohen-how-he-got-6000-blog-subscribers-in-12-months/
That Godin/Peters video is one of my current favourites, funnily enough. I think the key takeaway from both that video and Jason’s post is basically follow your own rules.
There are a ton of ways to help growth, but only one way to help grow – there’s a small but important difference.
Cheers, Tom
I try to write an average of one post per day. Sometimes I skip a day, but sometimes I throw a smaller post in with a bigger one in one day.
One of the things I’ve considered is that I could write more – a lot more – but my readers are looking for a certain consistency, which prompts me to keep a steady flow of the right kind of content.
Brandon Cox recently posted…. Sun Stand Still- by Steven Furtick Book ReviewI think that’s a key point, Brandon – consistency. People react better to comfort, and if you can provide that in any way with your blog, that’s a big advantage right away.
Hi, Danny. I do appreciate what you’re saying. More content doesn’t necessarily mean more popularity, and I think it is advisable to grow your blog organically and in whatever way feels comfortable to you.
But I will share my own personal experience with you to illustrate the other side of the argument. When I started managing Spin Sucks in June, I set out to double our volume of content, which happened almost immediately. By July, our traffic had doubled, as well. Was this a coincidence? It would be difficult for me to believe it was.
Of course Todd Defren over at PR Squared publishes new content at a small fraction of the rate that we maintain at Spin Sucks, and he enjoys far more traffic. So while frequency of content isn’t everything, it certainly can help change the game for a blog.
Thanks as always for the great discussion!
Daniel Hindin recently posted…. Facebook Places- Location Sharing Goes MainstreamHere’s a question for you – if Spin Sucks (which you know I love) wasn’t a multi-author blog, would it publish as frequently?
My guess is not, since it would be hard to keep up the quality of 2-3 posts a day by the same author.
So it can definitely help, but I think you probably need to separate single author blogs and multi-author ones when comparing, and compare relatively.
You know we love you, too, Danny! And the answer to your question is an emphatic no. No way could we keep up the frequency or quality without going multi-author.
That said, I think it makes a good argument for welcoming other voices to a blog. Guest blogging can be tremendously valuable for both the blog and the guest blogger.
It’s worked wonders for us, and it’s thrilling to work with so many amazing thinkers (including you!).
Daniel Hindin recently posted…. Facebook Places- Location Sharing Goes MainstreamYou old smoothie, you…
Guest blogging is a definite factor in growth and awareness. Something I’ll be looking at further in a later post, to build on an earlier one on the topic:
http://dannybrown.me/2010/06/07/five-unwritten-rules-of-guest-posting-on-blogs/
Ha! Thanks for the link, Danny. I hadn’t read that one. Fortunately, we haven’t had to deal with anyone mailing it in, but there are some valuable pointers there. Cheers!
Daniel Hindin recently posted…. Facebook Places- Location Sharing Goes Mainstream
Yea, dude, I’m killin’ myself to get out 2 posts per week as it is.
Ha – you could always ask Gini to loan Daniel out…
Danny, I’ve been trying to get Todd to guest post for us for weeks now. Maybe he’d be willing to make a 2-for-1 deal. Two of my posts for one of his? I think I’m still gonna come up short on that one!
Daniel Hindin recently posted…. Facebook Places- Location Sharing Goes Mainstream
Hey, you’re doing just fine, Todd. We wish we had near the audience that you do. What’s your secret???
Daniel Hindin recently posted…. Facebook Places- Location Sharing Goes Mainstream
No doubt.
It really doesn’t matter how much you blog. It’s all about how WELL you blog.
I’d rather write ONE best-selling book than a hundred unknown books. And I’d rather one awesome post than a hundred meaningless ones.
Content is king. Quality content.
Chad Kettner recently posted…. Is Your Guarantee Costing You SalesLike the way you think, Chad.
Great points. I think some people treat their blog posts like a moon launch and get stressed over the content instead of simply having a conversation with the reader. Like you say, if you love blogging, then sure do it every day. I imagine the context of your writing–from your point of view–is a lot more casual as a result. You have great content because it’s coming from you naturally where others treat blogging as such a chore than their results are probably counter-productive anyway.
