Publishing to Your Blog Daily – Good or Bad?

by

Gwen Bell

Popular bloggers like Gwen Bell and EV Bogue promote publishing to your blog every single day.

They make their living as writers on the web.  Publishing free articles every day is their strategy to bring more people to their site, who in turn will buy their products or services.

The well known simplicity blogger, Leo Babauta currently publishes about 11 posts a month.  But, if you look at his archive, you will find in the early days he published frequently too:  4-5 times a week.

Clearly, publishing every day works well for these bloggers.  There are readers who are eager, or at least willing, to receive their blog posts each day.  Perhaps there are a few reluctant ones, but they don’t want to miss out on the special deals offered to subscribers.

How well are daily blog posts received by subscribers?   I’m sure some people are thrilled out of their gourd.

Personally, I feel deluged.  The continual flow of posts starts to blend together rather than each maintaining its distinct identity and integrity.  Like a blur.  Without even thinking about it, I start to skip reading a post and then another.  I may love their writing, but I just can’t keep up.

I’ve also observed a decline in the quality of writing when some bloggers – not all -  hit publish everyday.  Or a simplicity so simplistic there’s no true essence just a few words.  Sometimes, I can even feel the sense of pressure to publish every day emanating from between their words.

In the end, maybe it’s all fine.  Maybe it’s fine to just catch what I can from the stream and let everything else go.

But I’m curious if I’m the odd-person out?  Aside from Mike, of course.

How do you relate to receiving daily blog posts from a blogger?  How frequently do you post?  Have you ever been tempted to post every day?  Do you consider what its like for the subscriber?

Image:  Courtesy of Gwen Bell

46 thoughts on “Publishing to Your Blog Daily – Good or Bad?”

  1. That’s a good question. Personally, I have experimented a bit with different posting frequencies over the last 18 months. Within the last few months I have increased my postings from every 3rd day to every 2nd day. The average daily readership has bumped up about 20%. There may be other factors in play, but I am assuming reader fatigue isn’t an problem. .

    I don’t think my target would appreciate daily posts. Retirement has become such an active stage of life that finding time to read a blog post everyday may become a chore instead of a pleasure. I know writer fatigue would definitely kick in if I tried to produce fresh material 5-7 days a week.

    Your observation that some bloggers post just to post, with little in the way of compelling content is absolutely correct. The type of post that regurgitates common knowledge and simplistic advice is gone from my in-box almost as quickly as I can open it.

    .

    • Hi Bob,

      Your specifics are interesting. It sounds like you are posting 3 x a week or a little more than that. Posting more does increase readership, but my question is where is a reasonable line? It seems like you’ve found one for yourself and your own blog and have maintained an awareness of the needs of your audience at the same time.

      I don’t mind short posts if they are helpful or meaningful. But like you saying, if it feels like posting to just post it doesn’t bring much value to me.

  2. One to two posts a week. Maybe not the best posts, but I try to post my best, quality over quanity, to answer your question. Really good post, too.

  3. I have to agree, daily is too much for me. Even some bloggers that post 2-3 times a week gets to be too much in my inbox, and I end up skipping most of the posts, except those with a headline that grabs me.

    I was posting twice a week for several months and adjusted my publishing calendar to once a week. My page views were higher when I was posting twice a week, but I was starting to feel overwhelmed maintaining a full time job, family, volunteer activities and my blog.

    Once a week feels much more manageable to me at this point in time, and I hope my editorial schedule allows my readers to feel excited when I post my new blog entry each week.

    I can’t imagine posting a polished, content-rich article every day, unless I were running an entirely different type of blog, such as a fashion or photo blog.

    • Chrysta,

      That’s a lot to handle and blog too. Adjusting your posting schedule to once a week makes sense so that you can really produce quality content and have your readers look forward to your new entries.

      That’s also interesting feedback about how you just skim the headlines of posts that come into your inbox, especially from the more prolific bloggers. I guess that’s a factor that we all have to keep in mind. A “subscribers” doesn’t necessarily means someone who reads all your posts.

      I would be hard-pressed to publish daily and my life is far more simple than yours! It looks like you’ve found the right balance for you.

