Thursday, November 20, 2008

When To Blog That Is 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?

Timing can be critical and the most important aspect of your blog to know is your readership. Some choose to blog every day, others weekly, or monthly, but whatever timeline you choose remember that your readers should be the ones that you consider. When, and how often you post an entry is not as important as content, but it is another form of engagement with your audience, and should be treated as such. The frequency of your blog will start to develop a schedule that your audience will become accustomed to.

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.

The type of blog you are presenting is another factor worth considering. Different frequencies work with different types of content. Daily posts about a special trip you are on make sense, but if your content is more in-depth on a particular subject, you may want to consider weekly additions.

How much you post is also a pertinent factor. Be sure to know exactly how much you are capable of writing. You can even write some extra posts when you are feeling creative, and save them for posting at a later date. It is better to have a consistent posting schedule than periods of feast and then famine. Start off slow with two or three posts a week, and then increase your posts when you can.

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. - 15478

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