How often should I blog?

I find the most difficult thing as a blogger is actually blogging. Not thinking of things to talk about, but actually dedicating the time to put my fingers on the keypad.

But as per my post last week about having a thirst for knowledge, we all have time. We just have to decide how to use it.

The second hardest thing is thinking (and often over-thinking) how often I should blog. I wrestle with this a lot. Once a week isn't often enough. Three times will really tick people off.

So I usually settle for twice a week. In fact I looked back at the past two years and noticed I was blogging between 1.5 and 2 posts on average a week.

So what?

Well, just over a year ago I responded to a similar concern that many fundraisers have, how often should I talk to my donors?

We worry incessantly about this. And usually for no reason. The short answer is, you talk to donors when you have something to say. You'll notice I said talk, not ask. Deliberately.

You ask when you need the money. You thank, feedback and care in between. Get the balance right and you can say goodbye to those sleepless nights.

For me (and my blog) the proofs in the pudding. Guess what, when I blog regularly, assuming the posts are mildly useful and have some decent content, people come back.

Funny that. Keep your communications relevant, useful and tell some stories and look what happens.

To summarize:

- Ask, then thank, feedback and care. Repeat the cycle.

- Do what's right, not what is easiest. That means constantly reinventing your communications. There is an argument for simply repeating past communications if they've worked (I've seen this generate the same level of results from one year to the next). But are you taking people on a journey? Are you giving them the opportunity to learn something new about what you do and who you help?

- Understand what your data is telling you. Too often we feel obliged to 'mail less' because it feels right. Your gut tells you one thing, the evidence shows you another.

Thanks for visiting. If I practice what I preach then I have one more blog to write later this week.

Jonathon