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“Am I over blogging?”
“Am I writing too many blogs?”
“Should I write about the same topic over and over again?”
These are some of the most commonly asked questions we get from our clients when it comes to content marketing and article writing.
According to recent statistics, there are around 4.4 million new blog posts being published every day across many different platforms. This is fantastic! Why? Because the more articles and blogs there are, the more information people can find to slate their content lust! (your customers are hunting for it every day, after all).
Is your brand voice part of this? Or are you remaining silent while your competitors are being found?
Perhaps you’re on the other side of the spectrum where you’re wondering: am I producing too much? Wow! Go you.
Right – so let’s discuss how often you should create new written content and address the worry that you may be “over blogging” once and for all.
Content marketing – your customers have a craving for you!
Think about your daily routine.
You check LinkedIn. You Google questions. You search for information. You ask Siri for an answer. You read up on the latest trends.
You’re even here looking at this article!
You’re not alone. All of these behaviours are powered by written blogs.
So, as part of any robust content marketing strategy, you can see why adding new content on a regular basis is vital to getting your brand seen by the people who matter – especially now in today’s very competitive landscape.
Yeah yeah you get it. So, you get to work. You’re pumping out blogs and articles like crazy! Excellent. But then the thought crosses your mind:
I’ve already written about some of these topics. How many times do I have to answer them? I think I may be over blogging!
Let’s put this to bed right now.
There’s NO such thing as “over blogging.”
Why?
Because the more you’re out there, the more you get found.
Also, people search in different ways. The more blogs you have covering a specific topic, the more chances that you’ll be the answer.
That’s what content marketing is all about, after all! Let’s explain this further.
What is over blogging?
It’s one of the biggest FEARS that many businesses have – thinking they’re creating too many blogs.
We get it! Each article takes time, money and resources.
This fear stems from the fact that it can seem wasteful to produce many types of content that may seem to overlap. However, the actual opposite is true.
As an example, we at Melotti Media have produced many different blogs that have the same topic but are written in a slightly different way. That is because people usually search for things on Google in different ways.
They seem similar, don’t they?
They are. However, they are different enough to match a specific search query and customer type. So, we write them!
This is NOT over blogging. This is smart blogging!
By producing more content, even on similar topics, you are essentially casting a wider net out into the ocean of customers. The more you communicate with your audiences in different ways, the higher the chance you’ll reach a wider audience and convert more leads.
At Melotti Media, we even turn these written blogs into podcasts! That way, we’re casting the net out even wider for different audience preferences.
For more information, read 5 ways to get more out of your blogs.
Is there an ideal blog post frequency?
This is the million-dollar question we get often asked by many business owners.
Everyone wants the exact magical formula to know how often they should produce blogs for their business. However, the answer to this question depends on a business’ unique end goal.
How often do you want to be found by your customer? If it’s more, then more blogs! Simple.
Keep in mind that every blog is different, with its own goals, audience and niche – all of which should be considered when determining your ideal blogging schedule. In some competitive industries that are evolving, it is highly important to produce blogs more often, such as four to six times a week!
For instance, the finance and real estate industries have updates extremely often. There’s always something to talk about.
In contrast, some evergreen industries where information doesn’t change frequently can usually withstand producing less but quality content. Take, for example, basic manufacturing or animal care perhaps?
What’s a rule of thumb with blog topics and frequency?
However, it’s safe to say that, when it comes to blogging, so long as you’re writing quality articles that are on-topic and relevant to your key audiences, then there’s NO such thing as over blogging.
There’s your answer. Done.
But I can’t dedicate so many resources to churning out blogs!
Right? You’re not a media company.
It’s then all about balance.
Blogging frequency requires experimenting with different strategies to learn what works for your business and what can be sustained. It also demands a deep understanding of your key audience and how they consume your content to ensure you’re producing enough blogs that are high quality and value-adding.
And don’t forget, the benefits of blogging are gained by aligning your content strategy with your marketing objectives and business goals.
How to produce blogs more efficiently and timely
Every piece of content that you produce can take countless hours and immeasurable effort.
With the overwhelming number of blogs posted on different platforms every day, it takes a strong content strategy to make sure you stand out. An integral part of that strategy is figuring out how to produce blogs in a more efficient and timely manner.
Here are our 7 tips:
1. Identify your content marketing goals.
Without a content marketing strategy and clear goals in mind, most blogs typically end up just throwing content on the wall to see what sticks.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What is my purpose in producing these blogs?
- Build reputation? Increase client referrals?
- Boost email subscriptions?
- Improve organic traffic?
