Thursday, November 20, 2008

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

By Don Bethune

As you are well aware, blogging has become a hot spot for internet users. It is a valuable way for people across the globe to give insight into their lives or events that happen around them. Blogging is another way for people to connect that print media has not been able to do, and that is giving ordinary people a way to communicate on a mass scale. When it comes to blogging and writing your own blog, how often should you post a new entry for your readership?

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.

To decide how often to post to your blog, there are many things you should consider. You need to balance your beginneras enthusiasm with the inevitable wane in interest you will feel after a month or two. Think of yourself like a newspaper, and keep in mind if readers are used to new content every day, they will disappointed if that new content falls off to just once a week or so. In fact, your audience may lose interest all together and start visiting new sites, so you need to focus on keeping your readers interested.

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.

Another factor to consider when deciding on posting frequency is your actual content. You want to be sure to not overestimate your writing capabilities so that you are not stuck with nothing to write. Writing a few extra entries in advance and saving them for later can be one way to overcome this possible problem. You should strive for consistency, so having backup entries can help you get through any dry periods you may experience. Keep in mind that you should always know your limitations.

Letting your readers know your posting schedule is a good idea, as is telling them if that schedule is going to change for some reason. If you plan on taking a trip and wonat be able to post for that week or two, letting your audience know will help guarantee that they return to your site when you are back and posting new content. Blogging is all about connecting with your readership, so make sure you are keeping the lines of communication open.

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.

How often to post is one of the most important aspects of blogging, one that many new bloggers do not even consider. However, if you take the time to think about it, you can keep your readership happy and interested in your site for a long time. Keep in mind, however, that you should always consider what works for you and keep it fun. - 15431

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