  4. This is something I struggle with myself. My blog is newer and doesn’t have many followers or hits so I find myself tempted to write a new post everyday (on a rare occasion even more than one a day) in order to get readers content to follow me. As a subscriber I do like to read articles everyday, but they must be interesting. If a blogger writes a terrible article that says nothing I get disillusioned and might not click for the next one. I think both methods can work depending on your audience and what you have to say.

    – T.R.
    http://20somethingstruggle.com

  5. I used to like reading daily blog posts, but after a while it became overwhelming. There are very few people who post frequently that I read as they post, but there are many more whose frequent posts began to frustrate me and I unsubscribed. I don’t like feeling like I can’t keep up, and I don’t like giving my readers that feeling, either. I try to post once per week, but twice per week would be maximum.

    • Meg,

      Now, that’s fascinating – the way something you once enjoyed transmuted into overwhelm. I see how this has led to you becoming selective in terms of receiving daily blog posts and what a fine line it is between serving your readers and annoying them! You seem to have come to a comfortable conclusion that works well for you.

  7. Hi Sandra. Personally, I think that posting articles approximately 2-3 times a week is a good number of posts to strive to publish. I believe that when a website author writes good, quality articles, they are creating written works that are a benefit to others. But like anything else, when the number of written articles is the main concern rather than the quality, the passion and messages that the authors want to convey eventually gets lost. As a website author, I would rather focus on the quality of my writing so that I can create valuable pieces that I can enjoy writing and others can enjoy reading.

    • I agree with you fully about quality. There are a few people who are able to manage both quality and quantity, but I think it’s a rare ability. Thanks for you comment. I really appreciate hearing your thoughts on the topic.

  8. Speaking as the “Mike” referred to in the article (Thanks, Ping Fairy, for the link to my POST LESS CHALLENGE), I enjoy reading many different blogs, but there isn’t one that posts daily that is also at the top of their game each day. As some others put it, I also “skim”. What I want is to read things that will open my eyes and help me see the world in new ways. I have those experiences often, but it still takes a lot of looking.

    Can you imagine Shakespeare, Dickens, heck even Joseph Campbell trying to put out material at that level of quality on a daily basis? It can’t be done. But that is the level of writing I look for. Uniquely useful and memorable passages. The kinds of ideas that move from my screen to a chair in the room saying, “TRY and forget me”.

    I enjoy this blog because it’s a dock on the Ganges, a comfortable place from which to view the river of eternity.

    • Hi Mike,

      It’s interesting to see your motivation and approach to reading on the web. You offer an interesting challenge for our imagination. What would these great writers being doing in the digital age? Would they be evolving their writing in new ways to be in sync with digital reality? You look for unique and powerful content, which is indeed available in the blogosphere. It’s a big challenge to be on top of your game everyday, but it seems like some bloggers do pull it off. Seth Godin is one that is frequently mentioned in the marketing sphere. I am stimulated by the ideas in Gwen Bell’s posts. She’s the only daily blogger I follow now.

      Thanks for your kind words about my blog. That seems a very particular niche!

  9. Hi Sandra,

    I am not a fan of daily publishing. There is always a pressing need to keep up with sites that publish daily because I feel I might miss out something. And after awhile, in this age of information overload, I just cannot be bothered to make the effort to keep up.

    I also find it hard to write a good post if I publish daily. Sometimes I might not even have an idea about my next post after a few days. In the end, I feel 2 posts or 3 at most is best for me. Then I can focus on crafting a quality article with something truly meaningful to say.

    Thank you for sharing this lovely article! :)

    Irving the Vizier

    • Irving,

      Your posts are very special. I can see why it takes you some time to craft them and I can’t imagine producing a post like that daily. They are rich with wisdom and so complete.

  10. I am with you on this one, Sandra. Too many posts makes me feel overwhelmed, and, like you and the others, I start skimming or not reading the things even though I may want to and like the writer. It begins to feel more like an obligation than a pleasurable choice.

    • Hi Debbie,

      We are in sync in our experience! I only subscribe to one blog with daily posts. And I see I need to adopt the attitude of drinking from the stream and enjoying that rather than falling into a sense of pressure. Thanks for adding your perspective.

  11. I’m moving away from ‘regular’ posting to a more fluid ‘when the time is right’ approach. I’m also looking to incorporate other outlets into my work, but that’s just me, right now. People blog for different reasons and that makes the blogosphere really interesting.

