I never recommend blogging everyday.  I suggested once a week at most, actually most of my clients blog once a month, twice at the most.  But, my suggestion is when you do blog, pick out several topics in advanced and whichever you don’t use, use the next time.  (hope this helps! ) 

@lorigama — this is also true, I guess there is more then one way? I think maybe my suggestion applies for when you have a newsletter, since you don’t want to always be sending out an email daily.  I would also be interested in an accountability group.  

@lorigama ah, what do I blog about….well, I’m working on a post now, and you can check out a few things on http://marketing4traffic.blogspot.com/.  I don’t have much, since I’ve just started my business, and am focusing on clients, but this year one of my business resolutions was to add LOTS of blog content…so I’ve been reading up on it  What’s your blog? 

@lorigama @erikdeckers  Certainly I am not the best at consistency, I have a full time job and sometimes when I get home, blogging doesn’t quite make it onto the list, and almost never does on the weekend when I have my son. But If you read through the forum here, the going consensus is two to three times a week (for a full time blogger perhaps?) the rest of your time being taken up with various social media activities and what not. In fact here is a post (to thread in this forum) about the daily stuff to do.

Hope that helps.

@lorigama I suggest my clients set aside a block of time (once a week or once a month, depending on how frequently they want to post) then write about one general theme the entire time. They stay focused and the finished content is then ready to be divided into articles, blog posts, fresh Web site content, etc.

Gosh, you guys and gals are awesome! Thank you for your wise tips! I am tingling with delight…@DevaniAnjali: I will check out your blog and remember: we have a pact to hold each other accountable.  My blog is http://DaGamaWebStudio.com/blog

@ErikDeckers: Wonderful, wonderful advice, Erik! So glad that resulted in a blog post for you. I did the same thing when I posted a detailed response in the Small Business forum here, I thought: jeesh, I put a lot of time and effort into that forum reply so I think I’ll turn it into a blog post. And I think that is the secret to being efficient and more visible: recycle, re-post your content; and respond to other blogs via the comments. 

@glengorham: Thanks, Glen! It must be really challenging to write when you are the dad of a little one. I remember those days. When my son’s 2-hour nap was like having a whole day – I got SO much done during his nap. I will read that post you linked and let you know what I thought of it. Thanks.

@debbielynnava: That’s great advice, Debbie. That would help me a lot when I know I have a packed week of meetings and production work. That’s how I ended up writing my eBook: blocking out time, once per week. I went to the library every Sunday until I got it done. I loved it there. So quiet.

@melissaagnes Keeping a list is a great idea. I remember reading in Gary Vaynerchuk’s Crust It book a few years ago that if you can write down 50 topics to blog about, you’ll be able to give birth to a great blog. (I’m extremely paraphrasing him.) I do want to guest post more this year than ever before. Thanks!

I am curious to find out what @kristi-hines suggests and what she thinks of all of your suggestions. I bet she will be really proud of you all!

@lorigama  Also try writing multiple posts in one sitting. It makes things a lot easier if you have a couple posts waiting in the queue. And I agree with @devanianjal, don’t blog everyday. People tend to ignore, and even get annoyed at, seeing new posts everyday. Seth Godin is the only person I know who can pull off posting everyday

@MarkOetjens That’s good advice, Mark! Recently, I wrote a really long newsletter, which was emailed out at midnight last night and I was thinking of breaking it up into individual blog posts and adding more details to the individual posts. Your advice is in alignment with that. Thanks!

@ptwylie Excellent, excellent advice in that article you linked us to! I love how Thomas Clifford, the writer of the post, advises us how to do an interview post but then says: “Can this process work when you don’t have anyone to interview? Yes! Interview yourself!” (I paraphrased there). Thank you, Paul!

What’s an accountability group?

