You’re all excited because you’re creating something new – from the heart! It’s your baby. You’re eager to share your blog with the world. Yet the one question that keeps haunting you is: “How many posts should you have before you launch?”
The answer may surprise you.
As a blog coach, one of the key issues I see with new bloggers is this hesitancy to launch their blogs because they aren’t perfect. They get stuck in how the blog looks, or they feel like they don’t have enough content yet.
In this post, I’ll share with you some thoughts on doing a “soft launch” and a full launch of your blog. You’ll learn how many blog posts you actually should have before you officially launch your new blog.
I’ll also share some key tips on what to do when writing your first blog post.
And you’ll get a little bit of peace of mind! So, let’s get you started, determining the ideal number of blog posts before launch.
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How Many Posts Should You Have Before You Launch?
The question that’s haunting you!
I’m going to give you some peace of mind, quickly.
You can have zero.
But if you want to start with some content, at a minimum, have three published blog posts. They don’t have to be perfect.
You’re just a beginner. Your blog is a new one, and you’re just learning the ropes. You don’t need to hide behind the “Coming Soon” landing page.
Your launch strategy depends on what type of person you are: spontaneous, “let’s get going” type, or one that needs everything to be perfect and organized. There are two approaches:
- Soft Launch. This is where you have your blog public with just the basics and you’re creating content as you go. You can even start with 0 blog posts. Perfect for those eager to get started and who love to build as they go.
- Official Launch. When your blog has branding, published content and everything looking perfect. This strategy works better with those who want their blog to look professional from the start.
Both approaches are acceptable when you’re new to blogging.
While strategy matters, so do your own personal deadlines that you set for yourself. We’ll talk about that in a moment.
So what’s the answer to how many posts should you have before you launch? It’s really up to you.
However, I always recommended this approach with my coaching clients and Facebook group members: have about three posts, so you can do a soft launch. This gives you a chance to work out any issues before doing an official blog launch.
| RELATED: Key Steps Before Launching Your Blog For No Regrets Later
Soft Launch Approach To Launching A Blog
What is a soft launch? It’s a term used in retail and marketing where a product or a shop is made available to the public, even though it’s not perfected yet.
There are things to be completed and fixed before an “official launch”.
For a soft launch, you can have zero blog posts. This is 100% fine because you’re building and adding new content as you go.
However, to test how your blog looks when it’s live and to tweak things, have at least three blog posts up on the site.
They don’t have to be perfect. With a soft launch approach, you can do several things with these three blog posts:
- Check the blog post formatting. Create a “template” for a consistent look for your blog posts. This includes where you place Pinterest pin images, disclaimers, etc.
- Pay attention to visuals. Figure out your visual needs: e.g. the perfect size for your images, colour scheme, etc.
- Finetune the color palette. Test to see if your chosen colours for links contrast enough with the background
The soft launch approach helps you figure out any issues your site has before you officially launch it. It’s in the real world, so your friends can check it out and give you feedback.
Learn how to create a blog post template in WordPress with these tricks:
The Official Launch Approach For A New Blog
If you want to launch your new blog with everything looking perfect, here’s a mini check list:
- Have all your branding in place: your logo, favicon, feature image
- Write and publish key blog pages
- Include your legal pages — ideally in the footer
- Publish your first blog posts — at a minimum have three
This is the bare minimum for launching a blog.
If you want, you can also set up your email newsletter form. However, this isn’t a priority for completely new bloggers, as it’s something to focus on three to six months after launching your blog.
You now have two approaches: soft launches and official launches. Before you do any launching, you will need to create your first blog posts. Before you start writing, let’s look at key planning activities first.
Before Writing Choose Your Categories & Key Topics
Now that you know the answer to “How many posts should you have before you launch?”, let’s chat briefly about other key activities before you hit publish.
When you’re writing the posts for your new blog, it’s the perfect time to start figuring out your blog website structure. This is your blog categories and key topics (pillar topics).
