Blogging: Quality, Quantity or Something Else?

Posted on by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Here is something that often crosses the mind of every active blogger out there:

“Should I focus more on quality rather than quantity or the other way around?”

Scouring the virtual world for the past five years looking for bloggers with similar tastes has brought me to realize that everyone has their own way of functioning, a structure for their blog that just seems right. It simply fits with who they are and want to be.

One of the most essential things to remember is that your blog is your domain, it is your playground and it is up to you to decide what you will share with the world. This can change at any given moment, especially if the blog’s name does not limit you to a certain niche (e.g. there is a tough chance that Bookidote would turn into a blog about stamp collecting).

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Going from there, you usually have to decide what kind of content you want to share. To illustrate this with empirical evidence, I will use what I know best, which is book blogging.

While book blogging often means reviewing books and sharing it with everyone, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s a particular way to do it, or that it limits the blogger to just that. In fact, as a book blogger, you can adapt your review style according to your needs (short, spoiler-review, long, analytical, etc.) while also sharing all kinds of other posts (participate in blog tours, share author interviews, round up your monthly book hauls, be part of or host a feature, etc.). This opens up to a variety of book blogging styles, making it near impossible for two blogs to alike and that without taking into account the amount of authenticity that blog’s design or themes can bring to each and every one of us.

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This is where Man’s greatest enemy comes into play and complicates things for just about everyone:

Time.

This demon makes sure that you cannot do everything you want to do when you want to do them. It is one of the toughest opponents you will face throughout your life but that is where your time management skills are required as you learn every day how to deal with it. After all, like many love to believe, you either have time or make time for the things you love. Moreover, if there is one thing I can deduct based on every blogger I have discovered, it is that everything depends on your lifestyle.

If you routinely go through days where you can permit yourself to read and blog from the moment you wake up to the moment you sleep, then the odds are that you will be in a better position to do just that than someone who has to commute for hours, work insane shifts, and then come back home for various responsibilities (academic, parental, relationships, etc.).

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And then there’s another villain that occasionally skydives into your life when you least expect it:

Mental health.

While I am not particularly confronted with this reality, I know that it is omnipresent in the lives of everyone, at various degrees. It might be easy for some to disregard it and to keep on going without looking back, refusing to kneel before it and suffer from it, but I can assure you that it is not what I would recommend to anyone. It is by far much more important for everyone to distance themselves from hobbies, like blogging, and anything else just as superficial to take care of their own mental health. Trust me when I tell you that it will undoubtedly hinder your pursuit of happiness in the long term.

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With all that being said, we are then confronted with the big question at the heart of this post:

Quality or quantity?

I have personally seen every possible kind of blogger out there. There are those who can go on to post content every day throughout the year, sometimes even posting twice a day, whether they are reviews or a mix of various posts. Then there are those who post less frequently, preferring to dish out longer posts with much more in-depth content, with much more substance to discuss around. Of course, there are those in the middle, sometimes tilting to one side or the other of the spectrum, depending on how inspired they are or how much time they have at their hands, as they post at different frequencies.

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While some prefer focusing on the quality of their posts and others on the number of posts, both will likely steer a similar amount of traffic in their direction. Because, at the end of the day, neither is pertinent. No one should look into voluntarily increasing either quality or quantity as the answer to successful blogging—yes, I dared mention the existence of successful and unsuccessful blogging—is within you:

Personality.

Maybe you’re seeing a bunch of bloggers doing really good on the blogs while publishing a gazillion times a day. Maybe you’re seeing some bloggers doing just as amazingly while restraining themselves to a single post a month. None of them would do well if they didn’t have a personality to go with their blog. The way the communicate their thoughts and interact with their followers is what wins anyone over. It’s how you distinguish yourself from others. Let who you are decide who you become. If you were meant for fame, it will come looking for you. If you want to meet cool folks, they’ll gravitate towards you.

Forget about fitting in.

Do you, bro.

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What do you think is much more important?

Quality, quantity or something else?

Till next time,

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Published by Lashaan Balasingam @ Roars and Echoes

Reader. Reviewer. Researcher. Criminology Ph.D. Candidate. Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Want to know more? Connect with him!

