A common concern.
The great news is there is some optimization you can do. Allow me to be upfront with you. Your answer is specific to you and your channel. There is no universal magic number. Just your magic number, and we are going to look for it in this post.
Why is this important?
If you do not know, you might not be ready to answer the question How often do I post? There is a high-level evaluation required to maximize your channel presence.
You will need a decent understanding of your niche. Your audience and your marketing plan. Your business as a whole. Profit, Non-profit, it does not matter. The principles are the same.
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Suppose you have this down.
Now you are ready to optimize. So, why should you know how often to post? Because you want to ensure you are meeting audience expectations. You want to ensure you are running at maximum efficiency. So you plan your release schedule.
So how much content do you need to provide? To answer that question, we first need to do some evaluation of your channel.
Allow me to put two prerequisites before you.
Consider these first when planning a posting schedule. Make sure these two things are taken care of before you commit to any release.
Quality and consistency.
These are your laws. You should always ensure they are satisfied before considering anything else. Quality. And. Consistency.
A caveat to this is if the content is time-sensitive. As s case in point, consider a breaking news report. The reporter bringing this immediate info might not have had time for makeup or a wardrobe change. In this example, an exchange of quality for the immediacy of breaking news could take place.
If the content requires sacrifice or it will lose value, then that must be considered. Also, our scenario above is atypical and not a standard operating procedure. Please remember this.
The quality of your content is what you will stand on.
If it takes you three days to complete a quality video, do not commit to uploading daily videos. If you do, you will either produce lesser quality videos or break your consistency. Obviously, but what goes without saying is still likely to occur when not said.
Consistency is equally important.
You build loyal viewership on this principle. Consistency in the type of content. In the style in which you produce the content. And your release schedule. All build your credibility to be consistent. How upset would you be to find out your favorite TV show will be released, say, sometime between Monday and Friday each week. Would you check that channel often and randomly? No one has time for that.
Always be explicit and transparent with your audience. Tell the audience what you commit to, then keep that commitment to the very best of your ability. In future posts, we will be covering some tactics to help you keep these commitments while still handling life’s curveballs.
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With those two things understood, now evaluate the kind of content you provide.
If you are doing a Fix & Flip real estate show, that could take a while to produce. You might only be able to have seasonal programing on this style of content. And just so you know, a season does not need to be 20+ episodes anymore!
In this case, finish production before ever releasing an episode. This will prevent delays from being pushed into your release schedule. You will also need content to show in the meantime to fill your publishing commitment.
Do you plan on releasing the show weekly? Bi-weekly or monthly? Whenever it may be, you should have content to release according to your committed schedule.
The three-letter networks have seasons for exactly this reason. One program can take months to produce. To avoid a content blackout, they fill the schedule with different content according to how long a show takes to produce. Viewers become loyal because they know when their shows will be available and what’s on offer.
There is much to learn from the network approach to scheduling.
Don’t reinvent the wheel, just modify it.
If you run a cooking channel, daily releases might be within the realm of possibility. Why do I keep mention daily releasing? Because we hear it is a standard commonly used. The more often you release, the higher likelihood of success. Thanks, YouTube.
The truth is, this is not necessarily accurate. Netflix does not release new content daily. Almost daily. But that has not always the case. Of course, much of this is 3rd party too. If your audience is interested in your channel daily, but you can not produce daily content, you should be looking for 3rd party content.
I say “if” your audience is interested because it is quite possible to successfully run a channel that is only viewed once or twice a week by a loyal viewership. Some channels release new content even less frequently while maintaining a loyal fan base. But they follow the two prerequisites I mention above.
How is that possible?
Look, there is more content vying for our attention than ever before. Xbox, Netflix, Amazon, Play-station, mobile apps, YouTube, Tiktok… the list is long. You can not expect to displace these. Especially, at the beginning. If you consistently release quality content once a month, your audience will appreciate your effort. If they value it, they will return when you post next month.
So to answer the question “How often do I post new content?”
First, answer these:
- How long does it take me to make a quality episode?
- How often can I produce the content for each episode?
- Do I have access to 3rd party content to fill any gaps?
- How often can I use the 3rd party content I have, if any?
- Have I taken into account my other obligations?
- How often does my audience consume this type of content?
- Can I commit to my audience a specific number without breaking their confidence?
Now, after evaluating the above, you have the result. Look at whatever above requires the most time. Decide if any 3rd party content is available for you to release as well. The most content you could commit to is the length of time the longest part above takes divided by the number of 3rd party pieces provided to you. Committing to any more than this will likely reduce rather than add to your channel value.
Some of you see the economics of this intuitively but just needed to be assured. Others might find this approach novel. Either way, this is the truth of the matter. We want you to succeed in the long term. After all, your success is ours as well.
