The Problem with Prewriting a Blog Post
I am working to update my blog 3 times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Sometimes I have an idea for a blog and write it out ahead of time. I had one of those moments on Thursday. So I sat down and typed out my thought and ideas to have a post for Friday all ready. I then uploaded my post and set it to automatically publish on Friday.
Friday morning I woke up extra early, got dressed and shoveled my driveway. As I checked the twitter updates I first saw about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. I reflected that my revelation from the day before made even more sense, prayed for Japan, Hawaii, and any other locations threatened by the tsunami. I got ready and left for a full day of subbing at a local high school. Saturday night I realized that my post had automatically published, but I could have made it more powerful by making a reference to Japan and how my issues seemed much more insignificant in light of the recent tragedies, but it had already published the post.
Now, do I go back and edit my post? Do I republish it once it is edited to try and drive more traffic to it? Or do I let that post stand as it is and move on? What do you think is the best way to handle this situation?
Tony said,
March 14, 2011 at 11:51 am
I’ve updated posts in the past. I didn’t seem to get any more traffic that way. I have however reposted on certain topics with a refined view. Sometimes these “reposts” come right after a major news event resulting in a lot of traffic then coming my way. Being this close to your last post on the subject, I might just leave it as is and move on.
If you do end up writing on the same subject, tying back to the original post helps people see where you are compared to where you were. The more they get to know you and engage on your blog, the more likely they are to share with others. That’s where the most consistent traffic comes from.
Nick said,
March 14, 2011 at 12:04 pm
I’m no expert blogger and I’ve definitely struggled with being consistent in posting, as I’ve considered a more disciplined approach to things your questions here have arisen.
My hunch seems to line up with Tony’s real world experience. Reading over your post from Friday in the wake of the devastation in Japan didn’t lesson your thoughts or frustrations, however it did lead me to wonder if the events cast new light on your situation. Apparently they did, which made me want to know in what ways.
Maybe a future post reflecting back on the situation is the right option rather than editing the post.