Bloggers oftentimes ask how regularly they should be posting. Is once a week the sweet spot? Is any less going to lose you readers? What about multiple times a week? Well, in short—as the answer usually is for questions like this—whatever works best for you is going to bring about results.
As long as you’re posting on a consistent basis and keeping up with it, you’re going to build up an audience over time that knows when to expect material from you. The hard part now, is how do you stay consistent?
Create a schedule that works for you
Unfortunately, there’s no magic formula—trust us, we wish there was. Realizing the value and importance your blog can have on your professional career is the first step, but actually taking that awareness and dedicating the time and effort into it is the next. David Oxenford has been authoring the Broadcast Law Blog for 15 years now and emphasizes that publishing regularly has helped him build his audience:
Be consistent. You’re going to have to dedicate the time to work and do it on a regular basis. Don’t just do a once-every-six months post because nobody’s going to read it.
How often you post will depend on a number of factors. Are you the solo author or is it a multi-authored blog? Are you writing comprehensive, detailed posts or timely updates? If you’re crafting lengthy posts, publishing bi-monthly might be a more practical option.
Consider an editorial calendar
While a regular tool for large firms with multiple authors on a blog, editorial calendars can be used even by publications with one sole author. They’re helpful in staying organized, keeping a schedule, and planning. You can use editorial calendars to map out who is writing each week and on what topic.
Executive Director of the International Lawyers Network, Lindsay Griffiths—who authors Zen and the Art of Legal Networking—described her initial blogging style as organic, but noted that it evolved over time to become more structured:
Once I realized that I was doing this sort of ad hoc blogging process and just blogging when I had ideas and maybe that was not as regular as I wanted it to be, I decided I needed an editorial calendar. It gives me a certain discipline that makes me sit down and write and think and look for ideas regularly.
As Lindsay points out, editorial calendars can be great for integrating blogging into your everyday life. You can pinpoint which days you’ll draft and edit on and which days you’ll post on, as well as note topics for the future.
No need to rush—start slow!
If you’re new to blogging, you may be ripe with tons of ideas and want to get the ball rolling—but make sure it starts at a speed that is maintainable. There’s nothing wrong with getting your ideas down—but consider saving them as drafts for rainy days. Otherwise, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. LexBlog Founder & CEO Kevin O’Keefe also brings up another good point why you may want to take it slow in the beginning:
At the beginning, you’re going to have less readers than you’ll ever have. It makes more sense to ramp up posting as the blog matures and your audience grows.
It’s a good idea to build a backlog if your ideas aren’t timely. It can help you keep that consistent publishing schedule, and then, your posts are likely to be seen by more people the longer your blog has been around.
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For more information on blogging fundamentals, blogging strategy and social media, check out the LexBlog Resource Center.