Good Day Class.
You know how we all would love to have each post of ours as precious and popular as a sparkling diamond? Well, Eric Hamm, of Motivate Thyself, is here today to teach us how to pace ourselves, what to look for prior to hitting the “publish” button and how to make every post count.
Please take your seats and we’ll listen to our substitute teacher (guest writer).
Welcome the the BWAB classroom Mr. Hamm.
The floor is yours.
Hello Class!
When I first started blogging I had this idea that there was some perfect number of posts that needed to be published each week.
I thought, “I’ve got to keep up a certain number so I can keep the traffic flowing in, but wait…what if I post TOO much and annoy my readers?” In the end I stuck to about 5 posts a week. This worked for a time, but I found my frustration to be a growing factor in my blogging woes.
I watched my post quality suffer as I felt forced to spew my supposed wisdom onto the pages of my blogs, but there were times that I just didn’t have anything worthwhile to say. Even when, I did I watched the post get buried by day two, never reaching its potential for posting success.
Finally I just stopped posting for a week or so while I contemplated my process.
I then came to the conclusion that I only needed to share my thoughts once or twice a week and that I could spend the rest of the time promoting and participating on other blogs.
So what happened?
Well, for one, I have fresher ideas and actually have the time to do them justice. I create higher quality content and then spend the few days after making sure it gets time to breath and the right push to prosper.
And the funny part is that I now receive greater traffic (both search AND social media) than I did when I was producing twice the amount of posts.
Today’s Lesson
I know that a unique posting schedule (or lack there of) is unique to the blogger, but I do believe that we ALL have a rhythm that will help us produce our best results and that until we find this we will never push past the ranks of an average poster.
To help you determine the right numbers/times for YOU, I want to briefly layout the necessary steps to effective posting.
- Coming up with an idea that is a natural extension of your passion and insight, not just a preconceived notion of a good idea.
- Effectively outlining the content so your thoughts will properly translate into useful ideas for your readers.
- Time to fully develop a rough draft that you are excited about publishing.
- Time to properly reread it as if you were a reader looking for answers.
- Time to determine if there isn’t even one more tidbit of information that needs to be included.
- Then, once you’ve hit publish, time to effectively market your latest and greatest Internet offering.
- Oh, and did I mention SEO? Even just a few tiny tweaks to your wording can mean the difference between useful search hits and not.
The fact is, each and every post should be looked at as a valuable gift you are proudly handing over to your readers. Do this well and you’ll be rewarded with readers who not only respect your insight, but an audience willing to freely promote your latest present.
Take pride in EVERY POST and I promise you’ll be a blogger to watch out for!
Today’s Assignment:
- Do you ever regret pressing publish on particular posts?
- Do you feel you spend enough time promoting your content and allowing it to breathe?
- As a blogger, do you currently feel like you’re in a flow or a rigid regimen that’s not allowing you to get into a rhythm?
Raise you hand and share your thoughts.
P.S. Bamboo Forest wrote an excellent guest post on Write To Done on this very subject. I’d strongly recommend it as added insight into finding the right post-to-promotion ratio.
When Eric Hamm isn’t blogging on Motivate Thyself, he can be found on Blogolopolis Blueprint , tweeting on Twitter, or at his new business endeavor,Frugal Site Design where he’s creating fabulous new websites for his clients.
Photo Credit: Swamibu
Hi there Eric and Barbara.
I figured out very early on that I would not be able to come up with more than one post a week – I had been initially been aiming for one every 4 days. What you say has been my experience on all counts – and I have often felt disappointed other bloggers kept putting out new posts so often, covering up previous ones before the discussion had got going.
I did a post once that took me 20 minutes to write and I published it straight away – and the reasoning was very half-baked. Funnily, it got lots of comments, precisely because people jumped in to disagree with it! It was embarrassing – I hadn’t intended it!
Cheers – Robin
Robin´s last blog post..Making The Most Of Life
Hey Barbara, thanks so much for allowing me top substitute today! It’s great to have the floor at BWAB. Much appreciated!
