Thursday, November 20, 2008

To Blog Or Not To Blog? When? Should Really Be The Question.

By Don Bethune

Blogging is growing like wildfire across the internet. People are using it to connect with others in a way that print media has never been able to do. It is perfect for keeping up with the everyday events of other people and for letting others know whatas going on in your own life. An important question to ask, however, is how often new bloggers should be adding new content to their sites.

The most crucial thing you need to know when deciding how often to blog is who is reading your content. Whether you post daily, weekly, or monthly, who is going to be seeing your posts is what you should use to set up your posting frequency schedule. Content is actually more important, but how often to post is definitely something to consider as well as this will give your readers the chance to develop a schedule for visiting your site.

Make sure you think about everything involved with your website when you are considering how often to post new content. If you are new to blogging and have that beginneras enthusiasm, you might start off with two posts a day, but that will fall off within a month or two. Unfortunately, your audience will fall off as well, because they will be expecting fresh content on a daily basis. You need to keep up with things in order to keep things interesting for your readers.

Taking into account what kind of blog you are writing is another important factor. If you are chronicling your cross country trip with a day by day account it is a good idea to stick to your day by day schedule. Posting daily, or more than once a day, works well for things like a blog diary of a trip or event, but can be a bit too frequent for those that blog about broader themes. Frequent posts work well for short periods of time, as with the reporting of an event example.

Content can be a determining factor in how frequent one blogs. Be sure to know your own capacity when it comes to your writing skills so that you can determine how often you can have a blog prepared. It is not always a bad a idea to write extra entries while you have an idea, then save the entries to post later. It is better to have a consistent stream of entries than to post in blocks, where you post numerous times in a short period then have a dry spell. Try to set short term goals, such as two to three postings per week. Remember to know your own limits and mold your schedule around what you can reasonably handle.

In order to maintain maximum readership, letting your audience know your posting schedule is a good idea. It is also important to keep your readers abreast of any changes in that schedule, like when you take a vacation and wonat be able to post. That connection with your audience is the most important part of a successful blog, so keeping them informed about what is going on is very important.

Determining posting frequency by knowing who your audience is can be helpful as well. If you post daily, there is a lot of work involved, but sometimes daily posts are the most effective. Sometimes, however, daily posts can be too much, depending on the blogas focus. Try to establish the right posting schedule for your particular blog, one that is balanced and workable. That way, you will not alienate your readers and they will always have fresh content to check out.

Frequency is important in blogging. It is an aspect of blogging that can optimize your readership. Although it is overlooked by some, how often you blog can invite or alienate those who read your blog. Remember to find what works best for you, and have fun. - 15359

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