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Should You Put The Date On Your Blog Post?

I look at a lot of blogs: friends’, business associates’, clients’, for-fun blogs. One of the items that I always check out is how often are the blogs being updated. Weekly? Monthly? Not in a while? Or, the kiss of death, the “I’m-Not-Sure-How-Long-Ago-This-Was-Updated”.

You know the date stamp I’m talking about, right? It appears somewhere on a post and gives the date (and sometimes time) the post was published. Here are some examples:

110513-Dates

I think there is a school of thought out there that says, “If I can’t update on a regular schedule, I’ll take off the date stamp so people can’t tell I don’t post weekly.”

Not posting the date of your post is a kiss of death. Not because it makes the reader think, “Oh this is a recent post” but because it makes the reader think: “IS this a recent article? Is it still relevant?” Or, the even scarier thought: “Is this business still in business?”

Sure, no date stamp on a post means your reader doesn’t know for certain it’s been three months since your last blog update. But it also means that your reader figures out quickly that you don’t post regularly on the blog. If you did post regularly, you’d want to make sure the reader was aware so you’d have a time stamp!

Circular logic? You betcha!

But it doesn’t change the fact that your blog needs a date on each post. If you only post once a month then your reader will clearly see from your post’s dates that you update once a month. If you post weekly then she’ll clearly see that it’s important to you to offer her new contact every week.

Take a look at this blog. Go ahead, I’ll set myself up as an example. You’ll see weekly posts going back from now (first week in November) through July with the occasional “extra” update thrown in as well. (If you’re really looking closely, you’ll notice that the August posts weren’t actually one per week!) Before July, you’ll see that the blog was updated occasionally.

What does that mean?

It means that in July, I got serious about updating my blog regularly. I know that the bare minimum I was willing to accept was a weekly update. If I was able to squeeze in an extra picture, post, or bit of breaking news, great. If not, you can count on it being updated weekly. (On Tuesdays, FYI).

To the reader, it means that she can tell at a glance that I am still in business. She can see that I post weekly. She can guess that if I post weekly, I probably check my email, answer messages, and am around.

Does she notice all of this with her conscious brain? Probably not. But a blog that’s not updated regularly has the same feeling as a house that’s only lived in one weekend a month. It’s not neglected, exactly, but you can just feel that it isn’t lived in.

How Often Should I Update My Blog?

Weekly.

I know, I know, there are folks out there that say you should update your blog daily or several times a week. And it’s a lot of fun to check in with the daily updated blogs or the blogs that update several times a week. There’s exciting, fresh content! You can glimpse into their lives, businesses, hobbies, passions, etc. But really, do you check those blogs every day? Do you read it or just skim it? Do you have time to really read it every day? And is their content fresh and engaging and well-written EVERY SINGLE DAY? Or is it really just fantastic once or twice a week and the rest feels like filler.

Weekly posting is okay. Pick a day of the week you’ll post your new article and then stick to it. You have a schedule, a goal, and a deadline. Your readers know that your new article will appear on the same day of the week every week. And weekly is manageable for most business owners.

What If I Just Can’t Keep My Blog Updated?

I get it; you’re busy running your business, marketing, serving your clients, and enjoying your life. Sometimes, nothing will kill your passion for your main thing like having to sit down and write about it.

Here’s my solution: Hire a ghost blogger.

A (good) ghost blogger will be able to translate your passion into a well-written post or article. (What’s the difference?) And a ghost blogger will be able to write something that still sounds like you so your blog will still feel authentic to your readers and clients.

Plus, a ghost blogger will help you generate lots of ideas for content for your blog. Then, you’ll work together to come up with an editorial calendar. And you get weekly posts for your blog!

If the idea of a ghost blogger is resonating with you, this is one of the services offered through On The Beach Publishing. You can sign up for a complimentary “Blog Content Clarity Call” that will help you solidify your goals for your blog, generate ideas for future posts, and let you know if ghost blogging services are right for you.

Just visit OnTheBeachPublishing.com/BlogContentClarity to sign up.

Kim Galloway
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