73 thoughts on “Blogging: Quality, Quantity or Something Else?”

  2. Superficially, quantity wins out every time. That is why the YA book blogs get a bajillion whatevers. They swarm like locusts. They agree with each other all the time, about everything and it is a sickening love-fest of naivete and stupidity all rolled together. Thankfully, most of those grow out of it or find other hobbies once they realize they can’t all have 5K+ followers and be “famous”.

    Voice plays the biggest part for me. I follow some people who do write really long posts, once or twice a month. Then there are the people who post almost every day with varying lengths of posts. But all of them I like what they write even when I disagree with them about something.

    I also know that my “voice” hollers out loud and clear on my blog and that is why I’ve stayed at the level I have. I’ve learned to be content. I’ve also learned that it’s ok if not “everybody” likes me. Nor do I have to like everybody else. There are a lot of stupid people online, people who aren’t stupid but who deny the reality around them and then the really smart people who have a chip on their shoulders about something. None of those kind of people are worth my time, my mental energy or my emotional energy. So I just let them go and let others follow them.

    Keep up the good work. 2019 was a great mix of content as far as I was concerned with what you wrote. Of course, if you move over to stamp collecting, I won’t be following you 😉 And even when I don’t comment on a post, know that I’ve read it. I like what you write.

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    1. I had a serious good laugh with your first argument. And I won’t like that the whole YA bloggerverse is quite suffocating once you’re right in it. I find that it’s worse on other platforms too, like instagram and youtube. All I see is them praising books, even they’re bad, just to become an “influencer” who has the attention of all the publishers and authors.

      And yes. Sometimes I wonder why people follow some people who just seem so superficial, fake or insubstantial. I’ve also crossed paths with people who just reply back rudely or with no sign of interest whatsoever. Honestly, whatever. They can do what they want and follow who they want. As long as everyone lets their voice speak for themselves (hahah), it’s all good.

      Thanks, man. I appreciate that. It’s always a pleasure to hear your positive or negative thoughts on everything. It’s entertaining and at least it makes sense! 😀 As for stamp collecting… what about bottle caps? 😀

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      1. Yeah, the whole idea of an “Influencer” has become the reason to many. Not that I’m some sort of blogging purist, but still, being an influencer just seems to be the opposite of being a blogger.

        As for the people who just follow for no apparent reason, I still can’t wrap my head around that. One of those things I guess.

        As to the bottle cap question, will it include the bottles or will it just be the caps?

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      2. I’m just guessing that it might be a lot of “follow for follow” sheeps. Who don’t exactly unfollow if they don’t get their follow, so that if they follow 10000 people, there’s maybe 2000 who will follow back at sone point…

        Maaan, things just got ultra serious with that question hahahhaah I wouldn’t know where to begin 😂

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  3. For me it’s personality and style in the bloggers writing. I do ‘t care how often a blogger posts, just that they are having fun with it and have something intelligent to say. It doesn’t need to be a long post at all, just keep my interest.

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    1. You’re definitely right! I’ve never been bothered by the length or frequency of a blogger’s posts (although if that person somehow manages to post three times a day and they’re always 1000+ words… odds are that I won’t be able to read them all hahah). Having fun and being yourself is definitely the way to go! 😀

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  6. Fantastic post Lashaan and such a good question! I think it’s got to be quality, because I must admit if someone is posting multiple reviews 24/7 I become suspicious and wonder how they could possibly be constantly reading and reviewing all those books! Are they even human? 😀 Just like my reading habits and possibly my blogging habits as well, I like a good mixture of posts to keep me entertained and coming back for more.

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    1. Thank you so much, Nicki! Definitely understand your point. I have always thought that a person dishing out a gazillion posts per day have less chances to entertain me long term too. I mean, it’s probably a lot harder to impress me and to give me a taste of their personality if they don’t take a bit more time in what they write!

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  7. Another good post! I was thinking about this yesterday before I went to bed and then you posted this. Get out of my head lol!!!! I realized that personality is the best thing and I will go with that. I always try to read everything the person wrote but sometimes its difficult but some themes are just not for me.

    Keep it the good work!