I am willing to give it a try. Ideas need a chance! Thanks, Judy

One way to write something everyday is to have find other blogs and websites and blog about posts on the other sites. The important thing is to give your own thoughts on the other sites post and to link to the other post (keep from copying and pasting all of the other post and only quote sections that make sense with your thoughts). This has worked well for me on my blogs. (you can see some of these types of posts at http://ajaxonomy.com)

@lorigama

Blogging every day is quite overwhelming. 3 times a week is perfect! It gives you time to recharge and gather content.  Be sure to create a blogging calendar and enlist guest bloggers and writers.  By doing so, you wont have to stress out about not having enough content.

@LoriGama This is the best tip I have found (so far) from Problogger ..
1. Look at the last 5 posts you wrote
2. Add them to a Mindmapping tool like Bubbl.us or Freemind
3. Brainstorm 6 topics that spin off each of the ones you have already written .. you will be amazed what springs to your mind ..”10 Ways To XYZ” “How To XYZ” or perhaps a series on a topic
4. Then you will have 6 (spin offs) x 5 (blog posts) = 30 Content Ideas in less than hour with no pressure.
I aim at blogging twice a week ..  hope that helps !!

Lori,

for business people just starting out, then just once a week can seem an overwhelming task, but that’s the level I’d start at.

After you get used to the discipline of regular posting then increase it gradually to build up to 4 or 5 posts a week.

I know it’s a big ask, that’s why it’s important to have as many people on your staff writing blog posts as possible, so that it shares the burden.

The thing about blogging everyday is that it achieves a number of things.

1:It’s continually feeding the search engines and your social media outlets fresh content everyday, and search engines love that.

2: Once you’ve written the content it keeps working for you from an SEO perspective forever. So, for example, if you write 5 posts a week for a year you’ll have 250 pieces of content out there working for you. If your competitors only do one a week, you’ll have 200 more pieces of content working the search engines than they do.

3: The activity will eventually get you noticed. EG If you’re promoting your posts via Linkedin, G+, FB, Twitter etc people will see your name everyday and associate it with whatever your writing about. Eventually they will go “Oh Yeah, Lori she knows all about…”

4: People forget. Sometimes I can’t remember half the things I read yesterday, so if I see another post from someone it’s like “Oh yeah, that guy I’ll give him a call.”

5: People are lazy. Related to the above, rather than go trolling thru my address book to find somebody, if there’s a recent post in my inbox, social media feeds, then it’s easier to contact that person. EG I don’t have to think.”Who do I know who does x?”

So these are some of the benefits of blogging everyday. It’s a medium to long term game, with most blog guru’s saying it takes between 1-2 years before you see the benefits.

Hope that all helps.

@lorigama When I launched Social Media DIY Workshop 2.5 years ago, I posted every day and kept up that pace for more than 6 months. It was exhausting! But it established the credibility of me and my business by showcasing my work at a faster pace. Not to mention the SEO benefits which I still get today.

I created an editorial calendar so I knew the combination of topics for the site. I thought about the site visitors and creating variety and interest by changing topic every day. When I would write, I’d do three articles at a time and they were usually about a similar topic. So I’d post date them in WordPress for publication in the future. This let me define the customer experience of my blog while letting me write in the way that best suits my writing moods.

I never published anything that didn’t meet my standards just because I had to publish each day. I think the standard should be quality, not quantity. Your readers will read a clunker and never get that bad taste from their mouth. If you look carefully, you will see an occasional day that I missed exactly for that reason.

The greatest benefit I found from writing a post a day was the learning experience for me. I’ve been a blogger since the mid-90s (before the word “blog” was invented) but it had been a while since I had been so disciplined and focused around a single topic. I learned a lot! And what I learned became part of the core of my business and myself as a blogger today.

Good luck to you!

Evening all I’m a newbie…I am trying to get my head around how to blog. I have been advised to blog at least once every fortnight but I haven’t first clue of how to do it….arghhh! I’ve a couple of questions
1) how long does a blog have to be?

2) can you bring another blog into your own?

Below are my pages – and I would love your input or suggestion PLEASE!

http://soul-scribe.com/

http://the-green-house.ie/

Hi @lorigama I use an editorial calendar and each day of the week is a different topic or goal. I also write a ton of article titles and summaries. That way I can pick and choose each day vs. getting writers block. 

Best,Monique