Ever since 2008, I’ve been writing 5 posts a week, almost nonstop.
I take breaks for Christmas and other holidays (sometimes), but on the whole I’m writing almost everyday!
And I love it. I really do. I have so much on my mind, and so many of your comments inspire new thoughts that I want to share. When I gave up my weekly newspaper column a few years ago it was really difficult, because I loved having that outlet for the things running through my mind. But I had to concentrate more on the blog because the blog was growing.
Well, now my social media is growing.
My engagement on Instagram and Facebook has been amazing lately, and I know that Generation Z women and Millennial women (and men) are far more involved on social media than they are on blogs. They often like consuming “micro-content”, or small bits of content, which isn’t a bad thing. But they won’t necessarily subscribe to a blog.
And I’ve been getting so many new readers and new followers, especially on Instagram, over the last year.
But I’m finding that preparing social media content is way down my priority list. Right now I spend about 30% of my working hours on blog content. Then I have book writing and editing and interviews, and social media is what I do if I have some time at the end of the day.
And often I don’t have any time.
What I’d like to do is create more space for social media, and reach a new audience.
So I’ve decided that I’m going to stop posting on Tuesdays (more or less), and turn Friday’s post into a social media roundup (like “the best of” from the week). Then on Mondays I’ll post from whatever series we’re doing, and Wednesday will either be something from the series as well or just something important I want to talk about. And Thursdays, as always, will be the podcast.
In short:
New Blogging Schedule:
- Monday: The Monthly Series!
- Tuesday; Off (Please check out Instagram or Facebook instead!) (although I may still post if the mood strikes and I’m passionate about something
- Wednesday: My Passion Post (either about the series or something else that’s pressing)
- Thursday: Podcast
- Friday: “The Best Of” RoundUp
My team and my family (and many of you) have been encouraging me to do this for a few years now, but I resisted because I always have all of these things that I’d like to write about, and I have an endless list of blog post ideas.
But I’m going to take a lot of those ideas and create long Facebook or Instagram posts (or Twitter threads) instead.
I’d just like to be more present where people actually hang out. And with the baby coming any day now, it seemed like a good time to make the change!
Remember that you can subscribe to our weekly round-ups, or even our individual blog posts.
Get them by email so you don’t miss anything!
Oh, and more exciting news…
So a little birdie (well, really my daughter Katie who does the podcast editing and uploading) has told me that we could easily pass 1,000,000 downloads of the podcast by the end of the year.
I’ll be talking more about this later, but that’s another reason I’d like more breathing room. My podcasts are listened to by about 4 times as many people who read a blog post. So I’d like to make sure I’m putting enough brain power into planning them!
And if you can start subscribing and downloading past episodes and listening, then that will help us get to 1,000,000 even more quickly!
What should I do when I get to 1,000,000? Any ideas? Any particular guests you’d like to see on the podcast? What should be our celebration podcast? Or any particular giveaways you’d like? Let me know, because I’d love to figure out something awesome!
Sheila Wray Gregoire
Founder of To Love, Honor and Vacuum
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I would love to see a collaboration between you and Phil Vischer! The two of you have been giving me a lot of life this last year. ❤
YES! Love this Emily! Sheila and team and the Holy Post podcast have helped me with my spiritual journey this year. If only I’d known about them several years ago.
I would love that too! Keep reaching out to him on social media and mention me as a potential guest. We’ve tried to reach out to no avail so far! He’s likely just busy.
So help me understand something – is the benchmark of popularity of a podcast only in # of downloads? I listen, but rarely download since my internet is pratty reluable to places I drive.
Yeah, plays don’t count. Only downloads. But if you can’t download–that’s okay! We likely have 3-4 times as many plays as downloads.
I hope your new programme of posting works well for you. I won’t comment on Facebook as I don’t feel comfortable doing so on such a public platform, but I’ll still be reading!
Thank you!
I love this! Reaching the most people while still respecting your time. (I’m part of the group that loves social media and not so much blog posts. Although I do read them when I see them on Facebook 😂😂)
Your sphere of influence has definitely been growing and as a 20 something, this is my only blog. But im not a normal young person….. I got off all social media except for a less addictive/slower paced mewe. Otherwise I watch/listen to a lot of YouTube videos.
It’s been a fun part of my morning and see what you wrote about today! And Thursdays are always my favorite, though I don’t like change….at all. So I took a few months to start listening.
So I’m happy and sad, that there’s a change.
I’m saying there will be no Tuesday post–but my family doesn’t actually believe that I’ll do that. 🙂 I always say these things and then I have things to say anyway!