@Robin: Yeah, I’ve had a few of those posts that were less than refined and ended up getting some heat from my readers. Like you said, quite embarrassing!
Ever since I’ve been posting this way (very recently) I’ve felt like my eyes have been opened to a lot. That each post needs a certain amount of nurturing that if not received, will never come close to reaching its potential.
Thanks for sharing, Robin. Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..The Secret To Happiness | Community Insight
Hi Barbara and Eric – AMEN! I’ve long been suspicious of the advice that recommends x number of posts in x number of time, or x number of words. It can take all the joy out of writing, and thus blogging, quick!
I’m convinced bloggers would reduce or eliminate writers block if they just went with their natural flow. While it is true that regular posting can gain you subscribers, you can just as easily lose them via lack of quality.
I just checked Passing Thru’s subscribers in Feedburner. I haven’t looked at it in a long while. (I know, the horror!) The number of posts we’re posting per week has declined since the first of the year and our subscribers are at an all time high. Huh.
I’ve never been able to dash off a post in less than a certain period of time. And I’ve read a lot of “advice” that made me think I was a “slow” writer, or not very organized, or that I wasn’t proficient at blogging, etc.
I print out Michael Martine’s “12 Ways to Crank Out Killer Posts in Ten Minutes of Less” (which is full of great ideas, by the way) and tips from Leo, to try and get me where I think they’re saying I should be. But I still find myself writing posts the way I’ve done: letting a topic noodle around in my brain, collecting cites, deciding what my conclusions might be, and then organizing it for readability. Unknowingly, I’ve used your recommendations, Eric.
Pete and I both realize we’re not everyone’s cup of tea. But we enjoy what we do and our core group of subscribers is supportive and growing. Passing Thru is a successful portal to our other businesses, as well as a window into who we are and what we are thinking. That, I think, is what this is supposed to be. Thanks.
Betsy Wuebker´s last blog post..A NEW WAY TO PLAY FOR LITTLE DAISY
Hello
I’m young & immature in the blogging world and as yet I’ve no strict rules only guidelines that are evolving. Young in the sense that I haven’t been blogging for long and immature in the fact that I’m only just begining to define boundaries, if any.
What you’re saying I think is very valuable ………. I feel that people may be taking a lot of the pleasure out of blogging for themselves and creating unnecessary stress by trying to adhere to rules that really don’t mean much in the scheme of things. This is a sure recipe for knocking creativity on the head.
Some blogs in my opinion appear to shout do’s & don’ts………for almost everything and anything!
Also it’s okay to make mistakes…….. how else do we learn.
thank you for sharing
best wishes Ribbon
Ribbon´s last blog post..In the pursuit of desire…..
Hi Barbara & Eric,
I think about my posts a lot before I even start typing. Once I start typing, I just go through it, read the whole thing and then hit publish. At least once or twice a week, I feel like I was too hasty to publish, or I find mistakes, and then I have to update it. Problem is that I just don’t get a feel of the post in the preview. Only after it’s published and I read it completely do I get a feel of whether it’s good or if there’s something missing.
As for the promotion part and allowing it to breathe part, haven’t really given it much thought. I just push on, and if it works, fine. If it doesn’t, hope it’s better for tomorrow’s posts. You think maybe it would be better to slow down and try to improve each post?
Mr. Hamm…. nicely written. I find that I go in fits and spurts. Lately, I’ve been hitting Squidoo pretty hard in an effort to talk SEO with some of my more Web-blog-challenged clients.
That said – the minute I think I have at least some of the SEO stuff figured out… it all changes! Argh!.
Thanks to you, and to you too, Barbara – for keeping this site up and running. I come here fairly often to recharge the batteries!
Now – off to the races again!
Kevin Sandridge
Winter Haven, FL
I work hard to make every post count. I’ve had trouble coming up with a posting schedule, and right now, I’m posting about 6 days per week. I have a wealth of subject matter, being an LA travel photojournalist, but for me, it’s all about finding the time to do everything I want to do.
So, watch out, I do take pride in each and every one of my posts.