    On daily posts – if they’re long and intense then I too get overload and switch off. I do however really like Gwen’s work – she has a way of saying a lot in a few words, and I must admit I enjoy reading her posts every day.

    Steve

    • Hi Steve,

      I’ll be curious to see what the more “fluid” approach brings for you! You are so right, we are all here for different reasons so there are no across the board rules.

      I like Gwen’s work too. Her posts are almost always succinct and to the point. Qualities I would like to embrace in my writing as well.

      It’s great to see you. Thanks for sharing your experience.

  12. I publish daily for two reasons:

    1. I view the publish muscle as just that – an actual muscle that has to be used daily, just like any other muscle that I want to strengthen. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield turned me on to this notion. It also reminded me that I don’t have the luxury of asking whether or not my audience wants to hear from me daily (there’s also a weekly option offered upon signup). My job is to create, and push publish.

    2. My writing has gotten stronger by doing it consistently. Shipping daily is about consistency. Showing up is a promise to my readers; I am here.

    Currently, I make my entire living from digital publishing. There was a time when I had a hybrid lifestyle going as a speaker-consultant-writer. Because I wanted to write full-time, and be able to live anywhere (currently, Mexico), I publish daily. This freedom is unparalleled, and it requires I do the work each day.

    Hope this helps clarify my motivations – and opens the dialog further, here, or on G+.

    Gwen

    • Gwen,

      Thanks for coming by and adding more about your purpose in publishing daily. It’s been funny, I’ve read “The War of Art” in your post on your blog as “The Art of War” – a completely different book! Now, I’m curious to see what Pressfield has to say on the topic.

      I appreciate your writing. Your ideas and thinking process always stimulate me. That’s why I am chewing on this idea you’ve suggested of posting daily. I’m delighted you are successful and have found unparalleled freedom. Your writing is clearly resonating with many people.

      Thanks again for adding the clarification.

      • The War of Art & Linchpin were the two books that inspired me to start my blog. Like Gwen, I loved Pressfield’s invitation to show up every day. For me, that doesn’t necessarily mean publishing every day, but rather that I sit down and write. That has made a big difference to my writing practice.

        • Those books sound intriguing, Sandi. Thanks for underlining their importance. It helps to see how you’ve incorporated the principles into your own approach to writing. Thanks for telling us.

  13. Hi Sandra,

    This is an extremely interesting and important post which I feel I need to add my opinion without delay.
    Reason is: I have been wondering lately precisely these questions.

    Being new to blogging (since May 2011) I feel overwhelmed by the amount of posts some people write on a daily basis. I’ve only subscribed to half a dozen or so Blogs and my Inbox in over streched with New Posts notifications… now, imagine if I was subscribed to many more Blogs. If I’m a few days without checking my Inbox, next time I do I always have an avalanche of posts/comments/comments of comments etc notifications, most of them I just can’t be bothered to read. It’s tiring.

    I think writing posts every single day is a very noble (as in writing process discipline) but also a very selfish thing to do: does the writer REALLY think all their subscribers are gonna read all that?!
    The trick is: too much is un-appealing, un-inspiring, time consuming. Less is more and when it comes to Blogging keeping the flame alive is crucial, otherwise there’s no novelty, no expectaction of when/what is he/she gonna write again.
    Giving blogging mental space to readers is essential to keep them.

    Most people these days live under severe social networking pressure, if they add blogging pressure, what value are they providing to themselves, their readers, their customers?

    Personally one of my main reasons to Blog is precisely to give wings to my free thinking, to feel it’s okay to write what I want, when I want without feeling any pressure at all.

    Wishing you happy blogging! :)

    • Hi there,

      You’ve raised such good points in your comment. I understand both perspectives: the reader dilemma and the daily blogger’s need to make a living. For the very reasons that you list, I no longer subscribe to blogs by email with the exception of Gwen Bell’s blog and just a few others. I use Google reader and subscribe by RSS feed. So my email inbox isn’t a nightmare. I’m able to visit Google reader as often or as infrequently as I would like and see the latest posts. It’s such a better solution than email subscriptions, I feel.

      Enjoy your free thinking without pressure!

