I set a goal to post on my personal blog every day in January. So far I’ve been able to do this. I didn’t set any boundaries or rules for what I had to write, how long it had to be, etc. All I have to do is write something that I’m willing to post and share it…every day for a month.
When I complete this month of blogging I will have doubled the number of posts on this site. Even though I’ve had this blog for a few years, I didn’t post regularly. Now that I’m a couple weeks in to this “challenge” I just wanted to share a few of the pros and cons that I’ve come across.
Pros of Blogging Every Day
- Writing Gets Easier: As writing has become a daily habit, I’m able to put my thoughts into words much faster. This has translated well to my blogging for work as well. The more I write, the better I get at the actually process of writing. I am improving my productivity and my actual content.
- Better Connections with Readers: I don’t get a ton of traffic to this site, but posting often gives people a reason to come back to my blog. As I dive into more topics I’m able to relate to readers and start conversations more easily.
- New Blog Post Ideas: Just because I know I’m going to have to write a blog post tomorrow, I’m constantly coming up with new things to write about. I have a long list in my Notes app of potential blog posts titles and topics.
- Allows for Trying New Topics: When I post “every so often” (which usually ends up being one every six months) I tend to stick to the same topic over and over again. When I blog every day I’m able to discuss a range of topics, so I haven’t gotten bored of writing yet.
- More Visitors To My Site: It’s pretty common for websites and social media accounts to get a spike in views/traffic right when they post. When I post every day I get to see the small bump in views every day. I’m already on track to have the best month ever as far as views go on this site. I’m excited to see how much I can grow just from posting every day.
Cons of Blogging Every Day
- Run Out of “Good” Ideas: When I first started writing every day, I already had a few posts in mind. However, now that I’ve posted those blogs I sometimes feel like now my ideas are second-rate. I think this feeling can be helpful, because it forces me to come up with new “good” ideas. However, I still sometimes feel like I’ve already covered the topics that I want to write about. The truth is, I just need to keep writing.
- Quality May Suffer: When I’m posting daily I get the sense that today’s post isn’t that important because tomorrow will bring a new post. I’ve justified lowering my standards because I’m prioritizing posting every day, but if I want to run a successful blog I need to focus on delivering quality content. I want people to find value in the words I’m sharing, so I need to make sure I’m following through with that promise.
- Less Time for Long (1500+ word) Posts: I’ve written some longer blog posts in a single day, and I’ll likely include some longer posts on this site later this month. Writing a fully developed and researched blog post that is over 1500 words can easily take a few hours. I’m writing here after a full day of writing for work, so I don’t have a ton of time to devote to this blog right now. Daily posting is a good habit, but it shouldn’t get in the way of creating amazing content.
Thank you all for reading my blog. If you have any writing tips for me, send them my way on Twitter.