‘Ange, there’s no way in hell I would be able to keep up with all your posts!’
~My honest hubby
Man, if your own husband doesn’t even read that’s a bad sign!
What a great discussion we had going in yesterday’s hot topic post! Thank you for all of your input. I think I hit on a good topic because I received over 30 emails yesterday about it. Boy, did you have lots to say on this matter…
What I have concluded is this:
1) Quality trumps quantity
I always knew this, but yesterday was a great reminder of how true this is! Your comments were so eye opening. I think many bloggers feel that they need to post 37634 times a day, but you guys showed why this isn’t true.
2) Blogs should always be fun. If they are not, change what you are doing.
Blogging for me has been fun 95% of the time, but I occasionally feel stressed when I can’t get up a post when I want to. This is going to change from now on. I think stress is a warning sign that burnout may be approaching, so it is a great idea to take breaks and not have pre-defined schedules. Take home message: Post when I want, about what I want. Period.
3) Posting too frequently can stress out your own readers!
I had no idea that posting content 3 times a day could actually stress out my own readers, but I was told this by several people yesterday. Let’s face it- we all have busy lives and it is really hard for some people to be able to fully appreciate posts if they are flying up several times per day. I totally get that. Trust me, I don’t want to spam your readers.
4) I want to get back to my roots- my research roots.
I have about 7 years of training in research. I have barely applied this training on the blog and I am going to start to do this more because 1) I love health research, and 2) It is something I can offer my readers that is unique!
My goal is to ‘break down’ the hottest and most recent scholarly research and put it in layman’s terms. Don’t worry I’m not going to be spewing out research articles on you or get all academic on you. I’m just going to point out some cool findings every now and then or talk about how to critically evaluate the research you see in the media. Fun, informative, and simple.
~~~~~~
Green Monster Movement is updated with new reader recipes. OSGMOM also submitted her newest favourite green monster concoction. It sounds delicious and I can’t wait to make it once my appliances are returned to me. Anxiously awaiting and tapping fingers on desk…
~~~~~~~
A while back I was interviewed for Best Health Magazine and the interview is now up!
Click here for the full interview (or click on the photo below).
I think it gives a nice intro into my road to health. I kind of chuckled at the large title ‘quote’ they put at the top. I would never make loosing 20 pounds sound so easy. But like Zesty says, catchy titles sell, right? Let me know if you have any questions that come up after reading the interview. I will be happy to answer or provide a more detailed explanation (they cut a lot of the interview for space restraints).
I think that for me, blogging once a day is plenty. All in moderation right?
Great job on the interview. You should be really proud!
i like your conclusions!!! i agree with quality over quantity. i think with the blogs that post literally everything they eat and maybe have less on ‘hot topics’ like you, 3 a day is totally manageable and easy for readers. but for this blog i think 1-3 is totally acceptable. research snippits would be awesome too!! i’m about to read the interview you did. gosh you are so lovely :)
Great job with the interview Ange!
Hey there, Miss Angela! I just thought I’d chime in and tell you how much I love your creative name for green smoothies. (Are you sick of hearing praise for your green monsters yet lol?) I love the name so much that I’m working on a tribute post to them—and you :). Hope you’re having a super-fun day!!
:) :) :)
Love,
Katie
I would LOVE it if you utilized some of your research expertise on the blog. I find that lacking in the blog+media world. I usually only have time to read the actual study about 5% of the time that something is reported in the news. . . so this would be a wonderful addition!
Angela,
Those were great points taken from what everyone posted!
Now off to read your article…thanks.
Happy day to ya!
Great article! Though they didn’t mention the green monster movement :(.
can’t wait to the hot topics :)
great article!
Excellent summary, Ange. While as a reader I enjoy reading several posts, but only because I find myself with those 3 times available to read all my favorite blogs, I also understand as a blogger the pressure and stress that comes from trying to get posts up. I’m glad you’re so good at reflecting and thinking and making a decision. This is something I need to work on. :)
Great interview! I enjoyed reading it and think you are a great role model!
I made my own version of Green Monster…only in soup form! I always prefer savory to sweet so soup is a great way for me get in my greens rather than a sweet smoothie.
Courtney
Adventures in Tri-ing
I’m really thinking about dialing back posting during our busy season and just doing once or twice a day. That way I can have better posts during this stressful season for me! Thanks for the reassurance that it’s a good idea!
I love to read blogs that are updated once a day. I can’t seem to update my own that often, but I certainly write for quality rather than quantity.
I think these tips are great! I tried to do the 3-a-day posts but I always felt like one was always to boring. I think I’m gonna cut back some!
Great interview!!
Very inspirational interview. I can’t believe you were once 20lb. overweight! You hit the nail on the head for me when you said the challenge was not putting impossible standards and expectations on yourself. That seems to be my downfall. When I don’t achieve my unrealistic goals, I get discouraged and revert back to poor eating habits. Thanks for your insight!
You are such a blessing to so many =)
Each day I am “fed” from your site and encouraged and motivated. I’ve actually showed your site to my boyfriend and girlfriends – I’m like, ” Isn’t she cute? Isn’t she awesome? Look at what she’s baked!” I can’t believe they don’t think me totally mad.
Silly question- How is that some folk have pics added to their comments?
Looky! I have a pic next to my name – How’d that happen? lol Seriously. rofl. I didn’t do anything but I did add a gravatar to another site – hmm…cross reference?
Amen to all, my dear. And congratulations on the FABULOUS interview!!