LisaNewton´s last blog post..A Los Angeles Scavenger Hunt
@Betsy: You know I was one of those who recommended that kind of posting frequency, but I’ve seen the light. Of course, it all depends on your blog. If you’re a heavy hitter and have a bunch of writers working for you then maybe multiple times a day is the way to go. But for the average blogger it would seem to make more sense to squeeze every ounce of juice out of the fruit of your labor. (You like that?! JUICE – FRUIT, Yeah, I thought of that ALL by myself! 🙂 )
@Ribbon: Exactly! Blogging should be a pleasurable experience. Not some task master that keeps your nose to the grindstone. And it seems that the more we enjoy the process, the better our posts become and the more interst others take in our work/blogs.
@Ling: I totally know what you’re saying! For me, it’s not until I get that initial feedback from my readers that I can fully appreciate the post itself. Not that I need their approval, but that I sometimes miss things that they pick out in an instant. I guess it’s a good/bad thing.
@Kevin: I know, the SEO thing can feel quite daunting at times. But it’s certainly worth the effort. Keep it up!
@Lisa: Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you can’t crank out quality every day of the week, just that when we do this out of a feeling of obligation we often shoot ourselves in the foot by publishing poorly processed posts. Sounds like you’re NOT in that category. Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..The Secret To Happiness | Community Insight
Very apt timing on this post for me as I currently have a little Poll Daddy survey up on my site to get a general feel about how often my readers might like to see me post. I’m not saying that I will strictly adhere to the findings but it does give me a good sense of what’s running thorugh people’s minds. My gut feeling is I will probably remain posting about 3x per week, as I do now.
Yes, I did pull one post shortly after I published it a few weeks ago as it was potentially a bit contrversial, and I’d just published a post where I’d been insulted for my opinion, so I thought I’d give allow some breathing time to elapse. I still haven’t republished it. But I will.
As to promoting my posts, I do think I’m better at that than when I first began. I now leave 2 or 3 days between my posts to get around to others’ blogs in the meantime.
WONDERFUL post. Thank you Eric.
And as always, thank you, Barbara.
Jannie Funster´s last blog post..$69.97
Nicely put. I think this nails it:
“The fact is, each and every post should be looked at as a valuable gift you are proudly handing over to your readers.”
Thanks for including that guest post too.
“I then came to the conclusion that I only needed to share my thoughts once or twice a week and that I could spend the rest of the time promoting and participating on other blogs.”
This is exactly what I’ve been doing. It works very well.
Vered – MomGrind´s last blog post..The Psychology of Advertising
Hi Barbara and Eric,
You make very good points on content and rhythm.
I also work hard on my posts. But I have a small problem. I feel like I have to post daily (at least 6 days) cause my niche is changing so quickly. I feel like I have to get the information out so that folks can learn what is out there.
I need a little more convincing to lower the number to 3 or 4 a week. any ideas?
Linda´s last blog post..NASA – Turning the Tide to Energy
@Jannie: Yeah, leaving a few days between posts (for me at least) allows me to spend time visiting other blogs and properly socializing.
Also, one of the things I always hated about posting every day was that feeling like the minute I finished one, I had to start on the next. But that’s just me.
@Bamboo Forest: Sure thing! It was a great post that I’m sure many will benefit from.
@Vered: Sounds like you’ve got you’re system down pat.
@Linda: It all depends on the type/style of content that you’re sharing with your readers. Yours seems to be more news oriented and this is certainly something that can benefit from frequency/urgency. I would only point out that if you really wanted to cut down frequency, you would probably want to add more to each post so that your readers would have more to chew on between publsihings. (I’m not saying you’re not putting enough meet into your posts, just that if you feel they are working with their frequency, then dropping the number would require more meat to balance out the change.) Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..The Secret To Happiness | Community Insight
Right now I’m posting 4X a week. So far I could keep it off.
Paul U´s last blog post..Guess the pr update contest
Hey there, wassup Teach?
