Let’s play a game of the imagination.
I want you to imagine into existence what your favorite TV show would be like. Imagine the story, the actors, everything.
Now, imagine that they stream a new episode every Monday at 7 pm. They do so, without fail, week after week. You can’t wait for Monday to arrive, so you can watch next week’s episode.
Now, at some point, they start misbehaving.
They stop releasing a new episode for a couple of weeks, then they release two episodes on the following Friday. Nothing for a couple of weeks again, and one episode on Sunday at 3 am, but on a different streaming platform.
They don’t even let anyone know about it.
Also, more surprisingly, is that they have changed the plot, the actors, and the style in which the show is filmed.
My question is, how pissed would you be because of this?
Well, that’s how much consistency matters.
Consistency Matters to You
Consistency matters because it allows you to:
- Build a daily routine around blogging.
- Become more effective and productive.
- Develop a distinct writing style.
- Become aware of the recurring themes you most enjoy writing about.
If I were to give you a piece of advice on blogging, writing, life, love, money, getting in top physical shape, or anything else, it would be this: it is more important to be consistent, and by definition, persistent, than it is to be anything else.
That being said, the vast majority of people are not going to become so obsessed with blogging from the very start that this will propel them until it becomes a habit.
Which takes me to my main point: you need to focus on being consistent in order for blogging to become a habit. The act of writing your posts, doing the necessary research, interacting with your audience, and all that.
If all you can do is a post a month, that’s okay.
If all you can do is a post a day, that’s okay. Or two posts a day. Or whatever.
I am a big fan of simply putting a great volume of work out there, which increases the chances of getting noticed but also improves your skill significantly, and it’s a great tool for those of us who have been born with patience deficiency.
At the same time, however, I am well aware that it’s more important to develop a rhythm that can be sustained over long periods of time.
So you have to think about how often you write and publish content without going crazy. Or neglecting your family or job or both. You need to think real hard about it, because it is so damn important.
Consistency Matters to Them
Being consistent means being predictable.
It means that your audience knows when to expect new content. Your audience knows exactly what type of content they can expect from you.
If you switch topics over and over again, if you change your writing style, the way you format your articles, even the type of articles you write (be it long essays or how-to guides or listicles), then you are going to struggle to build an audience.
The neat psychological gimmick is that as you develop the habit of blogging according to a certain schedule, so do your readers develop the habit of visiting your blog according to this schedule to check out the new content.
I once read in a gentlemen’s guide of sorts that one can only cancel a meeting for just one of two reasons:
- They die.
- There’s a natural disaster of sorts.
I’ve applied this rule to my blogging. If I’m breathing and the earth is not being shattered to smithereens around me, I punch the damn keys.
Focus on consistency and quality at the same time. One is king, the other is queen.
And just like in the game of chess, the king determines whether you win or lose, but the queen is the one that protects the king.
Consistency is indeed required. A great post with a great example in the beginning. Love it..
Thank you.
This is so true. Consistency is the key to forming and keeping a community. The more consistent you are, the better you connect.
It is true, that we should at least stay consistent. My blogging schedule is kinda out of whack since I’m also busy applying for a job and freelancing, but most of the time I write on weekdays and post it at 5 pm in my local time. I feel like that’s when people usually look for news or articles after they’re done with their daily routines like studies and work so I figure that’s when I offer them something to tell to take off their minds of their business for a while
I never bothered to figure out the best hours to post content. After all, if you have a global audience, there isn’t a perfect time to please everyone.
But posting according to your own schedule makes sense. When would you most want to read some blogs? Maybe that’s when one should schedule their own posts to go live.
I tried to be consistent when I began my blog, but with time, I sort of lost the rhythm.
And now, I can’t even blog because I don’t have a system or phone to blog with.
But when I get back, I intend to make it one post per week.
Reblogged this on PlanetDynamo.
I have a combination of posts that I thought of earlier in the week so are scheduled and inspiration that suddenly strikes so the amount of posts per week varies. This also depends on what interesting content I have found recently. I wrote a post on both consistency and persistence along with what I believe to be important issues in life, for a blogger and what affects myself. As to timing I have discovered that it’s much easier for me to write early on at the moment and posts are far more likely to be discovered then. There is a lot less activity later on in the day and you get a different set of people checking your blog on the weekend as to the week days. Timing is relevant if you want an instant response but if your post connects with your audience then it doesn’t matter so much as there going to find it anyway. Getting a lot of content out there is good as it keeps you in peoples minds and ensures there attention is kept on yourself. Ensuring the quality of your posts is necessary though as well. Sorry for the long detailed reply but you did ask 😉
it’s a great post and I try to adhere to your precepts; I love your analogy with TV shows; it suddenly all falls into place 🙂
I love this . I used to be the type of blogger who would post one day and go off for weeks but I developed a schedule which I’m keeping up with . I post three times a week and only on weekdays. I don’t blog weekends. I use those time to refresh my mind , read more and do me and prepare for a new week
And did you notice a change in terms of traffic?
I use a free blog, and I can’t say I’m driving traffic to my blog since it’s not yet on search engines but due to my publicity on my social media yes I drive good traffic to my blog and my social media us also growing
A custom domain is a must-have.
I will get mine soon ..thank you
You are so right about establishing a rhythm. I try to post tow days a week, Tuesday and Thursday, at the same time and schedule them out a week ahead so I have more time to create new posts. If I have a productive week I may post bonus material on other days or the weekend, but at a minimum I try to maintain the same two days each week. Reposting old posts from years ago also helps me fill a particularly dry week of new material, knowing that many readers may have not seen this earlier content. Thanks for sharing your insight.
