10 reasons to keep writing during quiet periods

Posted by Ben on March 16, 2009 | Permalink | Hits: 788 

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It's great to get a burst of comments, pageviews and tweets - but it can be off-putting when the buzz dies down and people don't seem to be saying much. However, the quiet periods are extremely important for your blog. Here are 10 reasons to ensure you don't stop writing when things are quiet.

1. Some people may still check in.

Some of your most loyal readers may still be reading, even when it's really quiet. Just because it seems to be quiet, it doesn't mean nobody is reading.

2. A quiet period can quickly become a "normal" period.

If you abandoned your blog during the quiet periods, you'd be unprepared for the busy periods. You don't usually get any warning of a sudden burst of traffic. Maybe some people just found one of your older posts and they want to check out your newer posts. Be prepared for this!

Also, while some people may stop blogging during the holidays, say at Christmas - once the holiday itself is over, readers may find that they're bored and have nothing to do. If you have a few posts they haven't read, this is a good way for them to spend some time on your blog.

3. It's a good time to experiment with new types of post.

Want to take a risk and write about something you haven't featured before? Not sure if a change of style will suit your readers? How about a guest post?

Although you do need people to read the post to know if it went down well or not (and they need to comment, too), trialling a new post or two during a quiet period is a great way to test the waters and there's less risk of your readers unsubscribing.

4. You can build up your archives.

If you're writing 3 posts a week and you have 2 weeks when readers aren't around that much, that's 6 posts you'll have published by the time things pick up. Don't focus purely on quantity - but don't take your eye off the ball, either. The more quality posts your blog has, the better.

5. You can improve your search engine ranking.

Search engines prefer sites that are frequently updated. If some of the other blogs in your niche have decided to take a break, take the opportunity to make up some ground!

6. Keep in a routine - stay motivated.

One problem with quiet periods is that they often occur during the holidays, and it's all too easy to get out of your daily routine. Sticking to blogging is a good way to ensure you don't mess up your routine, and will make it that make easier to survive once the holidays end.

7. There's less pressure - which might make it easier to write.

If you're used to readers who hang on your every word, it can be quite daunting to publish a new post. Sometimes it can feel like you always have to top the previous post.

But during a quiet period, you can relax a bit. Don't get lazy - but do enjoy the quiet times!

8. It shows you're not a fair weather blogger.

This refers to someone who is only around when it seems that everyone else is blogging about everything. These people see that blogging is a "big thing", join in, then give up when they realise that there's more to blogging than writing about the same news as everyone else.

If you blog all the time, not just during the busy periods, you'll boost your credibility and showing that your blog has staying power.

9. You can work on improving your content and writing style.

In addition to experimenting with different types of post, you can work on improving your writing skills, style, and post structure. Maybe you can try to adapt your planning skills slightly, and see if this makes your life easier.

New blogs have the chance to get to grips with their blog before people read it (that's why you shouldn't promote it immediately) - a quiet period is a rare opportunity to improve without people watching you quite so closely.

10. It shows you care!

Do you only work on the bare minimum and then let everyone else run its course? Or do you go out of your way to keep making your blog as good as it can possibly be? I think that continuing to blog, even if you write fewer posts, during a quiet period shows your readers that you care. If you want to take some time off, write some posts in advance and schedule them to appear while you're away.

How do you change your blogging habits during a quiet period?

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Comments on 10 reasons to keep writing during quiet periods

4

Ben | March 17, 2009 | Ben's home page | 207 comments

Rarst - keeping to a schedule is a very good idea. It works for me, too. :)

Lyndi - thanks for sharing. I feel the same way when I go back to work after taking some time off. This is a different issue though, as you can't really schedule turning up for work as you can with blog posts. But the end result is the same - it's hard to get back into it. At least we can control when our posts go online. This is something worth taking advantage of - to be honest, I don't schedule my posts very often, but I do plan them in advance.

Leo, glad you found it interesting :)

8

Ben | March 19, 2009 | Ben's home page | 207 comments

Michael - welcome. :) Interesting suggestions, I don't agree with all of them though. "Let people know about the blog, post it in forums..." - hopefully not as your first post! I don't use Yahoo! Answers. I'm not keen on adding a map, to be honest it seems like a gimmick. Also - just to be really pedantic - I'm not sure what this has to do with blogging during quiet periods?

Ken - thanks! I guess you're right about the caption. ;)