I think one of my biggest failings as a blogger is to promote my content. I write, release, and too often forget. I’m sure it is much easier to promote your content when you are putting less out. I love what you and Vered have both done by scaling down your output so you can focus on community during the rest of the days. I think it’s an excellent strategy that I could learn from. I’m still trying to figure out the best rhythm for Writer Dad, but I do know that 5 days a week probably isn’t it.
Writer Dad´s last blog post..Questions are the New Answers
Good day, Mr. Hamm,
It’s great to have you here at BWAB. I’m thoroughly enjoying the lesson.
When I started blogging, I was writing 6 days a week. I then cut it down to 5 and stayed at that pace for over a year. As my work load on my real job and other commitments began to take up more of my time, I dropped down to 4 and now 3.
Three days a week works perfect for me. I post on Monday, Wednesday and Fridays are either a guest post or I’ll share my thoughts.
Like you said, our posts get buried fast if we’re posting every day. With posting less, we not only get a break, but so do our readers, as it gives them a chance to visit all of the blogs they enjoy, as well.
It’s kind of funny when you ask if I’ve ever regretted hitting the publish button. I have, but for some reason, those posts ended up being popular. I’m like Betsy. I think I’m a slow writer and I preview my work dozens of times before I publish. I’ve tried some of the “10 minute posts”, but I don’t feel the value is there. Maybe it’s just me.
Hi Barbara and Eric,
Thanks for this excellent article. It’s pretty much what I’ve been doing perforce. If I try to squeeze out a post when there’s no juice inside, all I get is pulp (not to strain too hard for a metaphor).
I’m limited in time and energy due to the huge amount of time I have to spend doing nothing (no reading, no writing) to rest my body and mind because of fibromyalgia. I’ve just gone with that, posting when I can. Sometimes it’s three times in a week, sometimes none.
@Linda – Have you thought about keeping the frequency of your posts but making them much shorter? I’m not familiar with your blog, but perhaps a short “bulletin” might go out on several days, and then a full description of everything at the end of the week?
I have two thoughts on reduced frequency:
1. If readers like your posts, writing them less frequently will make their anticipation greater.
2. Regarding erratic posting, if we consider a post to be a “reward” to the reader for comnig to your blog, then rewarding every time will reinforce the habit of coming to your blog. However, psychology tells us that erratic rewards work even stronger than rewards every time. (Thus, in dog training, after the dog gets the idea, you stop rewarding every time and reward unpredictably.)
Dot´s last blog post..A Few (Humorous) Words from You
I have never regretted hitting publish. i try for once a week or 10 days it seems like now. for me, it’s like love, i just know (when to publish), i don’t have to ask.
i think allowing a post time to breath is very important. it also give other bloggers time to get to your blog. we all read 100 blogs and have a lot of stops to make.
NaTuRaL´s last blog post..Pet Peeve Friday
Great post, Eric.
It’s all about purpose, for me. Some blogs I have will always need to be updated daily. There’s just no other way. Most others will require frequent or daily posts at the beginning only, say for 6 months or so, then thereafter, I can ease off.
It also depends on post length. Steve Pavlina is one that can write a long post, and publish less often. His subject allows for that. (Not necessarily a big fan of Pavlina’s, but that seems to work for him.) But there’s really not much of a chance of any mere mortal doing that kind of post every single day.
Thanks for these thoughts! You’ve given me much to think about.
Sherrie Sisk´s last blog post..In Which I Ask You to Help Send My Daughter and Me to Paris With a Perfectly Straight Face
Thank you, Eric. I do understand what you are saying and I may try just that. Thank you, Dot. You have given me something to think about.
I really appreciate the advice.
Linda´s last blog post..NASA – Turning the Tide to Energy
I mix it up on my blog a lot; I think that since it’s primarily a blog for entertainment and amusement, it’s more flexible than a blog that’s more about teaching and information. My usual pattern is a few light morsels and then a bigger, meatier post. It seems to work well for the kind of blogging I do.
I do think I need to work more on promoting content and letting it breathe. Thanks for giving me the idea.
Tracy´s last blog post..Phoning it in Friday again
@Paul: Good for you.