Dave Saunders recently posted…. Skip the meetings and collaborate onlineHaha, love your moon launch analogy, Dave – I might have to acquire that for Blog101 courses.
You make a great point, mate – I very rarely even feel like I’m “blogging”. It’s more just thinking out loud, and the thoughts just transfer to type.
Thanks for stopping by, fella, appreciated.
Danny, Love this as like Susan, you’re not telling me “I’m doing it wrong” for blogging less often. Thanks. Pretty much agree with Greg, Daniel, Laura, Jay, et al. Mileage will vary per the blog, the blogger.
For me: I prefer shorter posts, so I try to keep it less than 500 words. Working on list post, other ideas. I like quality vs. quantity, write only when I have something to say that will (hopefully) be worth reading. I spend a lot of time reading and commenting on other blogs, that time matters. It’s the consistency that gets me, working on it. Promise.
Davina K. Brewer recently posted…. Got Plan 10 posts on Social Media Strategy- Tools and TacticsHere’s the cool thing though, Davina.
All that reading and commenting on other blogs is developing your style. What you like; what you don’t; what that blogger’s readers like; what they don’t.
Now transfer that to your blog, and you suddenly have a powerhouse platform. So where you going to take it?
Taking it to the bank! Mwwwwaaahhh. No Danny, I’ve got a style that’s all me, trust that.
It’s the time, making myself just do it already. I write long-winded comments on other posts (@GiniDietrich can witness) that I probably should take to my own blog.
Plus it’s the strategy. I’m not bashful that my blog is an extension of the marketing for my BUSINESS, so I TRY to write as much for potential clients as I do myself, readers. I am shy about promoting myself, pimping my own blog (did it here
and tweeting myself. Gotta get over that. FWIW.
Davina K. Brewer recently posted…. Got Plan 10 posts on Social Media Strategy- Tools and TacticsYou know, it’s funny. We promote our clients every day. We make them look great, even when sometimes, despite the best efforts of all involved, they may only be good.
Because that’s what we do.
But promoting ourselves? Sometimes it’s the hardest thing to do. Go figure.
As a one man copywriting business, it’s difficult for me to blog consistently with everything else required to keep the business going. And I’ve been living with a huge guilt complex. You just set me free. Thanks, Danny.
Thanks, Chip, glad I could help in whatever way. Guilt complexes are probably one of the biggest stumbling blocks we’ll face – here’s to unshackling together.
As a newbie to blogging I read this article with interest. I love writing articles and begun with 3 per week. However I am finding I get more visitors with only 1 post per week. Might also because I have found a blogging community I can connect to and some of the blogs I comment on, the blogger has then visited my site.
Will have to wait and see what works best for me.
Patricia Perth AustraliaBeing part of an interactive community goes a long way, Patricia. Like minds to start with are always a plus; and I always find the more you out in (without expectation), the more you get back.
Though it also sounds like you’ve found your blogging niche – nice.
It definitely depends on the blog and the niche. There are some blogs that I subscribe to that only post once per month if I am lucky. Yet, every single post knocks your socks off. I don’t see that from bloggers who post every day. Some days the post will be great and on others not so much.
Then you have to wade through the lousy to find the good.
If a blog is brand new then I think they will need to post far more frequently. There might not be enough content on there to convince someone to bookmark or subscribe. But, after the blog has established itself as an authority, I think that the ability to produce quality posts should determine the frequency.
Everything is relative. I guess the most important thing really is: “What does the market want?”
My 2 cents.
Kathy recently posted…. Why Do Some Sites Use A Combination Of Nofollow and dofollowThat’s a fair point, Kathy (although I’d be HUGELY disappointed if someone took a whole month just to produce crap).
Like you say, it comes down to relativity as well as your own wants – the only drawback is that relativity has a habit of changing more often than not.
