But do you really need to mass-produce blog posts like a factory assembly line in order to build up your following, move up the search engine rankings and attract more lucrative clients?
Well, it certainly seems to make sense doesn’t it?
I mean, you only have to look at a few of the many good reasons to do so and it would seem like a no-brainer:
- The more often you post the more often you engage readers
- You’re rapidly expanding your site with new, unique and relevant content
- You’re creating more and more entry points to your site
- You’re telling search engines that you update your site regularly
Now, I’ve had my copywriting website for just over six months now. And it’s ranking well and getting enquiries. So do you think that I blog once, twice or maybe three times a week? Or even several times a day?
You must be joking!
In fact, I only blog once a month. Any more frequent than that and, at this early stage of my own online marketing activity, all that extra effort would simply go to waste.
So what’s the reason why?
As it happens, I have a whole bucketload of reasons. But if had to list just a few, these would have to be the five most important of all:
1. You’ve Got to Learn the Blogging Style
One of the key secrets to successful blog writing is keeping it informal and keeping it conversational.
So jump straight in and start blogging in a cold, corporate and conventional writing style and you’ll bore the pants of your readers in next to no time.
Instead, you need to dedicate some time to develop and improve your writing in the time between publishing each of your posts.
For example, by observing how old hands write on popular blogs, such as Copyblogger and ProBlogger, and quality blogs dedicated to website copywriting, such as SEO Copywriting and Kate Toon Copywriting, I was able to adapt my writing style as I went along.
2. You Have to Market Your Posts
Sometimes you can talk as much as you like. But if nobody’s actually listening there’s not a lot of point really.
That’s why it’s just so important to market your posts.
And I don’t mean just posting them to social media. You also need to network online by commenting on other blogs and mingling with like-minded people in social media hangouts, such as Facebook and LinkedIn Groups.
Not only are these people more likely to respond to your posts and subscribe to your blog, but many of these gatherings are places where you can learn great new stuff and also pick up new ideas for your posts.
But if you really want to build influence, get exposure and ramp up those subscriber numbers then there’s one thing that you really should do at one stage or another.
And that’s guest posting.
What’s more, not every website expects you to guest post for free. Some do actually pay you to blog for them.
And you can find an excellent list of pukka websites that do pay writers just here on another great freelance writing blog Make a Living Writing.
3. You Want to Offer New Insight
Your blog will be competing with hundreds or thousands of other websites that talk about writing, blogging, social media and SEO.
So if you want to stand out and get people to engage with your posts you’d better have something new, informative or powerful to say.
Now do you honestly think that a blogger who is completely new on the scene is capable of doing this every single day?
Somehow I just don’t think so.
4. You Should Focus on Quality NOT Quantity
On the same lines, quality doesn’t half beat the hell out of quantity – every single time.
Remember: very few people ever feel inclined to comment on a lousy post or subscribe to an inferior blog.
But if you can nail just one high-quality post every month for now, instead of alienating readers by pumping out mediocre material day after day, you’ll have a fighting chance of seeing those visitors return to your site for more.
And another thing …
Your blog is also very much like your online portfolio.
Hundreds of low-grade blog posts, only written for the sake of SEO, aren’t going to impress any prospective client. However, a few carefully crafted quality posts certainly will.
5. You Need to Personalise Your Blog
Don’t you find it incredibly tedious how, on so many blogs, everything looks the same?
No matter how good your content, if you’re using a default WordPress theme and the same old search widget, tag cloud and category list in your sidebar then your blog will never have a chance in high hell of ever standing out.
So before you ramp up your blogging efforts and start posting more frequently, you want to make sure your blog offers a unique experience and has all the elements in place so that both you and your visitors get the most from of your website.
You could offer free exclusive content to any reader who signs up to your email newsletter. You could show testimonials, or other forms of social proof, in your sidebar.
You can even stick a few affiliate ads on your site. Not only can they be a great starting point for monetising your blog, but readers may actually appreciate a few carefully selected ads, provided you’re promoting something that they might actually want or need.
But what else can you do?
In short, loads as it happens. But that’s for another post.
