At some point along the way I decided that I would post to this blog on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
My reasoning was this:
- I don’t need to post every day. Period. That’s too much stress.
- Mondays are pretty good traffic days. Everyone is getting back to work.
- Wednesday is when the Art Biz Insider newsletter comes out and I need the corresponding blog post published simultaneously. You should subscribe here if you don’t already.
- I like to have a post featured for at least a couple of days, so Deep Thought Thursday wasn’t working well for me since it meant my Wednesday post would be at top for just 24 hours.
- A Friday post could get extra weekend traffic and tie me over until Monday. So I dropped the “Thursday” and moved Deep Thoughts to Fridays without much notice.
Why Am I Posting On Tuesday?
1
I’m writing on a Tuesday because I missed yesterday’s post.
I am lousy with Monday posts. I’ve been liking time off on weekends more and more. And I haven’t been good at writing posts early and in batches, as Cynthia Morris recommends in our fabulous audio program Stress-Free Blogging. (It really is stress-free if you DO the work.)
If I can’t post on Monday, I’ll have to post on Tuesday.
I Might Change My Mind
As you’ll find out in tomorrow’s post (stick around!) I like to test and tweak things. Constantly. And you should, too.
The world changes and you change. You have to pay attention to what works and what doesn’t work.
Be wary of rigid schedules – especially if they’re not working.
Marcus Sheridan at The Sales Lion writes, “When I hear brand new bloggers talk about set posting schedules I can’t help but to crack a little smile, especially for the ones that think they’re going to post every day.”
I feel the same. Every time an artist tells me they’re going to reboot their flailing blog with daily posts, I challenge their commitment. “Why don’t you start with just a weekly post and then see what develops?” They seem greatly relieved. Why apply all of that unnecessary pressure?
Sheridan further offers this advice (summarized/edited here):
- Allow your schedule to change.
- Do not set a blogging schedule just because someone else told you it was a good idea.
- There is no truth in the statement , ‘XYZ niche bloggers should post at least X times per week’.
- Have some fun, will ya?!!
I love #4. If you don’t enjoy it, you won’t be any good at it.
Do you have a blogging schedule? How has it worked for you? How has it evolved?
19 thoughts on “Why Am I Blogging On A Tuesday?”
Well funny thing is I never noticed which days you blogged, I just know if the topic interests me I read. Sometimes I might not catch the post online (twitter or fb), then I received it in email which I am so glad to subscribe to and I can read it on any day.
I find it odd to rt on a Friday those blogs titled wordless Wednesday, lol. I personally blog inconsistently in regard to days of the week, however frequently enough to be consistent.
Again I will say I appreciate you Alyson. You’ve made such a difference in my life, THANK YOU!
Thank you, Robin. I doubt anyone else pays attention to my blogging schedule. I’m just so grateful you return. You’re a blessing.
Somebody said “Never apologize for not posting.” Oh! that was you! Thank you! It is so demeaning and boring when people do that. These words got me thinking yesterday about when to post when not to post and this post has me see that, thank goodness, most people probably do not notice when I post. Yay!
I am hearing that posting 3x a week is a great idea and I can have some wiggle room about when those days are! Sometimes I’m itching to get a post out and it is time sensitive so I post Thursday instead of Friday, but then I don’t want to use my time writing even another post Yeee Haw!
Susan: Yes! And notice that I didn’t apologize. 😉 I used the opportunity to explore the bigger issue.
One thing I know: The more often you post, the better results you will have – unless your posts are really lame. I think having a minimum goal is good – then you can add posts and over-deliver to your audience.
Without a minimum goal (at the LOW end), a lot of artists would never blog.
I do not have a blogging schedule per say…but I have a painting schedule….so as soon as I finish a painting I do a blog about it… which happens atleast twice a week….I also post about my classes and new shows…. so there is no pressure……its just a medium to share my work….
As a regular blogger myself, I did notice the shift! I’m totally in agreement with you, Allison, to the last detail.
I have 2 blogs because I have 2 professional lives and in order to make that work I had to set a schedule for myself. Mine, too, shifted days and for the very same reason, Monday sucks as a day for me to do anything. I’ve often been traveling over the week-end before and am trying to get my lie back in order or it’s a long week-end and everyone’s got Monday off and I’m not paying attention, thinking it’s still Sunday and blogging on Tuesday anyway
…so, Tuesday it became and I took it from there.
Neither of my blogs is about art per se, though on my main site I do get into it on occasion. My art is directed at a very specific audience, one that is spiritually/personal growth oriented and those are the things that I mostly blog about. It works for me and for my audience.
I subscribe to only two blogs, both are related to art marketing, one of them is linked to a gallery that carries my work, the other is yours. Invaluable! Thank you.