Really good. I need to keep up!
I needed to read this. Love it!
Thank you, Amy. I am glad you enjoyed reading this post.
I don’t blog once or twice a week, or on a specific day. I blog when I can.
I monitor my monthly output, and shoot for the number of posts I would have produced, blogging once a week. More is better. I aim to blog every month, and have no gaps.
For me, that’s the current system, as it goes. I can blog 3 days in a row, and then not for weeks. I do have planned future posts, but might randomly write an entirely different post.
I’m consistently somewhat inconsistent, but feel okay with that. 😃💝
I do have a schedule. The people around me do not adhere to it. When there are others around, my concentration is whack. There are so many variables. My goal is to post three times a week, but if the words aren’t there, I’ve decided I can recycle older material, or just leave a photo post. At least I won’t be lost. A while back you said something about people following, but not actually reading the all stuff they follow. I never thought of that at all. I was trying to read every one, every time. Overwhelm! This is where the really good title comes in. I look forward to your posts. Thanks for always showing up.
Well, it’s not like someone is paying you to read all their posts, so…
And, yeah, that’s one of the reasons a great headline is important.
I wasn’t familiar with this idea either but then as I was reading I also found myself doing it as well lol. I find that headings are particularly helpful when scanning through blogs, especially ones that are heavy reading
There are lots of reason for blogging and definitely you’re one of them.😄
Thank you.
Biggest hurdle to this for me is underestimating the amount of research it takes for a given project. That and the fact that it’s pretty much always beautiful outside where I live. Need to start writing in my notebooks like I’ve been meaning too. Pen and paper.
Interesting thoughts.Always a pleasure to read your posts . True regularity in postings articles is the key.Thank you.
Thank you.
I loved it very great post to what I was looking for. Thank you
I don’t stick to a schedule, I try to post at least twice a month. I want to make content that I’m happy with and I’m very nit picky about what I say so I end up not posting it until it’s perfect (in my opinion). My why is I love to write and read and creatively express myself.
I’ll keep this in mind. This is helpful especially for newbie bloggers like me. Thank you!
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, Tina.
I’ve just made my first post. I will try to post one new each week. Consistency is everything in the process!
One every week. Start from there.
Do not say that you will try, but rather that you will do.
That’s it! Thank you!
Guilty as charged… Very useful and informative piece. Thank you, Cristian.
Thank you, Monika.
I try to blog at least once a week, sometimes I do not always do the same day. I think if I had a consistent day it’d be easier for people to know when to expect a post. But sometimes it’s hard to have a set time or to find inspiration!
My why is because I hope to inspire joy, love, and change in the people who read my blog. I hope that whoever reads my posts can take away something and grow. For me, blogging is a way to vent and to connect with others.
What actually keeps me going, although I have a small following, is when people in my community talk to me about my blog or people tell me they read my posts through social media.
Thanks for the great tips! I particularly enjoyed the GIF! Lol, wish I could blog everywhere, anytime anyday, I haven’t quite mastered that yet, like I often require a quite and serene environment for my thought processes to form properly…
Yes, I agree that a schedule is key. Thanks for the encouragement. I’ve lessened my blogging to once a month recently so that I have a little extra time and energy to submit my manuscript to agents, etc.
I have had trouble with consistency with blogging – thanks I am working on using the scheduling functionality to plan ahead.
Great post! I’m in the process of relocating to another state and have definitely lost my rhythm! Thanks for the reminder of how important it is.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Thank you for the tips Christian!
I blogged once per day (sometimes twice) for the month of September and I noticed things at home going by the wayside (laundry anyone?). Not sustainable or good. So I let my readers know in each post last week that I would be dropping my posts to four days per week: Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
As long as you stick to those days, it’s fantastic. Once a week or more often is fantastic. Four times a week is brilliant.
Consistency will sustain you through the lows of writing when you feel like giving up.
Guilty of the crime 😭😭😭
Another great post that speaks to me. It’s crazy when you already know consistency is key but still manage to fall off. I had a schedule in place at first and slowly it fell by the waste side. Maybe I didn’t set a realistic goal as far as creating my schedule especially when blogging isn’t my only focus. Anyway I still love this post, helps to keep me motivated.
i would like to know how many people out there you have turned into serious/ popular bloggers with your wisdom… I am sure you know but saying again – you are a great inspiration
Impossible to answer this question. There are over 30,000 followers on this blog, and I like to believe that a lot of them are inspired and motivated by what I post.
I liked the show analogy!!! Recently read Seymour Hershs “Reporter” and found lots of solid advice/wisdom when it came to how he became such a popular investigative journalist. In one part of the book, he mentioned the legendary I F Stone,and how he worked his a** off doing all the jobs that a typical newspaper has a team of people doing with his I F Stone weekly.
Sy Hersh also went on to saying that Stone mentioned to him once, “Read, read, and read some more before you write.” And I want to take that same approach before making posts, as it will help be better informed in my writing. It will help me not make any false assumptions, which is common in todays news.
Thank you for your encouragement. I struggle with consistency. You have been a great source of encouragement.
Thank you for reading! And I am glad that my post encouraged you to punch those damn keys.
One of the best blog,I read in recent days, you are awesome 👏
Wow..heading of this blog post merely enough to explain everything.Anyway, it is wake up post✌️