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  9. I’ve asked myself that question many, many times in my first year and a half of blogging… and ultimately I’ve come to the same conclusion you do. It was a personal challenge for me post every day, but now I’m just going to post according to my reading schedule. Take my time! And as you say, “Do you, bro.”

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  10. A perfect intro.
    You’ve disappointed me, though. I was expecting tips and tricks for obtaining rare stamps.
    Did you have fun with all the themed gifs? It certainly looked as if you did.
    I agree that there is no set formula.
    There are bloggers who post less than one a month and still have tens-hundreds of thousands of followers.
    Some people unfollow those who don’t post regularly. Personally, I have a hard time keeping up with those that consistently post every day.
    Even though I do seem to get more traffic when I post daily and consequently less views when I post one or twice a week, I don’t see too big of a difference.
    Sometimes it’s out of sight, out of mind.
    But sometimes you have people who will seek out your stuff.
    Ok, unorganized comment over.

    Good post.

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    1. Thank you hahah Sorry for disappointing! You’ll have to go follow someone else who’ll give you exactly what you need to get that extra rare stamp! 😀

      I did have fun with the gifs hahah I did something similar with Keanu Reeves on a previous post (the one on the art of abandoning books?).

      Indeed! It did amaze me when those bloggers managed to rack up that much numbers when they were SOOO inactive though…

      I do think that maybe it’s beneficial to test both posting frequencies. It’ll give us an idea of what fits well with your creativity juice/energy/style.
      Indeed. Like how you found me. I’m definitely glad you did. You have a personality that fits with the kind of people I’d rather have my side hahah 😀

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  11. Great post! I would probably say quality over quantity, but really I think it’s all about what makes you happy. If you like posting more, then go with quantity. I have a hard time not posting for every book I read. And I read a lot. I’m trying to just review when I feel like it and maybe cut back. I tend to do like 4-5 days a week. I think that’s almost too often.

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    1. Thank you so much for reading! It is indeed about being happy with what you do and not condemn yourself to a frequency that doesn’t fit with your personality/needs.

      I too have always tried to review everything I read but it definitely becomes complicated when there’s more than 7 books per week! 😛

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  12. When time is scarce, quality wins over quantity of course! 😉
    Jokes aside, I don’t believe there is a perfect formula for blogging, because each one of us – apart from having to deal with life’s daily requirement – is unique and brings that uniqueness to their blog. And that’s what ultimately matters: the chance of bringing one’s voice to the community’s “chorus” and adding it to the whole.

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  13. Well the most important is indeed “Do You”. You have to find your voice, your signature. That something something that will always help people to know that it’s you behind that post. And the rest is …not important. LOL As you said it’s our playground so we decide what and when to post.

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  14. I definitely agree, there is no right or wrong; each blogger has to find a style and frequency, which suits them. But hey, you forgot to mention bloggers like me – I try to avoid Quantity as well as Quality and just have a bit of fun 😉

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  15. Great topic, Lashaan, and as you said, a question we’ve each asked ourselves or will at some point. For me, personally, I’ve gotten into the rythm of posting once a week, sometimes twice. I do this mostly to keep the momentum going, to keep me actively thinking about my hobby and trying to create new things to share and write about. Then I try to create as much quality as I can given that. There are many stretches where I lose inspiration, when work just has me stressed out or exhausted, and I get home and struggle to come up with anything of substance, which might result in shorter posts. But other times I might work on multiple posts one after another when life feels great, which often leads to longer posts that just seem to flow. It varies quite a lot. I agree with you completely about just being you. I’ve no clue how well I do at this, but I think you do a fantastic job of it. Each post presents a consistent personality. Granted, I don’t always know whether to trust that personality and have my suspicions you may be a closet stamp collector. 😉 (I actually was a stamp (and coin and matchbox and drink coaster and comic book and root beer bottle and …) collector and may still have my collection in a box somewhere.)

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    1. Thanks, Todd. I do think that your frequency fits perfectly with what you need out of your blog and what you want to achieve with it. To be able to use it like an online journal where you get to reflect on things and stir some new ideas is perfect. You also get feedback from people, which is probably pretty cool.

