When you decide to publish a blog, you first have to determine what your goals are and what type of content you want to publish. You need to focus on a specific niche or subject that you are an expert on. Focus on providing content that is both compelling and informative. Choose topics that are current or provide a fresh perspective on established ideas. Know your target market and understand what will keep them interested. While bearing in mind that in order to gain an increasing number of loyal followers, you need to plan well on how often you should post new entries.
The frequency of blog posting could make or break your site and should be given enough thought.
Why it is a Good Idea to have More Frequent Posts?
The best way to illustrate the need for frequent entries is to compare your website to a newspaper. People subscribe to the daily news, because they expect to read new things every single day. If the paper featured the same articles repeatedly then the readership will obviously decline. Similarly, if you do not update your blog regularly with fresh posts, then there will be no reason for people to visit your site.
Here are some of the main reasons why it will be beneficial for you to increase the frequency of your posts:
1. New Visitors
New posts aid your site in terms of SEO or Search Engine Optimisation. Posting new entries provides a gateway for new readers to find your blog when they use search engines such as Google or Yahoo. Think of it as spreading leaflets or business cards around. The more of these you distribute, the bigger the chances of people finding your business. More site visits can equate to a higher revenue.
2. Retention of Existing Readers
Having great content will not only attract readers to your site, it will also make them want to come back for more. A lot of satisfied online readers are willing to subscribe to your RSS feeds or email distribution list if they find your content interesting enough. Subscriptions provide alerts to readers every time a new post is made to the site. This means a steady source of online traffic and increased revenue for the blogger.
3. Maintain a Strong Online Presence
Your website is only as interesting as your last post. The page loses its appeal if the last entry was made weeks or months ago. Updating your blog on a more frequent basis helps establish your site as an active blog, propelling it to success.
Why it is a Good Idea to have Less Frequent Posts?
While a high majority of bloggers believe that success comes with frequency, a growing number of writers have started to believe that “less is more.” A lot of well-known bloggers have gone away with the habit of posting new articles on a daily basis. They understand that their readers’ behaviours have evolved, and what worked well two years ago does not necessarily apply today.
Here are some of the reasons why it can sometimes be better to spread out your blog posts:
1. Reading Takes Time
Readers love to look for great articles to devour online, but they may not necessarily have the time to go through a lot of articles. They will tend to visit your site a few times a month and only read the last two or three entries. This means that no matter how great a specific post may be, there is a high probability of it being drowned by a sea of other blog entries.
2. Quality Over Quantity
Most of the time, bloggers who aim to provide a good number of regular posts focus more on quantity and neglect quality. They have the tendency to post repetitive topics or ill-researched articles. Posting on a less frequent basis will allow the writer more time to contemplate, research, structure and edit their articles prior to posting.
3. Reader Burnout
No matter how interesting your blog may be, your readers may reach a saturation point. Instead of craving more from you, they will feel that you are posting too much. In a social situation, nobody likes a person who talks a lot. Applied to the blogosphere, readers may get irritated if you get “too noisy”.
How should I Choose the Right Tactic?
With these conflicting schools of thought, it would be tempting to just throw in the towel and choose the more convenient strategy. Both options, after all, have great strengths and advantages. Choosing the best approach can take a lot of strategic thinking, bringing you back to the main objective of your blog and the appeal to your target audience.
As you start your blog, it may be better to have more frequent posts. The objective, after all, is to disseminate information to as many readers as possible. Having more frequent posts combined with an excellent social media strategy will still provide you with the best chance of gaining a mass of followers. Attract new readers, through being more visible within the search engines. Keep existing readers interested, by providing them with fresh and compelling information.
Once you have gained an audience, you should decide on the frequency level that will work best for your target market. If you are operating a blog that provides information on news, current events, or gossip, then it would be best to post as many entries as possible. Sites focusing on advice, instructions, and specialised topics, on the other hand, can survive with having fewer quality posts. Know what your readers want by getting their opinions through polls or your comments section and once this is established, you need to be consistent in terms of delivery.