10 reasons why you should blog on a schedule

Posted by Ben on August 12, 2009 | Permalink | Hits: 669 
Tags: schedule, posting frequency, routine

< 10 reasons not to blog on a schedule | Post Frequency |

Back in May, I listed 10 reasons not to blog on a schedule. There was quite a bit of disagreement, so I thought it would be good to look at the other side, with reasons why you should blog on a schedule. (Image by tamaradulva.)

1. Readers know when to expect a new post.

When you schedule your posts, it's much easier to be consistent with the time a new post goes out. This means your readers will get used to it - like watching their favourite TV show. Setting expectations is a good thing - readers know what they're going to get.

2. You can promote less because the publication time is consistent.

If people like your blog, they will show up when it's time for a new post. This isn't just good for setting expectations. If people are already going to read your posts when they go online, it means you can reduce the amount of promotion you do for each post. Or, you can use the time to promote the posts in new ways.

3. It can stop you from posting too quickly.

Of course, this assumes you don't have a schedule that's too regular. If you write a lot of posts in advance, sticking to a publishing schedule means you won't be posting too often. There are many reasons why you shouldn't post too often.

4. You're less likely to spend ages perfecting one post when you could be writing other posts.

While I do think you should make all of your posts worth reading, if you spend too long making each post absolutely perfect, you may not get as many posts finished.

This can be argued both ways. Quality shouldn't suffer for the sake of quantity. You should still proof-read your posts. But don't get caught up in writing a single post that just isn't going anywhere. Set it aside, and move onto other posts. You can always come back to it later. A schedule forces you to move on - you can't sit on the same post for ages.

5. It gets you into a routine.

Once you get into a routine, it can be quite hard to break it. If it's something you want or need to do every so often, this isn't a bad thing. You're more likely to keep posting.

Without a schedule, you may find there's no sense of urgency. As a result, you might not write at all. Why get out of bed if you have nothing that needs to be done?

6. It's easier to plan ahead.

If you go away, you'll know how many posts to write in advance. It's far better to schedule several posts to publish while you're away, than to post saying you'll be away and there will be no new posts until you come back.

Your readers may understand, but just because you're going away, doesn't mean they won't be reading any new posts that go up. Failing to plan ahead means you may lose readers to other blogs who post while you're away.

Some readers may also be unhappy that you aren't organised enough to get ahead with your posting. What's to say you won't get sick of your blog and just stop writing? Is that the kind of blog you'd want to read?

7. Writing new posts will not take over your life.

Since I started working in London, a lot of my day is taken up with travelling. If you're a busy blogger, there are ways to save time, but it can be very draining if you have to write at the end of a long day.

It's not just about setting the expectations of your readers - you need to set your own, too. Will you be writing a post today? If not, you can do something else. That should ease the pressure somewhat, and make it feel less as though blogging completely takes over your life.

8. You can set time aside to work on your blog.

It's best to find a schedule that can be worked into your life, instead of feeling like you have to blog at times when you're not able to. Finding the times when you can write new posts, or promote your posts, should allow you give your blog 100% of your attention when you're available to work on it.

9. You can reserve days for non-blog activities.

Once you specify which days will have new posts and which will not, you know how many posts to write each week. You can either write the posts one by one, or in bulk (I prefer bulk writing).

Whichever way you do it, you'll be able to specify the days when you're free to do other things. You're less likely to have clashes in your schedule if you lay everything out and decide which days are best for you.

I write 3 posts every Sunday, and publish them on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. That means I can do other things even as my new posts go online, which happens automatically.

10. Scheduling makes the whole process easier.

Who said blogging has to be difficult? Wouldn't it be great if blogging was a joy to do? Well, it should be! It shouldn't be a chore, otherwise, why do it at all?

Adopting a sensible schedule can make blogging a smooth and painless process to follow. So why not do it?

What do you think? Do you blog on a schedule, or not? Are you likely to change this in the future?

Comments on 10 reasons why you should blog on a schedule

4

Ben | August 18, 2009 | 190 comments

Thanks Laura - I fixed it.

Carla- it doesn't work for everyone, which is why I wrote one post for each side of the story :)

Emm - let us know how you get on over at the CMF Forums, if you wish!