Darren at ProBlogger”:http://www.problogger.net is running a series on blogger apathy. I think I may have helped inspire him (I don’t know, because he hasn’t mentioned it. I think he’s getting back at me for not linking to him in a post he inspired a while back.
The comments are where the action is at ProBlogger these days – which is not a swipe at Darren by any means. In fact its to his credit that he draws some bright people, that he puts a subject on the table, then gets out the way to let his audience flesh it out.
A recent comment on this post (no comment permalinks, so I can’t link to it) hits on something I’ve been thinking about lately: blogging schedules. In particular business blogging schedules
The mantra for some time has been ‘post at least three times a week’. I think that’s wrong. Here’s why:
- It doesn’t take a site’s goals into considerations at all
- It inevitably produces burn-out
- The pressure to post can produce guilt and stress
- It can lead to posting for posting’s sake (ie crappy posts)
- It can water-down the value of your blog
- It can seriously scare potential bloggers off getting started
I want to look at this last point for a moment. Let’s assume that your regular readers are subscribed to your newsfeed (a safe assumption?). I put it out there that new readers landing on a series of weak filler posts are less likely to stick around and subscribe to your site than if they were to land on a strong post.
I’m taking the stance that your regular readers will continue to be your regular readers whether you post once a week or once a day. They read you for the quality of the content, not the quantity.
I think the quantity game is a dangerous one for a business blogger.
Now, if your business is blogging, it’s a different scenario. Your goals will be to get maximum total exposure. A blog talking to an established or niche customer base (say, like a designer talking to potential customers) will be less concerned with adsense click through rates and more concerned with earning and keeping happy clients.
More to come on this.——-