Blog All at Once or a Little at a Time

If you update your blog on a daily basis (or other regular basis) do you like to write all at one or every day? One of the cool features about most blogging software is that you can schedule a post to appear at a later time and date. You can also simply write ahead and store posts for the day when you just have nothing to say.

All At Once

There are some advantages to doing a week’s worth of blogs all in one day. You can get into “blog mode” and will be able to write your posts faster. If blogging isn’t your main employment you can leave yourself with dedicated chunks of time to focus on your main job. And by writing ahead and storing posts you don’t have to worry about that dreaded writer’s block hitting on a day where you really want to get a new post up.

The all at once approach can also take some pressure off and allow you to refine a post until it’s ready and avoid posting sub-standard work. If you feel you absolutely have to publish today and you don’t have anything good ready you may publish a mediocre article and that could be bad - you don’t want a new visitor showing up to less than your best.

A Little at a Time

Writing and publishing on a daily basis also has some advantages. If you attempt a week or more’s worth of blogs at once you can get burned out while writing on a daily basis may be an easier habit to establish. A week’s worth of blogs can take quite a while to write and you may not get the 4, 5 or 6 hour chunk of time you’d need to do it all at once. If you’re a blogging addict you may also find that even if you write ahead you’ll be yearning to write on a daily basis (though that’s not always a bad thing).

Writing to publish immediately is also critical if you’re going to be writing on timely topics. If you’re reviewing an event it’s best to publish it as close to the event as possible. If you’re covering a news topic then you’ll want to get it out before the news has been covered by everyone else.

Mix It Up

photo credit: rileyroxxPersonally I find a blended approach works best. Since most of what I write is not timely I can write a day or more ahead and relieve some pressure. I can also interject with more timely stuff in addition to my regular posts.

Whatever you chose though I’d suggest you at least try the other approach. If you regularly write ahead you may find that the pressure to put something out now actually makes you write better and more interesting posts. If you’re a daily type you might find that the blogging groove really helps and the more relaxed pace produces better work. At any rate mixing things up can help keep blogging interesting and that’s vital if you’re going to survive as a blogger.