@Sean: Didn’t I tell you to show some respect for you elders? And spit out that gum! 🙂
Yeah, Sean, I definitely believe you could do a touch more promotion and a touch less posting. But I will say that even at 5 a week, you’re quality is surprisingly top notch.
@Dot: Love the analogy! 🙂 I’m definitely no longer slinging pulp. It just feels better to present my readers with a big, juicy fruit salad! OK, I may have taken that a bit too far. Oops…
@NaTuRaL: Exactly! We’re all reading so much that too many posts can overwhelm our readers.
@Sherrie: Definitely! If a blog is optimally stocked with 2 posts a day, then so be it. 1 a week, that’s great. Whatever works best for the blog and the blogger.
@Barbara: Thanks Barbara for having me! 🙂
It sounds like you’ve eased right into your perfect posting routine. Good for you!
@Linda: Sure thing! Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..The Secret To Happiness | Community Insight
I have been keeping to posting twice a week since last year. Even with twice a week, I sometimes find it hard to find the time to write. I don’t usually have a problem with ideas. It’s just finding time to write down my thoughts.
I realize that more of us bloggers overlook the marketing aspect. It is just as important as the publishing. We usually spend more time writing than spreading the word about our posts.
Equally important too is time for reflection and going offline. Inspiration can come from many sources and not just the web. One inspired idea can greatly reduce the time needed to write a piece.
Evelyn Lim´s last blog post..My Personal Creed
I think a lot of us get sucked into thinking we have to post a certain amount due to an artificial number that has been emphasized by some of the honchos. It may be hard to argue about their success, but the important thing is to proceed at a pace that you find comfortable or your quality will indeed suffer.
George
Tumblemoose´s last blog post..Guest posts are like dating 2.0
@Tracy: I’m glad you got something out of my post. I definitely believe that the type of content plays a big role in determining the right posting routine.
@Evelyn: You win the prize for the best statement:
“Equally important too is time for reflection and going offline. Inspiration can come from many sources and not just the web. One inspired idea can greatly reduce the time needed to write a piece.”
Isn’t THAT the truth! Bloggers often become so focused on their blogging that they forget to get away and forget about it all. Like you pointed out, this can be a great way to gain inspiration, and an inspired bout of writing can produce a quality post MUCH faster than trying to write when you’re feeling burnt out or just plain bored.
@Tumblemoose: Definitely! Some of the big bloggers crank ’em out and de quite well for themselves, but the certainly doesn’t mean we should do the same. Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..The Secret To Happiness | Community Insight
One thing I figured out is that blog readers have short memories. However great content you write, unless it’s becoming timeless posts in the eyes of search engines (and probably via home page promotion – popular posts etc) your great posts are going to permanent archives.
SEO is the only way to keep every post count. And the next could be social bookmarking which could get even the old bookmarked posts some readers.
Ajith Edassery´s last blog post..Global Translator Plugin – Reach out to new audience
Hi Eric – Yes – I have regretted publishing some things. I keep deleting, or rewriting earlier posts when I come across stuff that truly sucks.
I have cut down on my posting schedule – I’m really finding it necessary just to get other things done.
That said, I don’t believe that everything I put on my blog needs to be anywhere near perfect. But something that should be short and quick to write, can often take a long time.
Cath Lawson´s last blog post..The Cynic Gets A Surprise: Silva Life System Review Part 3
@Ajith: You’re spot on with that comment! Without SEO traffic we are going to find that the benefits from all our hard work, as you put it, is short lived. I’m amazed at how few bloggers actually use SEO and know that it’s mainly because they’ve yet to see the search success that comes from using the right words.
@Kath: I definitely don’t believe our content should always be perfect. If anything, perfection can be a comment killer. Discussion arises from different points of view and adding to the initial content. So I totally agree with you here.
But I DO believe that the higher the quality of each and every post (even if at a lower number of weekly output), the great the value of your blogs homepage. Too many “just a quick update’ kind of posts and your readers will expect less from your posting. When they expect less, they are less likely to check your latest every time it’s hot off the presses.
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..Simplicity: The Value of JUST ENOUGH
Hi Eric. Like you I battled with forcing myself to publish content X amount of times each week. One day, however, I decided only once or twice a week was fine with me.
