Planner-driven or purpose-driven…which are you?
I am a planner by nature. I love schedules and itineraries. Brackets and flow charts are a definite vibe. I love it when I have all the ducks in a row. Even if these days, my own rows of evenly-lined ducks have been taken over by squirrels. And…I’m pretty sure they’re all drunk.
I love a good, solid schedule. Except when it comes to my blog.
I was recently participating in a discussion on a blogging forum that I’m a part of.
The topic was blog post planning and frequency and the individual strategies behind each blogger’s approach.
The way I approach my blog was, by far, NOT the most popular approach in this discussion and it had me wondering…what would my readers do? What would my readers like most?
Many of the bloggers on this particular forum have a strict posting schedule or timeline that they follow. They post every Tuesday at 3:00 pm or every Monday and Saturday at 11:00 am. Or they post once a month…on the thirteenth…every month. Some bloggers set a goal of six blogs every month…days TBD. And yet, glaringly common themes in this discussion were…
“I don’t know what to write”.
“I’m stuck on a topic for this week’s posts.”
“Ugh…I still have three posts to pound out this month and I’m over it.”
Hmmm…?
I don’t follow any of these schedules when it comes to blogging. I blog when I feel I have something to say that I think you might be interested in hearing. It’s that simple…but, also, that unpopular.
I feel driven to post authentic content that (hopefully) happens to entertain while it, more importantly, educates and informs.
In looking back over the nearly five years of Just Shake It Off, there are times when this means I’ve posted a couple of times in one week. Or three or four times in one month. And there are times when it has been just once every two or three months.
My postings, at these times, were…and will always be…purpose-driven rather than planner-driven.
So, now it’s your turn.
What are your thoughts when it comes to blog content and frequency?
What would your blogging approach look like if you did (or do) own a blog?
If you are a reader of my blog, first off…thank you. I appreciate you making space for me in your busy life. And second, what approach…purpose-driven or planner-driven…is most appealing to you?
I’d value your feedback on this! Comment on this post, share your thoughts on any of my social media platforms, or send an email to me at nikki@justshakeitoff.com.
I launched my Parkinson’s blog Shakin’ Street in mid-May. Although I haven’t specifically said so on the blog, my intent is to post once a week, on Wednesdays — following Michael Hyatt’s advice that “If you’re not consistent, you’re nonexistent.”
Four weeks in, I’ve had something to write about every week, but I know that the problem you point to is a real one.
Will I really have something interesting to say every Wednesday? Remains to be seen.