Like social media addicts, some ‘bloggers’ are so wrapped up in keeping their blogs populated, they forget about the real world. A huge question that comes up is, “How often should I post on my blog?” This is especially relevant if you’re using your blog as a dynamic means of attracting traffic to your site.
As we know by now, blogging is a great way to share information and connect with others – your blog is possibly the only page on your site where you allow visitors to leave their comments.
Whatever you might consider your reason is for blogging, if you really think about it, the main goal is to increase web traffic, deepen engagement with your visitors, and possibly produce leads for your sales.
There is no hard and fast rule to the frequency you should blog. A lot depends on your type of business and circumstances. However, there are some general practices to consider:
Why are you blogging – what are your goals?
First off you should identify your reasons for blogging. In the case of d-zine hub, our intention is to impart relevant information to our visitors – we use our blog as an article posting page… perhaps you’re aiming for as much web traffic as possible, or you might want to blog to build your brand loyalty. (Remember, the social media facilities available now are providing a much better and easier way for engaging with your clients). So, before you even start your blog, be sure you know exactly what it’s purpose is.
Who are your readers?
Keep in mind that different audiences have different needs. You should have a good idea of who your readers are and why they are reading your blog. If your blog is being used for reference, you may need to publish more frequently, even once a day. If they’re using it for more detailed information, rather do your preparation properly and post a longer blog, less frequently – your readers will be happy to wait if they are sure you will be posting something of value. In this case, once every week to every two weeks should be sufficient.
Add variety – designate
As in any writing scenario, you may at some time experience ‘writer’s block’, or get bogged down with other events in your life. You may also find yourself blogging on a ‘one-track-mind’ topic. It’s a good idea to designate your blog authoring to two or more people – this adds variety and character. If you’re worried about losing control, your designated blog authors can write and publish to draft, which you can then review before publishing.
Build a ‘blog stock’
It’s a good idea to build up a stock of blog articles and publish them to draft. Do this when you have some free time – you’ll be pleased you did if ever you are pushed for time or have ‘run out of ideas’. Most blog platforms allow you to pre-set your publishing date – a set-and-forget task you can tick off your to-do list…
Content Counts
You might be blogging every day – sometimes 3 times a day – and still you’re not gaining popularity. The quality of your content is vital – be sure you’re delivering what your readers are expecting from you. This is imperative. No matter how frequently you post, poor content is sure to drive people away very fast!
Integrate with Social Media
At d-zine hub we have a rule of thumb – if it’s a long and/or informative article, blog it. If it’s a comment or quick statement, FB or Tweet it. Then synchronise. Remember your main objective is traffic and engagement, and this is the age of social media. Your Facebook and Twitter (and other social media) followers don’t want to read reams of text. However, they do want to keep track of what you’re up to. Let them know via your social media platforms when you’ve posted a new blog article and get their feedback, either on the blog site itself, or better still, integrate your article with some form of engagement on the social media platform.
Stick to the Plan
So, you know the goal and have set up your strategy. Perhaps you’ve even built up your stock of articles. Now comes the test – it’s very important to stick to the plan. Once they’ve got an idea of how frequently you should post to your blog, your visitors are going to expect to come back regularly to find new content. Remember, your readers are spoilt for choice for who and where they can visit – you only have one chance to impress. Let them down once, and the chances are you’ve lost them for good. Aim to make your blog an integral part of your visitors’ browsing routine.
What are your stats?
A good way to judge how frequently you should be blogging is by checking your visitor stats. Sometimes, too often is too much and your stats will go down. On the other hand, too little might be ‘too little’, and you may want to up the frequency of your posting.
How often do you post on your blog? Do you think blogging is important? Do you delegate your blogging? Is blogging time consuming? Are you getting traffic from your blog?
Please visit our Facebook page to take the poll and leave a comment – it’ll be quick 🙂
(PS – Thanks for reading this post.)