Good for you. Most of social media presents people showing their best day as if it is their every day or their worst attitude about a social issue. Either way it can be toxic if you use it to gauge reality. It’s often a drive-by shooting of truth and facts rather than reality. Life in a sound bite. Keep doing what you’re doing. Read the why, not just the what. IG, Twitter and FB are full of what happened but often little of why. They and the MSM have killed journalism as a source of fact and truth. They all print opinion without informing you of the why and how so you can come to your own conclusion.
Can you imagine God Tweeting out the wisdom of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, 280 characters at a time daily over a decade of better? When you lost context in the 7th year you could always scroll back. There’s something to be said for information in print in large chunks.
I’m only talking about taking a day off of blogging, Dan, and spending a bit more time doing Instagram Lives!
How about Beth Allison Barr to talk about patriarchy modern(?) advent? Or Aimee Byrd to talk about cyber bullying and how she decided to leave the OPC?
Or Phil Vischer/Skye Jethani (as already suggested!) to talk about….well, whatever……as long as you get a holy post theme song treatment!
Beth Barr is coming up on November 18 I think! We recorded a few months ago, but I’m doing a big webinar with Kristin du Mez and Beth Barr on November 30 I think!
Thought you could get rid of me eh Sheila? 🤣🤣. I am not on Facespace or MyBook. Nor am I “on the ‘gram”. So I guess I will just have to read the Friday posts to find out whats going on in the social media sphere. The blog here does have a good commenting community. Please don’t forget about us. As for ideas for a milestone pod cast………Josh Harris maybe?
Oh, I’m only not posting on Tuesday! Everything else stays the same. 🙂 And I’m not going to forget you all. 🙂
With all due respect, Joshua Harris still has a lot of deconstructing to do before he gives out more “expert” advice. It showed up very quickly after he became more public again and still continues.
I think Chris may have been joking about Josh Harris. I took it as a joke so I hope he was 😅
Bare Marriage swag! Water bottles, etc. I’d love a t-shirt with an awesome quip to use as a discussion starter.
We’re working on merch! Thank you!
Maybe Beth Allison Barr to talk about patriarchy modern (?) advent? Or Aimee Byrd on cyber bullying and her decision to fight inside and then to leave the OPC?
And yes, as suggested before, The Holy Post people! As long has they gave you the theme song treatment!
Aagh! Sorry for the repeat. I don’t know how these comment things work. And I’m a millennial! Maybe I should stick to FB and IG! Lol!
Hey Sheila:
I would like to see Patrick Weaver on the podcast.
Definitely! I’ll get him really soon. 🙂
This is who I was going to suggest as well.
I think this is great! There is so much good content in your blog that I’m sure topics could be revisited in smaller pieces on social platforms.
One thing I have wondered about is if you’ve thought about compiling all of the blog series into a comprehensive sex ed book. I think an index with all the challenges to great sex in one place would be fabulous. Everything from puberty talks with kids to the golden years of marriage. It’s on your blog but it would be great in a book! I know it would be a giant project 😉 Just wishful thinking!
Sounds terrific Sheila!
How about some with ordinary people, instead of so called celebrities, who have amazing stories; of growth and healing?
I’m always inspired by forward thinking and the moving forward of real people.
It would be interesting to have Joshua Harris on your podcast.
Sounds like a great plan! I’m looking forward to the weekly roundup because I stay off social media most of the week but love your posts!
I’d love to hear Elyse Fitzpatrick as a guest!
Honestly, I don’t have a clue as to what you’d talk about, but Lundy Bancroft! We need male voices in this conversation and he definitely “gets” it.
Off topic: a few months ago the website said you would be in MN in December. And now, according to what I can see on the site, you have no future plans at all.
I’m not sure why it said MN! We had no plans once COVID started. I am planning Edmonton and Texas in February and likely Colorado in March. I’ll make more announcements about that later!
I’m totally good with whatever you need to do on your own platform, but one observation about the blog traffic dipping… the mobile version isn’t easy to navigate anymore. “Most recent posts” isn’t always the most recent, or it has the top post and then skips way down to some from months ago. “Read latest series” is the same— it seldom goes to the latest series, at least not all the posts in order. The link on each post for the comments doesn’t take me down to the comment section. I’m under 30 😉 and I still check your blog, but since the reformatting of it, it just hasn’t been a smooth user experience for me.
People I would love to see on the podcast–
Julianne Cusick (betrayal trauma)
Dr. Diane Langberg (abuse)
Ruth Everhart (how the church needs to respond to #MeToo and #ChurchToo)
Mac Cazeau (to talk about Gottman couples therapy)
Sarah McDugal
Kat Harris (being single)