      Hahahaahh I appreciate the kind words, sir. I assure you that I’m very transparent in who I am on my blog. It’s already quite a lot that my full name is on here, while my field of study/job would suggest more anonymity hahah

      I’m also a comic book collector but only for Batman now, since those aren’t easy or pretty to store. I have nothing against people who collect all those things though. I just prefer books and will probably stick to mostly sharing that on this blog hahah 😀

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  17. “Time: This demon makes sure that you cannot do everything you want to do when you want to do them” << IKR!! These days I work 3 jobs (fulltime, parttime, freelance), so finding the time to blog and read has become tricky. I had to get creative with my schedule because blogging in something I enjoy doing, which I didn't expect when I started.

    As for which of the Q's is more important, I got for a combo of the two. I tend to favor quality over quantity, but it's good to have some sort of regularity that readers can depend on; it doesn't necessarily have to be a schedule.

    BTW, love the theme of the gifs. lol!

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    1. Indeed! It’s why I always thought of blogging as an extension of my life. An extension that I didn’t see coming and got used to having in my life hahah

      In an ideal world, it would indeed be best if quantity rhymed with quality (it does, I know hahahah) and that there’s some kind of pattern/schedule that shows consistency.

      Thanks! 😀 I had fun playing with good ol’ Samuel L. Jackson too hahahah

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  19. Great post! I’m all for doing your own thing. I don’t look at my stats, I don’t compete with others. I try to make my blog fun and add some personality.I admit I worry about not having the time to do everything, and sometime it leads to me being unable to blog or read because I feel like I’m rubbish at everything. But it’s time to remember it’s a hobby, and that it should be fun. Not about fame or numbers. xx

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    1. Thank you, Meggy! You couldn’t have said it better. Everyone should remember why they even blog in the first place and what made them continue to this day. I’m glad to hear that you don’t focus on the numbers though. That has “killed” so many bloggers, if you ask me.

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  20. I definitely lean towards the quality side of things both in what I read and what I write. A blogger’s voice and personality does make a huge of course!

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  21. If I had to choose between quantity or quality, I’d go for the quality. However, I think personality has a big part to play, especially when it comes to passion. I also think that sometimes with posting every day or twice a day, some of the posts you’re really proud of and want to spotlight get lost in the shuffle. At the end of the day, as long as you enjoy blogging then you can’t go wrong. After all, you blog for you before anyone else. Brilliant post. 😀

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    1. Exactly. I love the passion with which some blog. It definitely makes me happy to see that there are bloggers who do so, instead of focusing on numbers. And that’s true. I always try to think twice about what I post around a post I really liked to compose. Thank you so much for reading! 😀

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  22. You’ve actually posed this argument with me at various times over the years we’ve followed each other. Asking me how I keep quality up with my quantity. I probably have a more stress free job than most with zero commute time. Haha that helps with time. But I’ve found I’m happier with my blog now that I’m severely limited what I can do graphically and with my tablet. And of course my time is limited now too. I feel like it’s always going to be quality for me.

    As for personality I don’t think I endear myself to others well. I know I’m socially awkward but don’t know how to compensate. You’ve helped me at times calling me out at one point 😉 when I didn’t even realize how I was coping was a problem. I do hope my heart and passion for storytelling shines through and that’s why some hang around. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

    I really love a reciprocal relationship. I don’t care if we read the same books or not. I’m interested with the person and their thoughts. It’s more than comment for comment even though that’s one way I show blogger love. Because I’ve learned if the other person is just looking for a comment their visits probably won’t last that long. Such a great discussion. 🙂

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    1. Yep hahaha I remember asking you it a bunch of times because I also thought that you were somehow able to be extra creative, while in-depth reviews, tackling different ideas while also posting super super super regularly hahaha

      Ohhh? I’m so sorry if I called you out somehow, I really didn’t mean to 😮 I don’t know what I said, but I hope it wasn’t mean…

      Indeed, I prefer the interaction over the content. I mean… I follow people only read romance, for example. There’s just so much more to connecting to a reader than to the content/the book.

