Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Why blogging every day is a risky, goofy idea.

"You should blog every day"

This is a piece of advice I hear pretty frequently that I think is goofy. 

Look, there's no question that developing something of a rhythm with readers is important. But the idea that you'll have something worthwhile to say every day is flawed. 

If you churn out some garbage just to make your deadline, you're violating the trust of your readers. And as a content creator, trust is about all you've got. Why would you try to create an expectation of daily content when you may be having trouble knocking out a weekly blog?

If, someone shows up to read your blog for the first time and you're content that day is weak, what makes you think they'll come back for more? Isn't it a better idea to develop compelling content weekly? Write an article based on questions you see coming in, and then refine it over a week to make it a real value add for readers. 

There's obviously no set recipe for success in anything. But if you want people to flock to your content, you'd better take the time to let it ferment, get edited, and released when it is ready to be savored by readers. Once it's out of the "kitchen" you'll be judged by it's merit and quality.

Personally, I blog when I have the time to write something I think is worthwhile. Perhaps most folks would procrastinate. I'd actually love to do something daily, but if I'm too busy with other things, on holiday or just am throwing up rubbish ideas, I'd prefer to wait. That's my duty to you, the reader. 

But what do y'all think? Is more better? Is frequency a concern? Please let me know your thoughts.

All the best from sunny Poland.

3 comments:

  1. I agree with your sentiments about blogging. I don't do it that often; only when I actually have something I really want to share or that I think others might value. We hear these kinds of maxims from the 'pros' about social media, including how often to send newsletters and tweets. While it may translate to sales and dollars, I have to say I find it irksome how many daily or weekly e-mails I receive from some of the leaders in the self-help field. I like their work, but don't see the value in just sending out a bunch of fluff. I guess it's about striking an authentic balance.

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  2. Tim, it's a hard question to answer. I'll probably start to blog more often as I get more comfortable writing. It's certainly better today than it was 3 years ago when I started to Blog. I can see the value of blogging more often if you have something useful to say.

    I think blogging is just part and parcel of marketing and branding yourself or branding your company,

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  3. Blogging i'd think is as much for ourselves as it is for our readers. And I know many people who keep daily journals. So perhaps - it cuts both ways?

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