Hey there, digital marketer. I know you’re wondering how often you’re “supposed to” post content. But how much does content frequency really matter? Let’s chat.

Ask me how often you should post to your blog, social media channels, etc., and I’ll tell you:

“Frequently.”

Your competition is putting out content weekly, daily, multiple times per day. You want to keep up.

But here’s the problem …

Focusing on content frequency can quickly get in the way of content quality.

So which is more important?

The Case for High Content Frequency

The pressure to put out content is overwhelming and can often lead to poor decisions. 

It often gets to the point where the ol’ content mill is mostly spitting out filler content.

I define “filler” as content that serves no other purpose than to maintain a content stream. It’s the byproduct of a digital marketing environment that values activity over meaning. 

Search engines demand that we at least say something on a regular basis. So that’s what digital marketers do … whether or not they really have anything to say.

The result is, in a word: crap.

But if it helps drive traffic, doesn’t that mean it has value to you as the marketer?

(2023 update: This question is even more pertinent now. Producing poor content at a high frequency is easier than ever before with AI.) 

The Case for Content Quality

Search engines also reward you for proving that your content is valuable to your audience.

Engagement metrics beyond impressions suggest to Google that you’re an authority on the subject matter, such as:

• Low bounce rates (staying on the page),
• Clickthrus on your hyperlinks, and
• Backlinks to your content from other websites you don’t control.

But there are even more important metrics to pay attention to.

Filler is content that serves no other purpose than to maintain a content stream. It’s the byproduct of a digital marketing environment that values activity over meaning.

Is your audience responding?

Are people asking you questions about it? 

Are they sharing your content with others?

And to state the obvious, are they filling out contact forms, scheduling consultations, and buying your product or service?

Seems like a strong case for quality over quantity … then again, maybe not.

Quality Content Frequency

If you’re like me, you don’t want to live your professional life putting out content frequently but the product is mostly garbage.

But you also want to be out there. 

Your instinct to get something (anything!) out on a regular basis is a good one.

I don’t think everything you (or I) blog about has to be a perfect gem. Sometimes crap spills through despite our best intentions, and that is okay. 

What matters is that we all make an attempt to articulate what we believe, from the heart, from a genuine desire to communicate something we think will create connection and solve problems.

In a word: authenticity.

So it’s not really a question of whether quality or quantity is more important.

The question is whether you’re consistently being authentic. That’s your “quality content frequency.”

Go Be Frequently Authentic

We’re all under a lot of pressure to shout louder and more often than our competition via platforms that make it easy for everyone to make noise. 

I give you permission to slow down and get quiet.

Go ahead and miss a day, a week, even a month of posting if necessary. Take a breather. 

Ask yourself one question before you make another piece of content.

Am I (still) putting something of value into the world?

We’re all going to fail and put “filler” out there from time to time. Let’s just make sure that more often than not, when we fail, it’s in pursuit of something more than website traffic.

As always, if you need help, you know what to do.