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| Photo credit: Stefan 1981 on Flickr |
What surprised me even more was this: it didn't really matter if you posted every day, a couple times a week, or a couple times a month as long as you posted consistently.
Now naturally, blogs with more frequent posts tend to receive more traffic than blogs that post once a month, as new content brings in new page views, but in this case the goal isn't necessarily to bring in hoards of traffic, it's to get your readers used to coming to your blog. It's to create a posting schedule people who follow your blog can remember, so that they know when to expect your next post.
It's simple, and it works.
But there's an added bonus to writing consistent blog posts that many of those articles I encountered didn't mention, namely, the way it affects you, the writer.
Writing consistent blog posts has many benefits for the writer:
- It teaches you discipline. Consistency requires discipline. Whether it's three posts a week or four posts a month, it takes discipline to have your blog posts written by the posting date, which brings me to...
- It teaches you how to meet deadlines. Most fields require you to meet deadlines, and if you'd like to be a professional writer (indie or traditionally published), you'll definitely have to learn to meet deadlines. These posting deadlines are self-imposed, and they're great practice.
- It shows you that you are capable of writing under pressure. Being able to write under pressure is an essential skill for the writer. If you're an indie, you need to be able to write the sequel to your book while knowing that readers are waiting for the next update, and if you're traditionally published, you need to be able to write with many looming deadlines and agents/editors/publishers waiting for your work as well as your readers.
- It proves that writing well while uninspired is possible. Once you begin writing consistently for any project, blog or otherwise, it won't be long before you realize that every day is not equal in the eyes of the writer. Some days the writing comes easily and other days it'd be easier to withstand hours of coffin torture than write a single word. But when you have to write consistently you learn something else, too—you don't need to be inspired to write well. You just have to write.
What do you think? If you have a blog, do you write consistently? Why or why not?
Twitter-sized bites:
.@Ava_Jae says it doesn't matter how often you post as long as you post consistently. What do you think? (Click to tweet)
How does consistently writing blog posts help writers? @Ava_Jae shares four main benefits. (Click to tweet)
40 comments:
Some of the best blogs I read, writing and non-writing, only have one post a week. It's because they spend an extra amount of time on every post, therefore ruling out in quality.
I blog consistently at three posts a week (formally four, but yMusic Saturday is being taken off the schedule), but I'm going to shake things up next week to see if it works.
I'll blog to the writers on Monday, to the readers on Wednesday, and a little of both on Friday.
Wonderful and simple tips. I heard the same thing when I started blogging, and it's so true. It is pressure to write on a consistent basis. I took a two-month hiatus over the summer, and my traffic tanked...
Now I've become smarter and started an editorial calendar (another piece of advice I ignored early on ;)).
It boils down to discipline. In blogging and in life. As torturous as that may be on some days :P.
You make such an important point today, Ava. I always compare writing a blog (or producing a newsletter) to signing a contract with your readers. it doesn't matter if your product is free -- you've PROMISED your readers you will do it. Your ability to live up to your agreements says a great deal about you.
I've produced a weekly newsletter for the last seven years and the ONLY time I missed a week was when I had a stroke (I feel obliged to add: at a ridiculously young age). Seriously. And even then I missed only one week.
Close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes!
Thank you - I was just telling myself I needed to finish a blog post today, and you're absolutely right. Consistency is SO important.
I post every Tuesday and Friday, for all of the reasons you listed above. And I, like you, have heard the same advice from many well respected authors and social media gurus.
Consistently, yes, although less rigid about the "schedule" than I used to be. I think people mostly want to hear from you when you have something interesting to share: and if that's a bunch of somethings in a row or a few spaced out, that's okay.
Great tips. I write consistently, too, though not on specific days but rather just always a few times a week.
...man, I feel so silly. I never do anything professional with my blog. I mean, it looks pretty to me and kind of documents large chunks of my life that I like to go back to read, but I've never set schedules or even double checked my writing. I don't even post informative things. I treat my poor blog like a public diary (that no one reads xD).
It's interesting to see how much dedication people put into their blogs. I applaud everyone who does, since I'll probably never be that dedicated XD
Great point. It's funny you mention it actually, because I come to THIS blog every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning (I live in Australia). Really should start being organised...
Too true. I stopped blogging all summer, and only now do I feel like I am getting back to my standard level of consistency. I let lots of stuff go this summer, though... time to get back to work!
Some blogs work really well with one post a week--quality definitely overrules quantity.
Just out of curiosity, do you mean that you're going to change the topic of your blog posts this week or that you're going to change your posting schedule? Either way, I wish you the best of luck!
Thank you, Daphne! I like your comparison of running a blog to signing a contract--by starting up a blog you're definitely creating a commitment not just to yourself, but to your readers.
Congratulations on keeping up with your newsletter! Missing only one week (and for a very valid reason, I might add) in seven years is highly impressive.
Thank you, Barbara! I'm of the opinion that consistency is beneficial for both the readers and the writer. Good luck with your blog post!
It's definitely advice that has proven helpful and true for me.