      Thank you so much for reading, Dani! I appreciate it a lot! 😀

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  23. Great post Lashaan and some very good points to think about and draw on. I find writing and publishing posts on my blog a great outlet for my geeky passions – sure I’m lucky in that most of my friends and family have similar interests that I can share and enjoy with them, but there’s something about putting things into words and I honestly find a great deal of joy and enlightenment in blogging.

    There’s surely a balance between quality and quantity and the scale may differ depending on the individual but a think, at least for myself, a post a week – with an occasional break – is the sweet-spot…plus there isn’t much more time to devote to it anyway. But it’s a hobby and it provides fulfilment for a creative mind!

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    1. Thanks, Chris! And I agree. Being able to redact our thoughts and share it here for any other fan to share their passion with us is just awesome. And I agree, everyone has to find that sweet spot that allows them to be happy to do what they do without pressure whatsoever. It’s how others will relate and enjoy their content too! 😀

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  24. Great post and perfectly balanced on every front – you covered it!
    I, personally, am so far and deep gone into the reality of it that not only is my blogging presence suffering, my reading pace has also slowed down and it makes me sad.
    Thing is, I can kind of pinpoint what went wrong for me… busyness of life (work mainly) turned me into a zombie that had personal responsibilities and thus it turned the blogging and interacting into like a factory like automatic quick read, click, like, share of people’s posts… I miss really connecting with bookish blog folk and I really hope I will be able to test and try out some new balance this year…
    Happy blogging!

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    1. Thanks, Liz! I appreciate it. Really put a smile on my face seeing you here! 😀

      I do remember how work was draining you out and really made it a pain to blog without getting screwed by the mechanics of it (like, share, comment) that became so routine. I do hope that 2020 will allow you to indulge some good read time and blogging though!

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  25. This was such a fab post and I’m happy over all the responses you received 🙂 My dilemma is time, hence why I’m just commenting now. I prefer quality over quantity if possible. Sometimes it’s the books I love most that take the longest to review and then, frankly, I’m terrible at reviewing fantasy (which I adore). Since I feel like life’s obligations like to put a curveball in my time, I’m also partially upset if I can’t meet my reading goals. The domino effect rolls into my reviews or social media presence unfortunately, though I try my best.
    Why can’t I just get paid for reading? 🤣

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    1. Thank you so much, Scarlett! I definitely appreciate the time you find to check out these couple of posts and to even drop some thoughts on them too! I definitely agree that there’s a domino effect that inevitably affects the quality and quantity of our reviews but as long you write things that make you happy, everything is good! And I agree. Getting paid would be a nice little incentive! 😛 😛

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  26. Amazing post, Lashaan! 😍 Looking at my blogging habits, I really can’t decide whether quality is better than quantity since I’m at that point where my blog posts are “published is better than anything else” 😂 Though I personally couldn’t see myself posting super regularly if I had absolutely nothing relevant to say. And again, something that I would consider “qualitative” or relevant could be totally the opposite for someone else. If I decide to post my nail-care routine on my blog, it might be helpful to someone but probably not to you 😉 That’s why I think the best answer is “personality”! I follow a lot of blogs and more than the content it’s the people behind it that made me stay! 😄
    But again, it depends on what your goal is and what you’re blogging for…!

    That being said, some people do a fantastic job both on the quality and quantity of blog posts and they have all my admiration! Some even manage to use only Samuel L Jackson’s gif in their posts and if that’s not a superpower, I don’t know what it is 🥰

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    1. Hahahaahh you’re way too kind, Caroline! ❤ It was fun to play around with Mr. Jackson's various movie roles throughout the post! 😀 And you're absolutely right, even the quality of posts is super suggestive but if we judge it based on the target audience, I'm sure we can all tell if one post has more quality than another. 😛 But at the end of the day, I too follow, like, comment on posts based on the personality of the blogger and how they convey their personality (e.g. their writing style). Otherwise, I probably wouldn't bother much! 😉 THANK YOU, CAROLINE! :d

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  31. Each to their own! Id rather quality over quantity. Especially since health keeps me from posting too often. Also, four or five posts from one blogger pinging my email on one day feels overwhelming. I have a hard enough time reading and replying as is :/

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