Ever since blogging has gained in popularity people have debated about the optimal number of posts you should be posting. There are those that say if you post too little you will lose your readers and those that say if you post too much you will overwhelm them and also lose your readers. Is there a magic number of posts you should be writing everyday?
I have a completely different take on it, and I'm not necessarily saying I'm right because there are so many factors for a blogger to consider. But the way I see it is that the most important thing is that you're consistent. I believe that once you set the expectations for your readers, you need to be consistent.
If your blog readers are used to you only posting once a week then I don't think you will lose any subscribers by not blogging enough. On the other hand if you write five blog posts per day and then all of the sudden cut back to a couple posts per week it is more likely that you will start to lose your audience.
So instead of worrying about finding the magic number of posts to write just be consistent and give your readers what they have grown to expect.
Dear TLA:
ResponderEliminarI sent them one week ago 2 support ticket's and I didn't still receive answer.
To what address should I send the support ticket again?
The problem is with the site fullbotnews.com.ar, that figures with 8 sold links but the same one doesn't figure in my monthly revenues.
Thank you.
Thanks for the tip. That makes a lot of sense. There is no RIGHT answer on the number of posts to make in a blog. Post whatever amount is right for YOU! Good stuff!
ResponderEliminarNo one has done a survey, but I think *how* people read your feed plays the biggest factor in whether they'll unsubscribe because of too many or too few posts.
ResponderEliminarIf they read in a "river of news" style that automatically updates in the background (IE: google reader) then they won't mind that you don't update often.
If they use a reader that they have to wait for it to connect to your blog to check for updates (IE: sage) then it's really annoying to have to check all the time for a feed that doesn't update.
I think consistency is overrated. Once you've subscribed to 20+ blogs, do you really have any idea at what frequency posts are being published for each blog? And don't you think that most subscribes simply follow the cues provided by their feed readers as to what is new rather than checking a blog at regular intervals because they expect a post?
ResponderEliminarMarios,
ResponderEliminarI'm subscribed to about 100 blogs right now and I pretty much know the frequency of them all.
I think Marios and engtech have great points. I subscribe to lots of blogs and couldn't tell you how often most of them update. I also agree with you, Cameron, in that I think the majority of people who don't use feed readers just want to know what to expect. If that's once a week or once a month, fine. Just be consistent.
ResponderEliminarI would say that the good compromise is to set the bar low by posting once every week (maybe more, maybe less) then increasing this effort little-by-little, as appropriate. I firmly believe that, with so many people screaming for attention, quality content will always get the readership it deserves. When you blog, you have to write for two audiences: the return/regular visitors and the people that find you via keywords. Find the buzzwords that will get people to your blog is a key strategy.
ResponderEliminarThe method for data aggregation definitely affects the visibility of your blog. Are people subscribed? Is your content syndicated on another site or portal? Is data being merged with several other pieces of content? These are all pertinent questions to consider.
Managing expectations is critical in any marketing or business effort, really. Even the most casual bloggers have some sort of readership. Many of the best blogs out there started out as something people did purely for fun and, with time, they evolved. I'd wager that many of you out there started this way.
I have another kicker that can make or break a blog: if you have a very topical blog, how restrictive is your niche or subject matter? If you are blogging about something trivial like your favorite colors, there may not be much material to keep things going at a high frequency. Some topical blogs depend on seasonal components and have little black-out periods, so to speak. Cameron is right: there are way too many variables to make this a simple cut-and-dry issue.
Getting back on topic, consistency is definitely not over-rated. People have expectations and, with so many content providers out there, you can muck up once and lose return visitors for a while. I still say that consistency and quality content MUST go hand-in-hand because there is enough regurgitation of the same ideas out there as it is. Smart readers see this and get turned off.