The main advantage to the schedule is so readers know when to expect you and it can become habitual for them to check your post. I agree, though--as long as you write consistently, I'm sure readers won't forget about you. :)
Thank you! It seems you and Susan are on the same page with the blogging "schedule." :)
The function of the blog definitely varies per person. Some, like yourself, prefer to use it more casually, and as long as you're enjoying the process and you find it helpful, there's nothing wrong with that. :)
Thank you, Emily! You know, it'd never really occurred to me how time zones change the schedule around the world, but that's really interesting! And thank you for visiting my blog so frequently and commenting so often--I really appreciate it! ^__^
I wish you the best of luck as you return to a consistent blog schedule!
I agree with your thoughts on this matter Ava. And like so many others I have fallen off my 3 days a week schedule recently. Life and Work seem to take over. But that is a lesson in itself, prioritizing and compensating for deadlines, etc. Followers aside, to some degree I feel that I let myself down on this one. But, one thing I realized in this 3 weeks is that I want to change up some my scheduled topics/themes and add some new areas to my blog. When I get back on the 3 posts a week bandwagon, my blog will be reinvented along with my discipline.
I'm changing the topics. Wednesday used to be "writer's updates", but I'm merging that into Friday and leaving something else for Wednesday. I'll see if that works.
Funny timing on this post. I've never faltered on my blog schedule. Sometimes I'm a few hours late, but I have never missed a day. Then this weekend, my little brother got a serious infection in his ankle, and suddenly he was my only priority. So I missed posting on Friday, but here I am now, posting days late, but posting. Things get hectic out of nowhere sometimes, but then you have to jump right back into your schedule when you can.
Nice! Sometimes a little experimenting with the format can lead to some pretty exciting changes. :)
Consistency is important, but sometimes (as it seems you discovered) a break can be just as benefitial--now you're going in with a new perspective and some fresh ideas. Best of luck!
You certainly have to prioritize--when family emergies or important issues get in the way of the schedule, there's no question that the most important thing is to resolve the situation before you worry about the blog. As you said, though, once the issue is resolved, the best thing you can do is jump back into the schedule and get back to work. :)
Totally agree with all of your points, Ava. Just a few weeks back, I experimented with a new schedule of just two posts per week instead of my usual three (Monday, Wednesday, Friday).
I found it really difficult to adapt to, and switched straight back to the seemingly more successful previous method.
To be honest, I'm not even sure why I tampered with my consistency in the first place. Sometimes we get bored with the same old, don't we? But this has taught me to see the positive value in regularity and consistency.
Great post, cheers!
Ryan Casey
Thank you, Ryan! I think many of us crave change every once in a while, and while that's not a bad thing, per say, some things work better with consistency, and in my experience at least, a steady blog post schedule is one of them. :)
I've been blogging frequently, but not consistently (i.e. -- I try to do 3 or 4 posts a week, which I stick to, but they don't come out the same day/time each week). I've been trying to work on the consistency issue -- as you've pointed out, it's a very good exercise on learning to work on a deadline, and helps to set followers' expectations for my blog. *Eventually* I think I'll commit to a schedule, but right now I'm just going to flirt with disaster.
nickieanderson.blogspot.com
Sometimes it takes a little time to work out a schedule that fits well with your everyday life. Having a concrete schedule is helpful, but only when it isn't hugely stressful to try to meet the deadlines.
It is very good thiing to ubdate your blog in regular manner thanks a lot for sharing it.
Medical Writers
Sure thing! Thanks for stopping by!
I'm glad to hear that consistent posting is so important. I'm a newbie blogger and I've been trying to stick to a schedule of posting 3 times a week. You're right about how it teaches us to become accustomed to deadlines and writing under pressure, even if uninspired. I'm hoping the traffic will steadily increase but for now I'm simply focusing on the writing.
I think the hardest part is getting used to that schedule at the beginning, but what feels unnatural at first, I've found starts to become second nature. I started this blog back in spring 2011 and now I've become pretty accustomed to writing three posts a week.
And as a bonus, consistent posting does help with traffic. So there's that.
Best of luck with your new blog!
GREAT POST!!!! Having just started a blog not to long ago I really took this info to heart! Appreciate all the advice I can get
Thanks for sharing your amazing blog. I finished this right now and thinking that it is the perfect blog I was looking for . Never stop writing, and keep up such an informative blogs. Best wishes for you.
Thank you so much, anon! I wish you all the best with your new blog! :)
Aw, thank you! ^_^ So glad to hear you're finding my blog helpful. May I ask where you came across this post? I've had a lot of traffic here and I have no idea where it's coming from. :)
hey Jae,nice post. I love the style of blogging I see here :)
you see, there are 2 blogs that i've found so far to be very helpful and have something interesting for me whenever i visit, this one and http://danieluyi.com
Keep it up. I will be visiting again.
Aww, that's such a good point! I think this post has made me realise that I've been slacking of late. I usually post every Thursday, but if I've got a busy schedule or health problem I end up missing it, or else I'll post every other day if i'm trying to meet a book-reading goal or something. I agree that it's important to post consistently; there are a lot more benefits than the alternative. Oooo I liked this post! From, Ashana.
Thanks, Ashana! The consistency thing can definitely be tough sometimes (I completely know what you mean about blogging when you're sick...it's not an ideal situation). But there are definitely a lot of benefits to trying to keep to a consistent schedule, so I think the benefits outweigh the challenges.
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