And it works just fine. I own a business and blogging is a side thing I do (and helps attract visitors to our site). Even if I wanted, I just don’t have the time to pump out 5 or so quality articles each week. Some people can, but not me.
Luckily, I’ve never regretted hitting the “publish” button.
John Hoff – WpBlogHost´s last blog post..Welcome To WpBlogHost and My Blog’s New Home
Thank you!! I found this article very useful, especially as a new blogger. I thought it was just me. lol. I am now reassured that other bloggers struggle with this issue as well. I always try to offer something that will be useful and inspiring to the readers. And I usually don’t make a post, unless I have the inspiration to do so. I write from my heart and what I’m passionate about. BUt I must admit, that the days in between, there’s a little voice in the back of my head nagging at me to post something. Thanks for making me feel like I can relax a bit, while I find my rhythm.
In Light and Love
Lisa
Lisa´s last blog post..Spring is in the Air
Hello this is a note for Barbara…
I have a “Your Blog is Fabulous” award that I would like to share with you.
Please drop in at your leisure to collect and do whatever you please. It’s a gift with absolutely no obligations attached.
Best wishes Ribbon
Ribbon´s last blog post..thank you
To answer your questions:
I never post anything that I haven’t edited thoroughly for style and content. My posts are a reflection of me, and I’m not slovenly so my posts shouldn’t be either.
Do I promote my content? Hmmmm … hard to answer that because I am not a niche blogger. Hmmmm ….
My rhythm? I think I have finally found it after almost a year. Each day of the week (Monday through Friday) is a different theme. I am strict about posting the correct theme on the correct day. However, I have relaxed on having to post no matter what. If I don’t have post that fits a theme day in a particular week, I just don’t post. This has really taken the pressure off and made blogging truly enjoyable.
Urban Panther´s last blog post..The Lair has a new look
@John: I hear ‘ya! Trying to juggle life with blogging can be a daunting task. Glad to hear you’ve found your rhythm.
@Lisa: Hey Lisa, we ALL get that voice from time to time. DON’T LISTEN TO IT!!! When you post out of feelings of obligation you are likely to share content that is well below your quality control standards. Your blogs value goes down a notch every time you publish less than stellar content. I’m not saying that you’re readers will abandon you with one bad post, but that each not so good post chips away at your readers perception of your contents quality.
@Urban Panther: “If I don’t have post that fits a theme day in a particular week, I just don’t post.” That’s a GREAT philosophy! Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..Simplicity: The Value of JUST ENOUGH
Barbara — I’m so pleased to have Eric Hamm as your guest teacher! I love his work.
Eric — In answer to your question, I find that I have difficulty posting authentic material more than once a week. I’ve tried to write posts more frequently, but they don’t feel right…more as if I pushing things, rather than letting them flow naturally. I realize this can mean fewer regular readers. In my case, however, I rather my writing come from my heart than my ego:~)
Thanks for the great post!
Sara B. Healy´s last blog post..More than just 5 words in a journal
Eric, thanks for sharing what works for you. In the past year, I have found the same things to be true for me. In the beginning of my blog, I posted twice a week. I had one day for whatever series of articles that I was writing at the time and the second day was for whatever I was inspired to write about for that week. That worked for me for awhile.
Then I found myself being stressed out by the pressure that I was putting on myself to write two articles a week. What I was writing wasn’t my best work because of the self-induced pressure.
I had a talk with myself and decided to write one article a week and make it what I was passionate about for that week. That has worked well for me.
Patricia – Spiritual Journey Of A Lightworker´s last blog post..Finding The Answers—Do You Have Them All?
@Sara: Yeah, I totally agree that a post needs to come from the heart (at least if you feel that blog is a part of who you are).
@Patricia: I always find it interesting to hear how everyone fluctuated in their posting routines. As you stated, it can change as time goes on. I think over time you find what works best for BOTH you and your readers and then get in that grove. Eric
Eric Hamm | Motivate Thyself´s last blog post..It’s Never Too Late To Change Your Life