However, if you do want to explore further and find more ways to add those all-important personal touches to your blog then popular social media and blogging sites, such as Kikolani and Social Triggers, are probably your best places to start.
Have Your Say
These are some of the reasons why I’m still writing just one post a month. In the meantime, I’m researching, tweaking, personalising and networking online.
Are you doing the same? Please let us know by leaving your comment below.
In our next post: Are online directory listings one big waste of time?
Excellent points, all of them. I’d also add that posting to your blog and writing for your blog are two different things. Post to your blog the good stuff, but practice writing for it as often as you can. Just be willing to throw out the garbage.
It gives you time to learn the medium and develop your own style.
Thanks for adding another point to the list Erica.
I’ve never had to sling one out yet. But I do like the point that if you don’t feel it’s good enough then don’t post it.
Does you no favours whatsoever.
Lucy
So glad another copywriter can back my views up with their own experience.
I don’t why so many people, whether copywriters or not, think that blogging is simply a case of posting anything 2 or 3 times a week – and that is that.
Wow. Feeling kind of humbled by the mention with such illustrious company. Glad to have found your blog Kevin and will for sure share this post (and not just ‘cos I’m in it)!
Thanks
Kate
Kate Toon Copywriter (@katetooncopy) recently posted…SEO questions: Should I complete the meta keywords tag?
Kate
Although I’ve only relatively recently started following your blog, it really does give some handy tips that are much more specific to the central theme of this blog – namely SEO copywriting.
And it’s an entertaining read too.
I don’t want my blog to be a dead-end site. But instead I want to offer a valuable resource to visitors who have lots of other options to read further if they want to.
So, in other words, I’m actually doing my readers and my blog a favour by including a link to yours.
Some good advice here Kevin, but I think your approach is a bit misleading! It’s not about how often you blog; it’s about how well you blog. If your posts/style/content/etc are crap, then you shouldn’t blog at all – not even once a month. We (me, two weekly columnists and the occasional guestie) post 6 times a week and although people scratch their chins and say “how the hell do you come up with that many articles on writing?” there’s no shortage of new ideas and material…not if you know where and how to look, anyway. Come on over some time and see for yourselves. And as for SEO copywriting, take a look at a guest post on my site which should be live some time Tuesday afternoon Oz time … it’s very encouraging for all us online writers. G’day all!
Suzan St Maur recently posted…How to write a restaurant review: now the book – soon the movie?
Thanks for your input Suzan.
Anyone who wants to challenge what I’ve said is always welcome to comment on my blog.
However, I am talking specifically about newbie copywriters. Your remark It’s not about how often you blog; it’s about how well you blog would make a brill post headline.
But for this post here, it wouldn’t necessarily catch the attention of rookie bloggers who have this fixation on doing exactly the same as the big guns by blogging 2 or 3 times a week.
I fully agree that it is perfectly possible to write 6 high-quality posts a week once you’ve got this blogging thing taped. But that’s another story.
I agree with your call about quality over quantity, but I think posting once a month isn’t often enough. That’s not just from an SEO point of view but also from a community building point of view.
Posting once a month lets people forget about you. Unless of course your posts are totally and utterly unforgettable but I don’t think anyone’s posts are that good when they start out.
I think once a week, or even once a fortnight is often enough to start developing relationships with readers (assuming your content is good enough). It’s also often enough to challenge yourself to build good blog writing – and promotion – into your regular marketing schedule.
My two cents anyway. Great post :)
Belinda Weaver @ Copywrite Matters recently posted…Preparing for a business baby
You’re totally right Belinda – posting once a month isn’t often enough.
But when you’re just starting out, you’ve got enough on your plate marketing your blog, building connections online, learning how to write engaging posts, personalising your blog theme and learning the business so that you can position yourself as an online authority.
If you do all these things then it’s that much harder for people to forget about you.
Then when you do start posting more often, even just once a week or once a fortnight as you say, then you really do hit the sweet spot.
Great post! interesting point – to place well chosen affiliate ads and that readers will appreciate it. I agree!
