There is no easy answer to that question. It might matter. It might not. There are other factors that matter considerably more.
As much as I think everyone should just subscribe to content newsletters delivered to your inbox (like I do!), the majority of readers just won’t do it. So now what?
Let’s chat about the timing of publishing your blog posts and if it even matters.
Does Frequency Matter More Than The Time Of Day?
Take the freelance writer who has no clients but spends three weeks picking out a design logo and business cards without ever developing a plan to build their customer base.
Business cards and a well-designed logo matter, but not if you don’t have the basics covered. Knowing when to publish your blog posts falls into the same category. If you’re not publishing regularly, then it doesn’t really matter what time of day you post. You need to be posting consistently before you can ever determine what the best time to do so is.
In baseball terms, you want to hit home runs every time you step up to the plate. But you can’t do that until you’re at the plate more often putting the reps in. If you’re not swinging the bat enough, you won’t hit home runs. The same goes for your content.
If you want to maximize the exposure your content generates, you have to be making content regularly first. Here are a few options to consider.
Publish Your Blog Posts During Prime Time
A long long time ago, during the age of television, before on-demand streaming services roamed the land, TV networks would debate when to put a TV show on the air.
Generally, the 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm time slot was the golden slot during the week. They called it “prime time.” Why? Those were the hours when people were off of work, finished eating dinner, and kicking their feet up after a long day. They were likely to be surfing the channels with remote in hand, so an entertaining show could generate great numbers just by being on at the right time.
For bloggers, you want to think about when your audience might come across your content and actually spend the time reading it.
When are most people browsing the internet and reading content from their favorite sites? Most people are consuming content during the day when they are taking breaks at work or on their lunch break. Monday at 11:00 am is generally a good time to publish. Office workers are still easing into the work week after the weekend, and late morning is when they need a breather.
The negative to publishing during peak times is the competition. There are millions of other bloggers publishing fresh content around the same time for the same reason. That continual flooding of new content is what makes it so competitive.
Take your time and be patient with building an audience during the internet prime time.
Dominate The Off-Peak Times
If you’re new to the game and still building your content portfolio, then maybe publishing during peak timing is not the right decision.
If you know you can be the reason why people will go online, then post during the off-peak times; evenings and weekends.
The negative side is that you’re going to have a hard time drawing in a casual reader. If you can generate destination content, then you will likely have higher engagement among your readers. They won’t be reading in passing or by accident. They are there on purpose because they have questions that your content answers.
Consistency is king on this one. If you decide to pursue publishing during the off-peak times, then do so consistently throughout the week.
Focus On Your Content; Not What Others Are Doing
Publish as often as you can, whenever you can. Just keep things moving forward. Unless you’re attracting millions of readers, focusing on the timing might not move the needle that much for you.
Instead, focus on sharing your content regularly. Drive new engagement. Build your audience with regular content to the best of your ability.