How often you should post to your blog is a question which is regularly debated but one thing is certain: you must post often enough to ensure your readers keep coming back for more. When readers check back several times within a week-to-two-week time span and there is nothing new, you have likely lost them for good, so regular posting is as important as frequent posting. In other words if you faithfully post twice a week, you will be in better shape than the person who posts every day for a period of time then goes AWOL for days or weeks. Your readers learn to depend on your schedule and it is better for the overall health of your blog to stick to that schedule.
The flip side of this issue is that you want to avoid “blogger burnout” which occurs when you post very often over a sustained period of time. When you post too frequently, the quality of your writing can suffer, leaving your readers disappointed in your blog. Readers can also suffer blog burnout, when you post so often that the posts are stacking up, leaving the reader feeling as though they will never catch up. So, the question of how often you should post is much more important than it might seem and whether you realize it or not, once you begin a blog you are a publisher who has made a promise to your readers which must be upheld.
Consider Reader Participation
If you post too often, you are depriving your readers of the opportunity to have robust conversations in the comment section regarding your blog post. Every time you publish a new blog, the prior ones get pushed further down the front page making them less likely to be seen—and responded to. Readers want to focus on one conversation at a time rather than attempting to participate in several at once. So, to avoid leaving your readers feeling overwhelmed, allow reader participation to run its course before adding another post.
Consider Your Blog Topic
The topic of your blog will factor into the determination of the frequency of your posts as well. If your topic is virtually any aspect of technology, then you know how quickly things change. This means you might be posting every day—or several times per day—in order to keep your readers up-to-date on the nearly-daily changes in the technological field. If your subject is Golden Retrievers, then there is only so much to write about on any given day. Consider your subject carefully when determining the frequency of your posting schedule.
Consider the Length of Your Post
If your subject matter lends itself to longer, more detailed information, then it may not be as important to post very frequently. However, if your subject lends itself to short, snappy posts, your readers may be comfortable with very frequent posts which can be read quickly. If your subject happens to be photography, the field is so huge and changes so quickly that you might choose to write five or six short posts daily—and this could be just right for your readers. If your subject happens to be new developments in the treatment of thyroid cancer, longer, more detailed, but much less frequent posting could keep your readers happy.
As you can see, you must consider the subject of your blog carefully in order to determine the “perfect” frequency of your post schedule, then stick with that schedule as closely as possible in order to ensure a contented readership. If you are still undecided about how often to post, ask your readers to voice their preferences and let that guide you in your decision.
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