One of the challenges we took on when first launching our WWW site was deciding how often we were going to blog; it’s a decision each of our author clients face as well. When we settled on an every-other-day schedule, blogging on odd days (because, well, we writers are an ODD lot!), we knew it wouldn’t always be easy. But it has been fun, and rewarding when we hear so many kind comments from readers.
Yet no matter the challenge, it was time to practice what we were preaching: A regular blog schedule keeps your site in motion, gives fans a reason to stop by, and increases engagement. And as prevailing social marketing wisdom proves again and again, engagement is what agents and editors are looking for, and engagement is what converts casual fans to reading customers. Nothing engages readers more than regular blog posts, especially when you’re taking the time to share those sites through your various social media channels.
Figuring that a picture is still worth a thousand words these days, I decided to head over to Google Analytics and take a snapshot of recent traffic patterns during the last several weeks, which is shown below. Each blue dot represents a day. The “up” dots are days we release a blog; the “down” dots represent the traffic on our site on “non-blog” days. Get the picture?
We realize that deciding on a blog schedule can seem daunting, and that sticking to the schedule can feel like an uphill climb. And you don’t want to blog for four days straight and then disappear for a month. (Readers are fickle; they will forget about you.) So, if you can’t blog daily or three times a week, aim for weekly and stay consistent. Committing to a regular schedule and sticking to it WILL increase your traffic, which WILL lead to more book-buying readers.
It really is that simple… and that hard. But we can tell you that clients who stick to their blogging schedule ARE experiencing results — increased numbers of fans, more engagement, increased interest from other bloggers and reviewers, and yes, more book sales!
How often do you blog, and has it increased your engagement with readers?
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Looks like I’m the slacker here… I only blog once a week and publish on Sundays. But I find that often my blog posts get read on Tuesday, Wednesdays…I know this from posted comments. I have found it gratifying to hear that people actually wait for my posts and look forward to them. A friend in Florida commented “That’s how I know it’s Sunday! When I get the email saying that you’ve posted.” My Alexa number keeps decreasing, so it must be working for me this way.
And also no doubt lends credibility to you as a serious author! Keep up the great work as I know it’s getting you the attention of other bloggers and review sites!
I’ve been blogging every Sunday for over a year. What worked for me was finding something I found FUN to do– I write a silly poem (Refuse to let it take more than an hour) about anything and everything once a week. Since my mysteries are funny, I think this adds to the humor of my “brand”?? Just this week I started a guest poet spot on Wednesdays. I HOPE other writers will like this idea and want to join in the fun, and I hope their fans and readers will then be drawn over to my website, books, etc. One problem I have already encountered is I have a person who has sent me 2 poems that I personnally don’t find funny, and in fact find a wee bit offensive. So I need to refuse them–tricky. And I need to make the rules very clear about the G-rated aspect of this! A problem I did not foresee. On a postive note, I am getting some interest from readers and writers already with the guest blog idea. Time will tell… Sorry for the long post. This topic is really on my mind this week!
I started blogging three years ago, five times a week and kept this up until I sold my first book. Since then, I’ve cut the schedule to three times a week. Apart from occasional holiday breaks, I’ve kept this schedule for two and a half years.
I enjoy the discipline and the conversation that comes with it.
Excellent work! The discipline is a great point, too Caroline as it really does keep you paying attention to your site and potential readers.