      • Dear Sandra (and “treespirit11″), I could not agree with you more. I just LOVE this post and both your comments. I battled the pressure to do more, post more, comment more, more more more, for several years, but this last year I finally said, “No more.” I was losing myself, and caught up in an invisible race.

        I can’t possibly read all the all blog posts that come my way (no matter how good they are. Not can I possibly respond to the 100 – 200 emails a day that I get. But it’s more than that. It’s not how I want to live. It was consuming every waking hour and then many sleeping hours. For ME, that is NOT healthy. There is no race, there is no where to be, other than listening to our own hearts voice and our own souls rhythm. ANYTHING other than that is an illusion.

        When we are in the midst of a great current of humanity, it is often very helpful to step back, stand silently on the bank, and take stock of where we are going, why we are going there, and whether this is what we want.

        More importantly is it who we really are? For me it is not. I very early on burned out on the internet. It is a great tool, a wonderful opportunity to share and explore my thoughts, feelings, insights, creativity, and more. But, for me, that is all it is.

        That said, I realize that for some it is the right thing for them to do, and even feels VERY right. I also realize that making money is a reality, so if someone can do it online and loves doing it, then that is GREAT.

        I think there are many of us that need the message you are giving us dear Sandra. I know I do. So I am DEEPLY grateful to read this post. Bless you for your beautiful honest good heart. Much love, Robin

        I thin

        • Dearest Robin,

          How wonderful to “see” you. It is a real treat to feel you and your beautiful energy here. I love the way you went straight to the heart of the matter. I agree with you fully and you have said so beautifully that we each need to stand back on the bank and see what is right for our own self. There really is no right or wrong answer to the question I posed I find it stunning that Gwen Bell can earn her living writing, enjoy herself thoroughly, and have the tremendous freedom she desires. And she inspires people think more deeply. The essential message is to know yourself, isn’t it? Thank you for highlighting it in ultra-color. Many blessings to you!

  14. I appreciated reading all of the responses here, your post Sandra, as well as the beautiful photo of Gwen Bell

    It’s always fascinating to see how other’s publishing schedule experience has been.

    The reason I publish every day is because I make more money when I do. I’ve experimented with different publishing schedules. I used to publish three times a week, with rather large 4,000 word posts.

    I’ve found that charging for the deeper content and writing invitations every day is the most profitable combination right now. If that changes? I’ll evolve my work to suit.

    • Isn’t that a gorgeous photo of Gwen! I appreciate your honesty and integrity. I understand that people need to make a living. I’m glad that you’ve found a way that works for you and is fulfilling at the same time. Thanks for stopping by to comment.

  15. Pingback: Publier chaque jour sur son blog, c’est bien ou pas ? « Nothing To Say

  16. that’s write sandra
    its so hard to find new great ideas every days , if you decided to publish everyday you will have to sacrifice the posting quality one day

  17. Hi Sandra,
    Here are my answers to your questions:

    Question: How do you relate to receiving daily blog posts from a blogger?
     Answer: I don’t relate to or identify with any bloggers who blog daily and I don’t subscribe to their blogs. I read what some of them publish on an occasional basis only.

    Question: How frequently do you post?
     Answer: See below for my answer.

    Question: Have you ever been tempted to post every day?
     Answer: No.

    Question: Do you consider what its like for the subscriber?
     Answer: Yes.

    I’m going to start my comment with a quote from one of my posts.

    “Life is a balancing act and it’s not easy to achieve balance with one foot offline and the other online in an environment that never sleeps. The Internet doesn’t stop, can’t stop, won’t stop, so they say. It’s this aspect of blogging that can become repetitive and disheartening. You create content, publish, promote, comment, discuss and the cycle continues.”

    Some bloggers are either part-time writers or fulltime professional writers who are blogging for an income. For them them writing daily is a discipline. Their goal is to produce high quality audience targeted articles that consistently bring in a strong traffic flow and income from advertising and marketing producta and or services.

    Other bloggers are hobby bloggers who aren’t blogging for an income. Many don’t monetize their blogs at all. They write for reasons of information sharing and self expression and publish only when they feel they have something worthy of sharing. For them blogging is only a part of their life and not the central focus.

