One of the common perceptions around the blogosphere is that you have to post every day, sometimes multiple times a day, in order to attract readers.
If you’ve been reading WritingThoughts for a while, then you know that I like to take a look at the “popular” blogs on Technorati from time to time. I find it helpful to analyze what they’re doing and look for trends.
I decided to take a look at the posting frequency of the popular blogs. I found that most did indeed follow the model of posting often (sometimes very often). I also noticed that many of those same blogs have a large paid writing staff supporting them.
A few successful blogs, however, don’t fit into the mold.
Two popular blogs (according to Technorati) that don’t seem to post every day (as far as I can tell):
1. A List Apart #40 on Technorati
2. Zen Habits | Simple Productivity #58 on Technorati
Some of these blogs are great. Others I’m actually not very familiar with. My point is that it is possible to achieve some degree of blogging success without posting every day.
Some of my favorite bloggers who don’t post every day include:
1. Randa Clay Design
2. Copywriter Underground
3. Michael A. Stelzner’s Writing White Papers
4. Telling It Like It Is
(Actually, I could make the above list go on and on and on...)
I think that this is an important point, because there seems to be a lot of hastily composed content on the web that really isn’t helping anybody. I wonder if some of it was written to meet an artificial daily deadline?
2015 Update: The statistics and information presented here are from 2008. A similar look at blogs might yield different results today.
Here at WritingThoughts I try to post about three times a week. I try to provide content that is helpful, or at least, that will stimulate discussion. To me, that’s more important than having something new up every single day. (I hope that you agree.)
How often do you post?
Contents (c) Copyright 2008, Laura Spencer. All rights reserved
16 responses so far ↓
1 Mihaela Lica // Mar 27, 2008 at
I seem to fail to post regularly recently all together. I also fail to answer emails – that’s because I don’t spend so much time at the PC as I used to.
But to answer your question, I think the readers are more interested in quality than frequency. So your approach to blogging is right.
For bloggers who are not very popular not posting often enough might be detrimental – readers who visit daily could be disappointed if they don’t find fresh content when they come. But better disappoint them through silence than through low quality writing. Many popular blogs have multiple authors and they sometimes only write to meet the deadline. That has a bad impact on quality – the editors should be more careful when selecting their authors.
2 Melissa Donovan // Mar 27, 2008 at
I started out posting every other day. After a month, I switched to the Monday – Friday routine. Eventually I dropped Wednesdays because I felt that a few times a month I was posting just for the sake of the schedule and not because I really had anything to say.
Now I plan out my posts for the upcoming month and I find that gives me a lot more time to come up with topics and plan what I want to write about. I’m sure I’ll try many other approaches over time.
3 Vivienne Quek // Mar 27, 2008 at
How often do I post? I don’t have a schedule nor do I keep track of the number. A quick look at my blog told me it’s an average of 2 -3 times a week. I only post when I have something to say. However, no post doesn’t mean no writing. I’ve just decided to write every day, even if it’s one para, so that I can write better. It’s a little tricky initially but I’m adopting the attitude of “act in spite of”.
4 Solomon // Mar 28, 2008 at
As a reader, I always want to read a new post quite often, especailly from those blogs I like most. But, I know, as a writer myself, it’s not easy to come out with an idea quite often( a convincing one, that is).
But I always wait to see a new one and the comment box bloated with so many views from all.
5 Robert Hruzek // Mar 28, 2008 at
Laura, this is something I’ve been contemplating lately too, especially after the very hectic last three weeks I’ve had!
Thanks for making me think!
6 Laura Spencer // Mar 28, 2008 at
Great discussion!
Mig, I fully understand the problem. We all get busy. I think it’s cyclical myself…
7 Laura Spencer // Mar 28, 2008 at
Vivienne – I think that if your posts take more time it makes more sense to space them out. I read a post about this on the 4 hour Work Week Blog once, I wish that I could find it again.
8 Laura Spencer // Mar 28, 2008 at
Melissa,
Do you just plan the topics, or do you actually preschedule a month’s worth of posts. (If the latter, I admire your organization…)
9 Laura Spencer // Mar 28, 2008 at
Hi Solomon and Robert!
I think that all bloggers, especially if they are not blogging for pay, struggle with juggling posting and their regular work.
10 Melissa Donovan // Mar 29, 2008 at
@Laura, I wish I wrote them all in advance! Then I wouldn’t fall behind or end up writing shorties like I did this week when I came down with the flu.
I keep a blogger’s editorial calendar. Since my blog has a monthly theme, I try to plan the headlines for each month in advance, but there is some wiggle room. I usually make changes throughout the month.
I also have two weekly features. Mondays are grammar and Fridays are writing exercises.
11 Laura Spencer // Mar 29, 2008 at
Hi Melissa!
I’ve heard good things about editorial calendars.
As you’ve probably noticed, I’ve used weekly features here (although I’ve departed from them lately).
12 Tom Chandler/Copywriter Underground // Apr 1, 2008 at
As one of the listed bloggers who doesn’t post that often, I’d urge bloggers to look at your blog’s role in your business and writing mix.
Are you looking for thought leadership (and are you good enough to command it)? Business leads? A personal forum?
Let that analysis drive your blogging efforts, not the expectations of others.
13 Laura Spencer // Apr 2, 2008 at
Thanks Tom!
I think there is a lot of wisdom in your comments. Not everyone is blogging for the same reason.
14 James Chartrand - Men with Pens // Apr 5, 2008 at
We post daily at our blog. We have the advantage of being two writers, so you could say that we individually post half a month’s worth of posts.
We also post content that contributes to the blogosphere and we never post for the sake of posting (though I’ll admit, sometime we’re really searching for something to write).
We’ve thought of cutting back, but we realized that daily posting keeps us in people’s minds, keeps our business thriving and keeps our readers interested. People talk more about us every day and growth is what we’re after – we’re not here to stay small and we want to establish ourselves as thought-provokers.
We have other blogs as well – and we post less on them, because they don’t have the same visions or goals as Men with Pens.
It makes sense to blog with what fits your purposes, as Tom mentioned. But if it doesn’t fit you, don’t do it just because.
15 Laura // Apr 5, 2008 at
There is a lot of wisdom in your comment James!
I have a co-blogger at Business and Blogging, and I heartily agree that having another person who also blogs is a big help if you plan to post daily.
Having ideas for things to blog about isn’t really a problem. Having the time to develop them is. Since I’m one person I’m the marketing department, the accounting department, the complaints department AND responsible for bringing in the revenue.
16 Men with Pens Web Content Writers and Freelance Writing Services // Apr 27, 2008 at
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