Let go of the “Post Every Day” blogging mantra.

Bloggers have argued relentlessly about whether to post every day or not.  As Lisa Barone points out, this is so Web 1.0.

Bloggers believing (or suggesting) that you must post every day usually follow Chris Brogan and Seth Godin religiously.  These bloggers are trying to create their blog like Brogan and Godin without realizing the work required to be an overnight success.

Writing blog posts and providing content requires work and originality.  If you do not enjoy it–do something else.

I have been contemplating the question, “Should the companies I represent (and the blogs I write) post new content on their blog every day?” for some time now.  There are many variables to consider when answering this question.  Based upon the agreement companies have with their vendors, the schedule varies.  Based upon company events, the schedule varies.  Based upon the company’s goals, the schedule varies.  Based upon a laundry list of variables, the schedule varies.

I asked this question of my LinkedIn network and here were the 5 main ideas individuals shared.  I know their answers can help you.

1. Stop posting every day unless your schedule and strategy are built to support this activity.

Gary Smith: You need to understand why you’re blogging and who your blog readership is going to be.  What are they going to want to hear from you and how frequently can you reasonably supply that?

2. Stop posting every day unless you have something meaningful and original to say.

Neil Smith: The schedule should be “whenever you have something new and interesting to say.”  A blog published every day which pumps out old or boring stories is going to lose readers fast.

3. Stop posting every day unless your audience requests daily content.

William Tracy: For your readers that are not using RSS client, you need to get them in the habit of coming back regularly.  I am convinced that once-weekly posts are the bare minimum that you need to pull this off.  (If you do post only once a week, you cannot afford to miss a week, or you will lose readers.)  A Monday-Wednesday-Friday schedule is better, and an “every weekday” schedule is best.  If you can do every weekday, you have a chance at becoming a part of people’s daily routines: Come to work, get coffee, check e-mail, read blogs.

4. Stop posting every day unless all of your channels are engaged.

Sally Dedecker: I highly recommend a schedule for company blogs, and other social media channels.  I suggest to clients that the schedules indicate times you post to each social media channel and must, must correlate between channels.  Person/department responsible for content creation and/or posting must be sharp so that content looks different.  Schedule should be fluid, not rigid.  Reason for schedule–simple–you want to ensure that all channels are engaged.

…And the top three answers…

I. G. David Dodd: Absolutely!  One key to making a blog an effective marketing tool is to post regularly and frequently.  According to “The State of Inbound Marketing 2010″ survey conducted by HubSpot, 100 percent of survey respondents that post more than once per day said they had acquired a customer from a blog-generated lead.  That percentage drops to 90 percent for companies that post daily, 69 percent for companies that post 2-3 times per week and 58 percent for companies that post weekly.  Despite the clear connection between frequent posting and customer acquisition, the HubSpot survey found that only 8 percent of survey respondents said they posted daily.  Thirty-eight percent said they posted weekly and 29 percent said they posted 2-3 times per week.

II. Brian Ewing: I believe that a schedule can do two things, help the blogger ensure that there is always fresh new content on the blog and help customers or those following the blog develop a rhythm with your business.  Too often blogs start out with the best intentions only to die as those tasked with adding content fall victim to their “real job” or just the time constraints of life.  This is especially true for the “I do it all” small business owner.  Knowing what needs to be posted and when can make it easier to stay on track.  And the timely repetition of your posts (customers know to look for a featured product the same time each week or month) will help reinforce your marketing message.

III. Pierre DeBois: I think a schedule helps not only for readers to see the effort that goes into the content, but it may also help with respect to collaboration–making sure contributors are not burned out in trying to help or duplicating the same subject.  Additionally, as a solo business I found adding a short video makes keeping up with updates a bit easier, since I talk faster than I type.

My answer: Stop posting every day unless you have something meaningful to say.  The blogosphere is filled with a plethora of content.  Unfortunately, more and more of the content is becoming a copy of old content.  Be original.  Be creative.  Bring something new to the table.  Define your goals, execute your plan to achieve those goals and stay engaged and service your customers.

What is your answer?

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