Esther
I’m quite keen to get a few affiliate ads on my site, so I’m glad you agree.
Provided you’re economical with them and don’t turn your site into an amusement arcade then they really can be a positive addition.
You’re right — epic content takes time to be written, and networking and marketing the h*** out of it should be a new freelancer’s main blogging activity.
One more point for your blog: would you consider using a bigger font? I clicked on some of your links (first timer on your blog), but this small font wanted this extra effort to be read — which made me actually click away without even reading the content. I don’t know… perhaps we readers are spoiled… but it’s the result that counts…
Helene
I’m so glad you’ve pointed out the teeny tiny font on my static pages. Thanks so much – it’s something that really bugs me.
Unfortunately, with the way my WordPress site is set up, I cannot change the font on these particular pages without going through my web developer.
But, thanks to your comment, I’m going to get onto this sooner rather than later now.
Good stuff Kevin.
Sometimes blogging once a month or less is the default for newbies. Initially they have so much on their plate that writing one blog post is about all they can manage in a month.
I remember when I first started my blog, I was lucky to get one post out every two weeks :-)
Elizabeth recently posted…9 Email Marketing Mistakes To Avoid & Fix Now!
Too true, Elizabeth.
In an ideal world, it would be great to blog far more often than once a month.
But this isn’t an ideal world and, as you say, beginner bloggers have so many different things on their plate.
Because there’s so much more to successful blogging than just how often you do it, you need to dedicate time to getting things right.
Wonderful and excellent post; from my own perspective, successful bloggers are always consistent irrespective of how they schedule their blogging career either as a full time or part time blogger. Publishing blog articles often doesn’t give a blogger a headway but publishing quality content that will encourage readers and author relationships really matters in the blogging community and that is the most important aspect of blogging.
Adesanmi, although practice is undoubtedly important, I totally agree that writing and publishing more often doesn’t necessarily make you a better and more successful blogger.
You need to learn and improve progressively: learn – write – learn some more – write better – tweak your blog – learn some more – and so on.
PS: I couldn’t help but notice that your own recent post is on very similar lines – look forward to checking it out.
A provocative post, no wonder so many writers have commented. But your points are valid.
Still, wouldn’t writing everyday be essential to develop the skill? Maybe we need to throw away/rework much of what we have written.
Sudheer recently posted…Can Spoken Words Heal Illness and Give Life?
Sudheer
I’m sure my own blog writing skills would be much better if I were able to write every day. In other words, you’re totally right.
But the problem is this: when you’re just starting out, you’re struggling enough as it is to build your business, develop your website and blog and, at the same time, make ends meet.
I guess that’s the bottom line of what I’m saying in this post.
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Amiti
Most of the top bloggers and SEOs are now saying we should write longer posts, but less often.
So, if you’re just starting out, then one long post each month is probably as much as you can handle.
Kevin,
Interesting! I saw this in the commentluv on Adrienne’s latest post and I thought I should check it out because I’m really torn about the whole “posting frequency” business.
I do see your point and it would certainly be easier to do things this way! You’ve given me a lot to think about. Thanks! I’ll make sure to share this.
Brittany
Hi Brittany
As with many of the people who comment here, I followed your CommentLuv link and checked out your own blog.
One thing’s for sure, you’re definitely not a rookie blogger. It looks like you’ve got all of my points above covered – especially #5 You need to personalise your blog.
When I first published this post last year, the prevailing advice was still very much to blog as often as possible.
Things seem to have moved on since then – and loads of blogs I follow are now posting far less frequently.
It will be interesting to see how things develop with this. So, if you do decide to blog less often, please do let me know how you get on.
I’m all with you on keeping it real and conversational and I can write all day long, but it really stresses me out to reach out and market my posts. I hope that doesn’t hold me back too much.
Thanks for the read. I enjoyed it.
Absolutely, Tod, marketing your posts can be pretty stressful.
I don’t market my own content as much as I should either, as it’s so tempting to think that, once you’ve published your post, your job is done.
Your comment has also reminded me to update this post sometime – especially the marketing section. So thanks.