After over a decade of blogging it’s pretty clear that traffic drops on the weekends.
I’m sure there are plenty of websites where the opposite is true or that traffic remains the same.
But for many sites, business websites and blogs included, traffic is likely to drop on the weekends.
That brings up the question(s):
Should I publish posts on the weekends?
Should I promote posts on the weekends?
Let’s dive into the options a little bit…
Yes, Publish & Promote On The Weekends
In general, traffic is likely down on the weekends because people are doing other things. Even with their phones, it seems that other activities are vying for people’s attention on Saturday and Sunday. And even a little bit on Friday especially during the summer months.
You’ll also see the same dip in Internet traffic on holidays.
Not always, but most of the time this is the case. It may not seem like it, but there are many other things available for us to do than scroll through content on the web.
With that in mind, the weekends can be a good time for publishing and promoting content. There are fewer people online looking for content, but there are still a large number of people online looking for all kinds of different content.
It’s not true in all cases, but many content producers aren’t creating content on the weekends. That’s not right or wrong, but it seems to be the case. With less competition, it’s an opportunity to stand out and win the attention of those that are looking for content.
You might even be able to go more in depth with the audience that matters the most to you by publishing and promoting on the weekends.
For example, let’s say your target audience gets up early in the morning on the weekends. You know that they take some time to check their phone and read content. That can be your content. You have the full attention. They’re not thinking about work. Anything in their personal lives probably won’t begin for a little later in the day.
The weekends, mornings or whenever, can be your brand’s time to shine. To really go in depth with each person you reach.
No, Avoid The Weekends
One reason I can see passing on the weekends is to take time away from blogging. It is good to take time to rest. Even just one day a week can build your energy reserves back up for the coming week. In that respect, taking at least one day on the weekend to stop producing and promoting is a good thing. And it’s a good time to do it because most people are doing the same.
You could still publish on the weekends. You can work on content during the workweek and schedule it for the weekends. You can schedule some promotion. That is usually fine. You can still rest. So consider the option of scheduling.
Or you could take a day or two off during the week and use the weekend for work. Some industries have done that such as restaurants, which sometimes take their regular off day on Monday, when not as many people are eating out.
Conclusion
I like to publish and promote blog posts on the weekends. But I can see the reasons to avoid it. Traffic, in general, is down. People are doing other things. But the competition is also down. That leaves the door of opportunity open for those that are looking for a way to get more attention for their content and brand.