Determining your categories from the start will help you organize your future blog posts and keep you on track.
Blog structure is important not only for SEO, but to help you keep focused on building topical authority, smartly.
I have a complete blog post on what blog categories are and how to determine the best ones for your niche.
As a rule of thumb, try to keep to a maximum of 3 to 5 main blog categories to start.
Do this activity before you write your first blog post. This means you’ll start blogging with intention and direction.
| Read More: What Are Blog Categories And Tags And How To Set Them Up In WordPress
Take Time To Plan Your Blog’s Content Focus
Start With A Cornerstone Blog Post
Once you have your categories and pillar topics, write a cornerstone blog post. This can be for one of your pillar topics and it should be a broad subject that includes many tips and insights. It’s important because it’s like an anchor for pillar posts and other posts.
An example of a cornerstone post for a self-care blog for moms can be: The Ultimate Guide To Self-Care For Busy Moms (for a self-care blog for moms).
This is your “WOW” blog post, that’s long (over 2,000 words), and full of insights, visuals and information that helps your reader answer a broad question.
It’s also important for building topic clusters (around a pillar post – also called a “hub” post).
Make it your priority to write one of these blog post types after launching a blog.
PRO TIP: Don’t forget to add visuals, including Pinterest pin images, so that your readers can easily share your posts to Pinterest. Use a plugin that includes a Pin It button, such as WP Tasty Pins (also makes it super easy to add pin titles and descriptions to your pin images so that they are Pinterest SEO optimized!).
Need Pinterest pin templates to design those pins quickly? Here are 10 free templates you can use with Canva:
| RELATED: Common Blogging Mistakes And How To Fix Them
Why You Should Never “Borrow” Content From Other Bloggers
Write Three Great Blog Posts That Resonate With Readers
One of the mistakes I see many new bloggers make is to write a ”Hello!” blog post as their first blog post.
The one that tells readers why they started their blog. Bluntly put, your audience doesn’t care. This information should be briefly mentioned on your About Me page instead.
Learn about writing your first blog post like a pro and impress your readers from the start.
Don’t make the same mistake I made many years ago when I started my lifestyle blog – Suburban Tourist.
Although you may be new to blogging, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try to start off with blog posts that actually help your readers.
The blogs answer a question your readers may be struggling with and need to be answered.
Why do I recommend this approach?
Because you want to start populating your blog from the start with blog posts that will start ranking in Google searches.
Work on three posts that:
- Answer your readers’ burning questions – what is a popular problem your key audience has?
- Are well researched and are over 1000 words long (this will keep readers on your site longer, which is good for SEO)
- Include keywords and follow good SEO on-page practices
Your first blog posts will be ones that you will come back to again to improve and tweak over time.
A good practice over time is to update old blog posts. It keep keywords fresh (helping you to keep ranking in Google searches) and your content up-to-date.
Learn SEO As Soon As Possible
It may seem overwhelming at first, but learning the basics of SEO is important. It will help jumpstart Google indexing your blog sooner and it improves your opportunities to rank in searches faster.
Start your SEO journey with my FREE 5-day SEO course, sent directly to your email inbox:
Want to jump right in and learn more about SEO?
You can get an in-depth introduction by reading my ebook – Optimize It: A Guide To SEO For Blogs – written for beginners who want to learn and get started.
PRO TIP: In addition to learning SEO, join a few Facebook groups for bloggers and start promoting your blog content! It’s a great way to jumpstart blog traffic.
Commonly Asked Questions About How Many Blog Posts You Need Before Launching
Do I need at least 5 posts to rank?
No. What matters more is what keywords you’re using, the length and quality of your content and whether your post answers the question properly.
Will Google penalize me for launching with 1 post?
No. Google is still learning about your site. Creating a proper blog structure is important right now — including blog categories and interlinked blog posts on topic clusters. Google and search engines take time to learn about your topical authority. Publish great blog content, keep it fresh and over time you’ll see your posts ranking well.
How long before my site gets indexed after launch?
