Every year around this time, bloggers everywhere are quietly asking the same question:
“Is anyone even reading right now?”
I get it. Your traffic dips. Comments come to a slow crawl. The dashboard grows stiller than silent night. So it’s easy to wonder where everyone has gone or if publishing during the Christmas season is worth the effort.
Let me offer a word of perspective and encouragement, if I may.
Yes, Fewer People Read (Briefly)
It’s true: during Christmas week, many blogs see a drop in page views.
People are traveling, shopping, gathering. They are sitting around tables engaged in face to face conversation. They are worshipping. Some are grieving. Others are resting and intentionally unplugging.
Attention shifts away from screens and toward presence.
A dip in traffic does not mean a dip in impact.
What Actually Changes Is How People Read
During the holidays, reading patterns change more than interest does.
People:
- Read more slowly
- Save posts for later
- Linger quietly without commenting
- Read late at night or early in the morning
- Engage privately rather than publicly
Listening deepens as the noise decreases.
This Is a Season for a Different Kind of Writing
Holiday blogging isn’t about volume or virality. It’s about faithfulness and tone.
This is a season that welcomes:
- Short reflections
- Gentle encouragement
- Naming weariness, grief, and quiet joy
- Writing that feels like sitting beside someone rather than teaching from a podium
In other words, it’s not the time to shout. It’s the time to whisper truth.
Why You Should Still Publish
Some of the most meaningful posts are read by:
- One tired worker
- One grieving soul
- One person searching for God in the margins of a busy season
They may never comment. They may never share. But they may carry your words with them into the new year. Isn’t that worth something?
Our faithful presence matters more than the visible response we receive. After all, faith is not seeing. It’s believing confidently that God is at work in every season.
A Word for Bloggers Who Feel Discouraged
If you’re watching the numbers decline this week and you’re feeling deflated, remember that this is not a low-impact season. It’s a low-noise season.
God often does His greatest work when fewer people are watching.
So write.
Not to chase metrics.
Not to beat an algorithm.
But to remain present, obedient, and open-handed. Receive what God is giving.
The readers who need your words are still out there. They’re just listening more quietly right now.
Until my next post…
Be salty, stay lit.
Rainer Bantau —The Devotional Guy™
You can now find my articles in The Christian Grandfather Magazine.
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The Devotional Guy™ 
True, true. Thanks, Barb. I appreciate your input.
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Exactly! Sometimes the process of writing in and of itself is just the thing I need to work through something. Even if nobody else reads or responds, the post has achieved its purpose.
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This is true, David. I appreciate that perspective. It helps us, the writer, as much if not more than the reader. God works on us first, generally. Thanks for reading and sharing this insight.
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Yes, a very thoughtful and accurate post. I stopped chasing my metrics after Word Press started their “pay-to-play” campaign—I think it’s called “Blaze?” I like how you said our writing is valuable if it makes a difference to one person. Sometimes the one person can even be the writer themselves!
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Thank you, Alan.
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I’m so sorry, Barb. This time of year leads into long days for Terri. So I can relate on some level. Blessings.
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Thank you my friend.
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This is a thoughtful post for sure, thank you brother 😊
God bless you and your family today 🙏
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My boss is off this week, which means I’m working 12-hour days with little time to do anything else. Thank you for your encouragement.
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Love this!
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