To determine how often you should be posting, it’s important to think in a goal-focused way. If your goal is to create a trending piece of content for an upcoming product or service release, your blog should be used to deliver supporting information and generate buzz that can be carried through your social media posts.
On the other hand, if you’re aiming to add more long-term readers, it is essential to build consistency, making posting more frequently a no-brainer.
2. Know your resources.
When deciding how often to write blogs, you also need to think about your available resources to actually get it done. Arguably, the number one deciding factor is the size of your team and their capacity to create valuable content on a consistent basis.
Even if you’re a team of five or six, asking everyone to keep up with a non-stop blog schedule could lead to burnout. Before finalising a posting schedule, look at who you have on your team and determine how much each person can contribute. You can also seek help from a trusted copywriting and message marketing agency like Melotti Media to help you with your industry-related content without exhausting your resources.
3. Leverage different channels where you can produce your content.
“How do I distribute my blogs and when should I publish them?”
Another important factor in how often you should post is how you market your content.
In today’s technologically-advanced world, people are looking for different ways to consume content that aligns with their preferences. Some like to read blogs or watch videos comfortably on their phones while others love to listen to podcasts while they’re doing other stuff like cleaning their house or doing the dishes.
Social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn are a rented space with millions of bloggers constantly hitting the publish button. In order to maximise your potential reach and stay on top of your content marketing timeline, you have to be prepared to post more often.
On the other hand, publishing on your own website allows you to adopt a patient and methodical schedule. Search engine optimisation (SEO) is foundational to this approach, so take the time to increase each post’s visibility online.
4. Familiarise yourself with your audience and their pattern behaviours.
Before you produce a blog, you should have a good idea of who your blog’s audience will be. If you still don’t know your key audience, stop what you’re doing and figure that out ASAP!
How well you know your audience determines the quality of your articles. Have a deep understanding of your current readers’ behaviour and identify how they interact with information online. If they enjoy reading and are actively engaged with your blog, publishing 3-4 weekly posts can be your goal.
5. Maintain consistency.
If you want to build a readership or a subscriber base, consistency matters.
This is a critical factor because many of your regular blog readers will be looking for new posts from you, and when they don’t find them, they will assume that your blog is not that important to you and will quickly lose interest.
Be sure to include seasonal topics (where appropriate) to your blog.
Another great source of relevant blog topics is from your current customers themselves. Take note of the most common questions you are getting about your product or industry and write a post around them.
6. Track your traffic channels.
The best thing you can do to find your blog frequency sweet spot is to keep on tracking your metrics.
Study your Google Analytics regularly for changes in audience engagement and conversions. If you increase your blogging frequency from once a month to twice monthly, do you notice a difference? And what happens if you cut back on posting?
In most cases where you increase posting frequency, you’ll likely see a jump in traffic and engagement. But that may not be true for every blog and every audience, so mind your metrics and adjust accordingly.
7. As always, quality over quantity (but quantity too!)
Although the numbers seem to show that blog post quantity outweighs quality, it’s not necessarily one or the other that’s going to make your blog successful. It’s more of a balancing act between the two.
A high posting frequency is beneficial if you consistently create high-quality new content for your audience. Finding the right balance for your blog can be challenging, and it can change based on promotions, special events, or other time-sensitive factors.
Keep in mind that informative, valuable content is more likely to be shared by your readers. This means more shares can lead to more views of the post leading to better search rankings.
Blogging is essential to content marketing, and producing quality posts remains a key component of any strategy
While there’s no specific answer to the question, “How often should I produce new content?”, always keep in mind that there’s no such thing as over blogging!
People search the internet in different ways. So, the more options you provide, the more the chance you’ll be found.
What’s important is finding the right balance between maintaining quantity without sacrificing quality by analysing your audience’s behaviour, and identifying the amount of content they consume and the ways they read it.
Finally, fresh content is appreciated, but good content doesn’t expire – if you optimise for search and write for readability, there’s a great opportunity for success long after the blog has been published.
For more information, read why refreshing old content is necessary.
How can Melotti Media help?
Like us, we understand that you want to achieve business success – and a powerful way is using content marketing (with lots of blogs!).
However, you may find that you’re time-poor and spread thin or you still have a lot of unanswered questions.
You don’t need to worry!
At Melotti Media, we can assist with all your content marketing and copywriting needs while you focus on what matters most to you – growing your business.
Let’s start earning the results your business deserves!
To speak to your trusted message marketers and copywriters, email us at enquire@melottimedia.com.au
We can sharpen your words to achieve your goals today!
The Melotti Media Team
Melotti Media | Copywriting & Message Marketing Bureau
www.melottimedia.com.au
