Not long ago I was blogging five to seven days a week. Just the thought of it now makes me want coffee, or wine, or both.
After a major case of blogging burnout, I decided the first thing I needed to do was blog less.
I began posting three to four days a week and quickly saw the benefits of my decision:
1. I am never out of ideas. Before reducing my days, there were nights I would sit at the computer completely blank but feeling that I had to post something. I scoured the web for prompts, racked my brain for something to share and even asked my husband for ideas (I know, can you believe it?). Now that I only blog three days a week, the pressure is off and I have a never-ending list of topics in my draft folder.
2. I have more time to read other blogs. This is one of the key ways I have maintained my previous levels of traffic. I have made it a priority to network with new bloggers, find new writers who inspire me and expand my interactions in social media.
3. My posts are of better quality. Blogging less frequently gives me more time to put into each post. I give more thought to what I write about and have had more positive feedback over the last few months than I ever received when blogging daily.
4. Readers are more engaged. Do you read every post written by every one of the bloggers you follow? Unless blog-reading is your full time job and you do not eat or sleep, the answer is most likely no. I love bloggers who only blog a few days a week because I know that I can read everything they write and I don’t feel like I have missed any part of a continuing story they may be telling.
5. I have more time to explore other areas of social media. When I reduced my schedule I made it a point to learn new aspects of social media that I did not have time for in the past. I spent time reading excellent posts on Medium and finding new ideas on Pinterest. I began using Clicky for an in depth, easy to understand analysis of my stats and use Google Analytics when I’m brave enough to think I might understand something over there. I feel much more informed in the social media world. Best of all, utilizing these tools has also helped maintain my stats even though I blog less.
6. The guilt is gone. I have found SO much more balance in my life when it comes to family, blogging, writing and social media. I do not feel as pressed to keep up with everything in the blog world. I have more time to respond to comments and visit the blogs of those who read my posts, I can watch mindless television with my husband at night and my kids don’t go straight to the computer room when they are looking for Mommy anymore.
Ultimately, blogging is about relationships and writing for me and doing less has made me better at both.
How many days a week do you blog? Are you thinking about making a change?