Hey ho – another reason to satisfy yourself first, then everything else from there.
Hi, danny i Really liked your post, And its now my fridays favourite at my blog. thanks
Thank you, Alamin – glad you enjoyed and hope to see you around here again soon.
Danny, my own thoughts are that it’s less about how frequently one writes blogs, but more about having a some semblance of a regular schedule.
I myself find that I visit blogs based on my perception of how frequently they update their content. If it’s a site that updates multiple times per day, I might visit several times each day. On the other hand, if it’s a site that typically posts once per week, that’s how often I visit.
Traffic and blog frequency probably are related for any given blog, but it’s hard to make any relevant conclusions if you look at the traffic of three different blogs and note their respective post frequency. There are too many other factors that influence traffic.
i.e. I have a friend that gets 100k monthly unique visitors on his blog and he hasn’t posted since June. How? He has about ten posts that rank very well on Google for extremely popular search terms. Don’t believe me? The site is Derok dot net which you can check in quantcast.
Jarret recently posted…. Improve athletic performance- cold beveragesHi Jarret,
Aren’t frequency and schedule the same thing?
But I see you point, and yes, there are other factors to consider. Niches, audience, topic relevancy, trends, etc. Using posting frequency is just a starting point, albeit a good one as it’s how most blogs are viewed.
With regards your friend’s site, most pop culture sites will always have passive traffic, purely from the topic. Especially when reality shows kick back in, or there’s a celebrity tragedy. I guess it’s the nature of many peoples’ morbid fascination with celebrity.
I like to force myself to blog every day because I enjoy writing and I think it will make me a better writer eventually.
Dean Saliba recently posted…. Why Ethical SEO WorksRegular writing will definitely help shape your eventual voice, Dean – just be careful the “forcing” doesn’t lead to feeling like a chore
In my opinion, just write when you wish to. Sometimes, people tend to force themselves to write in order to post everyday. However, they might not enjoying the blogging at all. I love blogging because i love to share. I do not wish the blogging to become another burden for me.
Kok Siong recently posted…. Cytogenetic Analysis for Bone Marrow DiagnosisThat’s the key right there, Kok – keeping it enjoyable. If that means writing less so it’s not a chore, all the better. You’ll know yourself what works for you, and that’s all that matters at the end of the day.
Nice one! I started my webbie about two months ago, and wow – it took me a long time to get used to writing again after a while! But, as you said – write for ‘you’.
Love your work!
Thanks, and sounds like you’ve found your writing sweet spot – nice
Im late to this, but have to say I agree 100% I have a 14 mnth old blog that has a PR4 and Alexa 78,000 all with about 1 post every 7-10 days,, a very lazy schedule.
So quality is king!
John Paul Aguiar recently posted…. 9 Proven Steps To Improve Your Google RankingsAnd there’s the proof right there, John Paul – as you say, if the “rules” say you need to post every day, then your blog wouldn’t be anywhere near as popular as it is.
Rules schmules.
Just when I thought I must blog daily and work myself out to get my new blog noticed. I think it depends on personal conveniency but consistency is a must.
Don Caprio recently posted…. High Yield Investment Programs HYIPs – Do They Really PayHi Danny,
There are so many variables (quality, length, uniqueness, timeliness etc)that it’s hard to come up with a cookie cutter formula that works for all.To me it just seems that personal preference should rule the roost.
Riley
Riley Harrison recently posted…. WHAT CAN I DO DIFFERENTLYWell you quite right. Blogging everyday doesn’t guarantee success and often leads to not-so-effective posts.
Great post, Danny. I love this line: Listen to you, and write for you. I think if you do that, it leads to really high quality, authentic blogging. It’s easy to get caught up in numbers or volume or what everyone else is doing–what’s most important is staying true to yourself with as you wrote, topics that you’re passionate about in a time frame that’s realistic for your life. I used to feel guilty about not being as consistent as other people with my blog, but I find that when I have a topic that inspires me and the time to devote, I turn out better posts than if I force myself to sit down and write every day.