Great job on the interview, Angela!
i love reading multiple posts each day from you because i have down-time at work. that said, i would never want to be pressured to write a certain number of posts each day because i would hate blogging. if i know there is something i want to write about, i write it. otherwise, i don’t stress. i don’t even blog once per day, much less three times per day. i say do what works for you. oh, and awesome interview!!
Ummm interesting point about stressing out readers. I have to confess that once upon a time I considered taking your blog off of my reader. Not because I think you’re anythign less than great but because it was getting to be too much. Don’t worry though – you’re still there! :P
Having said that I did purge certain great blogs (i.e.: KERF) because it was too much. I just couldn’t keep up.
Interesting topic . . .
Happy Tuesday! :)
Great article Ange! Congrats to you. I love the idea of incorporating more research into your posts.
Great article Angela! Can’t wait to get my first batch of Glow Bars! ;)
love the interview, great job!
Congratulations on the interview!!!
Great interview Angela! You said it so well that health is about your overall attitude about your life not just what you eat and how much you exercise. This is such a great perspective and healthy in itself! Thank you for the constant inspiration :)
I love your new gameplan! You are going to have sooo much fun with this!!!
I read all of your posts. I wish I could blog like you! It takes me so much time and dedication to post once a day! Do you use a blogging program like Windows Live Writer or anything?
I’ve been reading your blog for a while now and I love what you write and your personality and I think it’s a great site. BUT. I find myself just skimming over your blog posts because there are usually a bunch of them backed up in my reader, and I read blogs every day! If you cut back to posting once a day I’d pay closer attention to what you’re writing about. Tina at Carrots n Cake also brought up a good point when she asked if we get sick of seeing the same foods all the time and I have to say that yes, I do not need to see a picture of oatmeal every morning lol. Sometimes I post once a day, sometimes once a week, but I couldn’t imagine posting as often as you do!
Great article, you are such an inspiration Ange. Reading your blog just makes me want to be a better, healthier person.
And everyone calls me Martha too :)
Congrats on the interview! Haha, my friends have called me Martha, but they usually call me Suzy Homemaker :-)
I think that is the best way to go Angela. Burn out sneaks up on all of us.Its the stress of not enough time or meeting a time frame that just doesn’t always work with our life. I think your blog is fantastic but must admit to being hit by stress at times not beable to keep up with the posts. I do like it when you break down information so its easy to get through but I would like to request maybe a section of links some where to the articles. I am a type 1 diabetic and I have to look further into my food. One that has some interest to me is coconut oil. I have asked all my health care providers and they all say no even my nutritionist tells me no. She said there are no real studies showing that cocnut oil is good for you. She said that the only research she has found all lead back to the operations that grow coconuts and no real studies have showen it is any better now then the studies of 30 years ago.
Links to the information you found would be great. Maybe she has just missed something. She is very on top of research and new ideas but maybe this one slipped by.
The reason they all say no is the increased heart problems with being diabetic.
I’m sure other readers would like a link area that they could go to the research site and read it over at their own pace as well.
any way, just an idea.
Have a great day.
good post ange. i love what you say about not posting too often if you aren’t enjoying it … stressing out is not fun!
my boyf doesn’t read either … haha.
-muffy
Thank you for your thoughts on posting frequency and quality! I’m officially feeling better now, because just last night I skipped posting and felt SO guilty! My schedule is actually only one post per day, with the exception of Fri and Sat nights, but the thing is that we’re all human beings and therefore can’t be all sunshine and rainbows every single day of the year. I think that tonight’s post will benefit from my taking a break. :)
Great post…I completely agree, blogging should be fun! Great interview too!
The article was great! :-)
And I would much prefer to read a blog and learn something, or be motivated and inspired. It’s get tiring just reading about what somebody ate all day long – finding out more about health topics would be welcome!
I totally agree with you on blogging. You have to do what YOU like to do. Those who are really interested in what you have to say will be there all along the way. I blog maybe 2-3 times a week, sometimes a LOT less when I don’t have much to say (or have cooked anything worth blogging about). Do what’s best for you!
I can’t wait to read your research posts! I really think it’s so important to put some of those scientific papers, etc. into layman’s terms so the rest of us can understand. (Don’t get me started on the media’s spin on things – it’s not the same as really explaining things to people!)
Congrats on the article, Angela. Your philosophy is great!
As a social media consultant for a major world-wide company, I disagree with most of your readers.
Yes, casual blogging is not dictated by post volume or frequency. Aunt Sara’s Family Blog is under no pressure to blog 3x a day with pictures, opinions, etc. If that is your goal, I say blog when you want.
However, as a frequent reader, I do not get the impression that is your blogging goal. I always advise my company that consistent social media solidifies our brand and following.
Might sound odd but this is a lesson used frequently in the professional photography world. Personal blogs have popped up in that area as a way to create a persona and increase personal fanbase and brand power.
How do they do it? They blog consistently, everyday, 2x a day, the same time each day.
There are a million great photographers in big cities, but people hire the name they hear most often or the logo they see around town and photographers are expressing their image via blogs.
If you want to use this blog as more than just “hey i bake bars, look at them”, schedule it as you would a business meeting if you worked in an office place.
This part of the universe is your persona..put it out there. Often.
Best of luck.
I have loved reading all the comments on this post. As a new blogger and long-time dietitian/fitness instructor, it is very interesting to me to see everyone’s thoughts…you know, some of this is in the eye of the beholder. But, I definitely agree -quality trumps quantity every time.
I would love a current link to your interview if you have one. I’m very interested!