Just thought I'd share the latest piece I wrote for Independent Fashion Bloggers about the importance of establishing a consistent rhythm with your blog posting. (reLYME is living proof!!!)
Once upon a time, I used to help bloggers expand their brand online. I watched tiny blogs grow to very big blogs, and very big blogs grow to take over the Web. All the while, I preached the gospel of consistency.
I would tell my clients that you must find your rhythm (frequency of posts, time posts occur, regular features, etc.) so that readers learn to trust you as a respected resource. Little did I know that my advice would come to bite me in the behind, so to speak.
Fast forward a few months, and I was living in a spacious studio apartment in Manhattan. My fashion blog, reLYME, had opened a lot of doors for me. However, in trying to get used to my busy New York life, I’d ended up closing the door on my blog.
I went from humble-and-not-ultra-impressive traffic (about 3,000 MUV, give or take), to having less than 200 monthly unique views. That’s nearly a 93% decrease in traffic for my math people. And how did this happen, you ask?
If you’re one of my fashion blogging buddies, you already know the answer: I disappeared! I wasn’t active in social media, I hadn’t posted on my blog in months, and I simply didn’t care.
These days, I’m burning the midnight oil, trying to post more regularly in hopes that I can, once again, rebuild my readership–and all of this with the realization that I won’t be attending this season’s NYFW
So, my point, fellow fashion bloggers, is this. You MUST find your rhythm! And here’s how:
- You’ve heard people mention editorial calendars. Make one! Stick to it. Decide what you’re going to write about and when. If you’ve committed topics to paper, you’re more likely to stick to deadlines. They’re not written in stone, so if a more pressing piece comes up (or you’re pitched by an amazing brand because you’re getting more traffic) you can just pull an ol’ switch-a-roo. You’re a journalist, so you should act the part.
- If you’d like to include regular features (link love posts, look of the day, must-have item of the week), choose a particular day you’ll include these features, and stay consistent.
- Plan a time of day people can expect to see your latest offerings. Do you want to reveal your masterpieces in the morning, in the afternoon? (This is why the automatic post feature that is inherent to most blogging platforms is magical!)
- Make sure you know how often you plan to write. For some, posting once or twice a day is a lofty goal. So, if you can only squeeze out a few posts a week, by all means, bust a move! But, try to consistently post around the same time every week.
Finding your rhythm and maintaining your consistency, helps your readers to know that you respect them, and that sharing your knowledge or insider scoop with them is important to you.
It can also open up a lot of doors as far as sponsorships and advertisers are concerned–they will be more likely to invest in a professional blog that maintains consistency.
And again, the more you post, the better your chances are of welcoming many new readers, and building a community!
So, even though it’s tough, and you might have to sacrifice a girls’ night out (or boys’ night out, as the case may be) every once in a while, it’s worth it. Trust me, I know first hand.
image by lanuiop