    Though I am a researcher and writer who has blogger for over 6 years I have kept my blogging completely separate from what I do to make a living. I have an active offline life and for me that life comes first. I schedule my contracted writing time in advance and research, write or edit for exactly that amount of time, whether it is going well or not.

    This wasn’t always the case. When I first began to blog I subscribed to many blogs some of which featured daily publication. I was unable to keep up with reading let alone commenting on those blogs. My email overflowed, I felt stressed, and the enjoyment factor of being a reader evaporated.

    I became addicted to being “switched-on” and the price I paid for was the loss of quality time face-to-face with my family and friends. I recognized the irony as the reason I began multitasking was to gain this quality time with them.

    I accepted the reality that juggling phone calls, e-mail, instant messages, blog reading, commenting, social networking and my paid work simply made me feel more productive when I wasn’t. By choosing to multitask and social network I had opened myself up to increased distraction. That led an increased inclination for my mind to wander, rather than being single pointedly focused on the writing at hand. I admitted to myself that the more heavily I multitasked the less effective and productive I became and the less satisfied I was with the results.

    I consider “blog daily” advice to be directed at those who do intend to make an income from blogging and I am not among them. I don’t subscribe to any blogs where daily publication is the status quo, and I have no inclination towards becoming a content creation factory. I am a hobby blogger. I don’t now nor have I ever blogged for an income. I blog on subjects I’m passionate about and only publish when the spirit moves me to.

    Establishing the return to balanced living I referred to above means I am once again buoyed up with the passion I had on the first day I began to blog. I aim to publish twice weekly on both blogs and usually do. However, when I am unable to do that I don’t beat myself up about it.

    • timethief,

      This is an amazing passage you’ve shared from one of your articles. It truly is a testimony to how hobby blogging can infiltrate and reduce the quality of our life. I was fascinated reading your experience. And also delighted that you have returned to a greater sense of balanced living in your life and all the joy that brings to you. In addition to the renewed sense of passion that you feel for writing on your blogs.

      Professional bloggers – who blog for an income – coexist with hobby bloggers in the blogosphere. It’s easy for hobby bloggers to start feeling the pressure to blog more and engage more when reading advice intended for professional bloggers. There is an addictive element to blogging and it can cut into the joy of your offline life. Thank you for describing your personal experience so precisely. I’m glad you found a balanced way that works well for you. It’s so freeing to be able to let go of your blog for periods of time without fretting about it. Thanks for the illuminating comment.

  19. I am facing information overload in general. The source of which mainly comes from marketers who would like to promote their products. Generally, I am a little adverse if I receive the information from a particular blogger on daily basis. Similar to yourself, I tend to skip through the articles as I simply do not have the time and resource to read every single email.

    As for myself, I blog about twice a month. Besides time factor, I have to find something meaningful that is worthy of blogging about. If I were to put myself into the position of the readers of my blog, I do not think that I will overload them with my articles.

    • Information overload is a big challenge in modern life. We are probably all alike, skipping through articles looking for what is really meaningful to us. It seems like you have thought this through well for yourself. All the best to you.

  20. I write everyday, but I am overwhelmed by the daily publishers and only publish 2 times a week. If I were making an income and did not need to leave the computer to do other things to put basic food on the table, well then I might publish daily and use that as a discipline.

    Some of the daily publishers have a redundancy that does not move forward or backward…they maybe great or good writers, but they sometimes are just re-reads. I did like McCall’s daily publish of his novel he wrote in the newspaper – now that was interesting to experience how the story and segments fit together..he did it because it brought him income and so to the newspaper.

    I think that income message makes a difference.

    • Hi Patrica,

      This is the key point, isn’t it – when people rely on blogging for an income the arena becomes quite different. And the challenging of writing meaningful and helpful posts on a daily basis. There are some who pull it off with grace and others, who like you say, are redundant. That’s an interesting example of McCall’s novel. It seems like that would indeed hold people’s interesting. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

  21. There is two of us blogging and we find it difficult sometimes to even keep up with one post a week. That’s because we try to incorporate stories or funny situations and try to always deliver a story that we can elaborate on and start discussions from, hopefully.
    I’m not sure if increasing followers on your blog means that you have to post every day, we just feel that posting about daily things over waiting to deliver a “juicy” story seems to work more for us.

    brookeandmckenzie.wordpress.com

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