Posting schedule is a topic that is often debated among bloggers. It’s not always easy to post on a schedule, especially when family and offline work calls, so lets talk about why you should consider posting schedule and what frequency you should post.
Before we get too far, we should also remember that a posting schedule does not mean you have to post 5 times a week. Posting one time per week on the same day is still a schedule.
Should You Have A Posting Schedule?
One of the main arguments for not having a posting schedule is genuinely inspired posts. Being on a strict schedule can force you to publish posts that aren’t completely polished; by only posting when you feel like posting, you ensure that your content is always inspired.
The downfall of not having a schedule is you can easily never make time to post, and your blog and readership will die. Some also argue that unpredictable posting can hurt your following. To counter that just encourage readers to subscribe to your RSS, then they’ll know when to check your site.
Posting on a schedule is great for building a reputation for being reliable and consistent. Your readers will know when to check your site, and people who stumble upon your site will know when to expect new work.
When you start running short on ideas, inspiration, or time, the deadline of a schedule can make your post articles that aren’t your best. One way Daniel Scocco mentions in his free ebook on how to combat this is filler posts. Instead of going for the fences with every article, try writing several good posts building up to one killer post.
Extra tip: Thrus/Friday after 3 pm have the highest CTR and number of retweets.
What is the Best Posting Frequency?
Posting frequency also plays a huge role in how fast your blog will grow. I’ve noticed on Props Blog that posting 4 or more times per week causing my traffic to increase faster than only posting 2 or 3 times. Posting less than once every 10 days will stunt your growth.
One of the main advantages to posting 4 or more times per week is the content is almost always fresh for new readers. Most people aren’t interested in reading an old dead blog, so several week gaps between posts can kill your readership unless your already established.
The major disadvantage to a high post frequency is similar to a posting schedule; it’s easy to run out of ideas, run out of time, or get burned out. It is also frustrating having a bunch of posts that don’t get very many views because of a high post frequency. If that’s being a problem, consider submitting some of your articles for guest posts on a larger blog (just be sure not to publish on both blogs).
It all comes down to the goals and purpose of your blog. For building a passive following infrequent/unscheduled posts are probably fine. If you’re trying to grow fast, frequent posts are a must and a schedule is probably a good idea.
Do you have a post schedule? Have you noticed post frequency has helped or hurt you?
Photo Credit: Andreanna Moya Photography and Joe Lanman.
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My post schedule is once each other day — but i experienced that the most traffic i get if i post each day but i do not have time for that so i stick with my schedule instead.
I think posting daily helps build a following faster because people are excited to come back and look for new content.
I tend to ‘want’ to post on a daily basis but end up posting when I find something relevant to me, like this blog post. It works out like a set schedule but allows me to write something I’d hope is relevant to other readers; and thus not boring :-)
Social comments and analytics for this post…
This post was mentioned on Twitter by propsblog: Is Your Posting Frequency Working For You Or Are You Working For It? http://tinyurl.com/yj36ga2…
I was wondering why there are two check boxes that reads : “Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail”. Did you use that plugin twice? ;)
Honestly, I have no idea. I hadn’t even noticed. I guess I just really want to give people options :-)
I guess I really need to look into that. I’m glad you pointed it out since I rarely visit my page not logged in.
My best guess is that there are two plugins, one for the nested comments and one to subscribe to comments. Maybe the nested comments come with a subscribe to reply option.
One way to find out is by changing the text in the “subscribe to comments” plugin settings.
No big deal, Overall design is clean :)
It’s more sensible to have posting schedule. Keeps your writing muscles in great shape. Secondly, you keep your commitment to your readers by appearing on the appointed hour, just like a date. We hate being stood up, right?
I’ve fooled around with my writing schedule. Guess what. To this day, I’m finding it hard to get that blogging rhythm back. If productive blogging has its momentum so does idleness or erratic posting frequency.
Jan, you are so right about momentum! When you’re posting frequently, it is easy to stay on track. Once you get off track, it is tough to get back on track. It’s a lot like working out.
off topic: how are you doing with quitting smoking?
Oh, I’m very successful at it. I have a good record of quitting every day. Ugh. Will try harder before it gets me.
I’m lucky enough to have never started, but my wife quit about a year ago. It was an absolute bear for the first couple of days. Some people are strong enough to slowly cut back, but she found better success with quitting cold turkey. No doubt it sucks bad for the first couple of days; however, if you can get past them, it’s totally worth it!
Are you trying to use anything like gum or the patch?
I’ve a shedule (every Monday & Thursday Morning 8am), it’s not much, but I try to avoid filler posts. Furthermore, people who are used to me posting know what to expect (if I started posting on Tuesday, I’d envision traffic wouldn’t be as high on that day).
Good post, and you’ve proven the post 3pm Retweeting, at least in the UK :)
Your posts are always top notch though. When you don’t have a lot of filler, 2 posts a week can be a big undertaking. I got my Twitter Stats from Danzarrella’s website. I have also seen other research, but that was the most recent one.
I used to publish 3 times a week and I tried to make them all killer, but my following grew very slowly. When I started posting daily, my traffic increased even though I started posting mostly “filler” and only having 1-2 killer articles per week.
I found the same thing to be true as well. Many claim quality content is more important than amount of content, but I don’t agree 100%.
Isn’t it strange that “filler” content can bring people as much or more than quality content? I think it’s because it gives people something to look forward to day in and day out vs. having to wait for new stuff. It is easier to get into a routine of checking a page daily.
Exactly. As long as you still adhere to the rules of grammar and provide value, filler content most definitely has its place.
The search engines sure do love new content!
I found the same thing out when I started issuing press releases everyday about the industry I’m in.
If you post too frequently, you can get banned from blog pinging services too!
I think it takes more than once a day, but if you blog more than that be careful. (Microbloggers beware)
Wow, I had no idea that pinging services would ban you for that. I guess I’ve never posted more than once per day, so it has never been an issue for me.
Have you had any problems with it before?
In my case its working for me. I usually post 2 posts a week and i think another crucial factor is making your audience get used to it.
Great post
I’ve always been a strong supporter of a schedule for the exact reason you mentioned. I wish I had more time to consistently post on a schedule with a high frequency.
Have you ever tried changing your frequency/schedule to see how your readers respond?
I have a specific niche so I post as relevent content becomes available, sometimes a few times a day and sometimes every couple of days but I would say at least ten times a week,, it seems the more I post the faster I get indexed.