It can take search engines anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to properly crawl and index your site. To speed up indexing, ensure you have submitted your sitemap to Google. Use Google Search Console to do so for Google. Bing has its own Webmaster tools that allow you to submit sitemaps too.
Write Your First Blog Posts Confidently
Decide on whether you want to do a soft launch for your blog (recommended) or wait until you have enough content for a full launch.
Write with the intention to succeed! Remember, a great blog takes time to build, promote and grow. Yours will be a success if you have a plan and blog goals in place.
You’re new to blogging: don’t be so hard on yourself.
To understand more about how to write blog posts, read my tips on drafting and formatting blog posts for a great reading experience.
And remember, you aren’t writing for yourself. You are writing for readers. Make it something of value to them.
Launching a blog is an exciting thing, but it’s always wise to have a plan in place, including understanding your target audience (your reader), having a content strategy and blog structure.
Immerse yourself in all things blog writing. A few more great resources for you as you start blogging:
- 15 Ways To Make Your New Blog Look Professional
- How To Create A Blog Logo Quickly And Easily
- Over 100+ Lifestyle Blog Post Ideas – Perfect For Beginners
- How To Write A Great Blog Post Your Readers Will Love
- Key Types Of Blog Posts You Can Write For Your Readers
- How To End A Blog Post In An Engaging, Smart Way
Happy blogging!
QUESTION: Tell me how many posts you launched with — and what results you’ve seen!
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Hi Margaret,
I’m so glad I discovered your post about the “soft launch approach” right when I was overwhelmed by all the info online about needing at least 10 posts to rank for SEO. Your advice felt so realistic and reassuring—it helped ease the pressure I put on myself. I love how humble and practical your recommendations are! I now feel confident about launching my website with 6 blog posts. Thank you!
Never put pressure on yourself with your blog! It’s going to be a long journey, so why not enjoy it? Rushing things you’ll make mistakes and get disheartened. Small wins. And six posts is a VERY GOOD start. Get out there and enjoy the blogging journey!
I like you’re answer to this question, and it definitely did ease my mind. Knowing my hectic life, when I do get a chance to create blog posts, I will probably shoot for several at once, so that if I find a few weeks go by without being able to do this, I’ll still have content to post. Originally, I was going to try to have 12-15 blog posts comprised before launching. Not now! Thank you, I am so excited to get started!
Hi Julia! I’m glad to have eased your mind. You can always write several in advance, and then schedule to post one a week to give you some time inbetween to promote them over a span of a few weeks. Great idea to have several “in the hopper”.
I just found your blog today as I start the process of creating my own blog and I could cry at all the amazing info you’re providing! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Thank you so much for all the great information. I’m still a baby blogger so this was super helpful.
We all had to start somewhere! Glad to share the info and tips!
Thanks, Margaret, for all your inspirational and informative posts. I started with about 17, but some weren’t long enough. And over time, when I had some spare time, I added more content. Blogging is certainly a learning process.
Thank you, Christine! I agree – I’m still learning something new every day!
I started with zero. Nice to know I got something right! Just wanted to start and not worry about having everything perfect beforehand…
Thanks for sharing this…
Sometimes that’s the best approach – less stress! Just go with the flow.
So informative! I wish I had discovered this article when I was just getting started. I put a lot of pressure on myself trying to get everything perfect before launching AND have 10 quality posts to boot. Looking back, I wish I would’ve launched sooner and tweaked things as I went. As it turns out, I’m still tweaking things anyway as I learn new strategies and approaches 😉 Thank you for sharing!
Exactly! The tweaking never stops. I still tweak my site every week as well. 🙂 Glad to see this resonated with you!
Thank you for the info. Very helpful. I’m just starting my blog. I sometimes don’t know what direction to go. I wonder if I’m actually ready to show. This is really helping me go in the right direction.
You’re welcome Nikki! It can be overwhelming, trying to figure out if you’re doing the right thing. I hope this helps you feel more confident as a blogger!