I don’t have a blogging schedule but I do end up posting just about every day. My blog gives me a reason to paint or do something art related every day. It is just a part of my routine. It holds me accountable. If I don’t paint then I will have nothing to post about! And for me it is the daily painting practice that is the most important to my growth as an artist. I consider my blog my studio assistant….always pushing me to paint and learn new things to share with my readers!
Hi Alyson – thanks for this post. Some weeks I post every day, others once a week. My blog is called Notes On Art: Interviews, Influences and In The Studio. As you may remember, I am in grad school right now to obtain my MFA. I consider my blog as a part of my art practice.
I recently had a tough conversation/critique with one of my professors at school about my blog. In a nutshell, she felt that I was posting too often, that there was not enough research in my posts, and that because I post too often she considers it junk advertising – she even compared me to Orchard Supply Hardware!
I wrote a post in response to her “suggestions.” http://suzannegibbs.com/building-community/an-artists-blog-can-be-good-for-you/
I AM SO GLAD to have my on-line supporters (like you) or a critique like the one I had a few weeks ago would have completely derailed me!
I am really glad for your consistency in getting information to us, sometimes what you say reminds me of directions I want to take with my art other times your content is not something I need at the time. Either way, thanks for setting a good example! Suzanne
I used to feel that I HAD to post three times per week. Often I do, but I’ve lost that “HAD” feeling and kind of go with the flow. I love to dedicate a day to the blog, gather up ideas and images and then schedule them to post a couple times a week over a several week period. They are there and the pressure is off. What I find is that in between those sessions there always are new thoughts, ideas, events, etc. that need to be blogged about as well, those I use to “fill in” and most weeks it ends up being three times per week anyhow, but without the pressure.
I decided early on that I would post once a week on Mondays. I’ve stuck to this quite religiously for about five years now, and on the rare occasion when I don’t get a post done, usually due to technical difficulties with the platform, I hear about it the next day from my small in number but apparently alert readers. I know myself well enough to realize that if I went for random or “whenever” posts, I’d never get around to doing them. Once a week isn’t too onerous (although sometimes it feels that way) and by sticking to a schedule I actually do get it done.
I’ve been trying to post three times a week on my panda cartoon blog ( http://yourbrainonpandas.com ) and having the post for the following week ready by the weekend has definitely helped my workflow. I do 2 new cartoons a week (Monday and Wednesday) and an “encore presentation” on Fridays. My fine art blog, I’m trying to post every Tuesday, and then I have another blog for a local event that happens annually that I don’t start posting on till around April. Whew. Also doing some guest posting, and still (hoping) to find time to do some actual painting.
I generally post daily, sometimes more than once if something happens or I finish something. I have a quilt following and a dog following so they related to diffent things that happen. I guess they sort themselves out,I could not maintain TWO blogs! LOL. I can get lost sitting here in front of hte computer and not working in the studio!
And like others before me here, I tune in to you as you post, rather than “expect” a post from you on a schedule.
I post based on what art I am producing which is base on weekly goals. My posts are about paintings and dye painted fabrics so whatever my goals are for my art work leads to the number of posts I do for the week.
I did not notice the day shift, to be honest. Possibly because I don’t necessarily read them the day they come out. As for my own blog, it is on hiatus while I assimilate the habit of publishing my enewsletter on the 14th and 28th of every month. If I don’t follow this schedule my very crazy life will take over and the eNewsletter will disappear.
I posted 3x a week, Mon, Wed, Fri, for several years..until it seemed a burden. I read your post, Alyson, to evaluate and re-evaluate what works. I cut back to 2x a week- mon and wed, with a bonus friday post if I’m so moved. That seems doable for now, it’s back to being fun.
Never wanted to be a writer, but being able to clearly articulate my intentions in writing has really helped my art and my career. Writing reflects my thoughts back to me and bring focus to my intentions. A good circle.
Nice post Alyson. I think it sets one’s self up for more success to be flexible, like you are doing. I used to have an all or nothing attitude – which hasn’t worked out. For example, I am going to get up and run every day – which doesn’t pan out.. Instead, I find that running one day in the morning, having tennis another evening and this ala carte approach is more realistic. I see parallels to this in social media. Currently,I don’t post as often as I’d like, but I really try to make sure my post’s content resonates with my subscribers.
Alyson, I love your post—consistency without pressure. And then I can change my mind.
I have been pretty consistent about my blog posts for the last year or so, but it usually is whenever I finish a painting and have some information to share about it (same as Sandhya). However in the past few I’ve taken to creating more in-depth posts of my works, and will likely explore specific topics too. I’m realizing that its a more conversational thing – I’m telling stories about the creation of the work, where I was, who I was with. It feels richer than just posting and describing the new work.
Thanks for a great post. I still struggle a bit with writing consistently. I seem to fair better when I post on Monday mornings. And you are right about having fun. For awhile I was obsessed about writing the perfect post. Now I’m learning just to write and enjoy the moment.