How long should my blog post be?
In the daily business of our lives, we want to receive information quickly and in easy to read format. We don't always have time to sit down and read through a 1,000 word article. Sometimes we need the bare bone facts and not long introductions and funny anecdotes. That’s not to say that the quality and quantity of content is not an important factor, because it is, but so is usability. It’s important to consider your audience and provide the information they seek in the format they prefer, where and when they want it.
Most of us have a smartphone to search for information and it just doesn’t make sense to have lengthy bits of content to scroll through. Not only do we not have the time, our attention spans are much shorter. We need small chunks of content that is easy for our eyes to digest and this provides marketers with all kinds of opportunities to approach their audience. Every word counts when you have limited space to capture the attention of your audience. When it comes to promoting products or services on a tiny screen, get rid of all the fluff and get straight to the point. It will pay off in the end to give your audience the information they need as quickly as possible, such as price and key features.
Format is also very important. Make sure your content is split into readable sections. Bullet points, bolding words, and underlining can also help to break up text, not to mention help capture the important points you want to convey to your audience. Catchy titles and headlines also help draw a reader in. Since you have less words to make your point, you need to make sure your content is easy to understand in or out of context.
While quick and dirty content is gaining in popularity, it is not replacing longer form pieces. The two can co-exist quite easily. People may use their smartphone or tablet to gain quick access to information, but they will also have a desktop available for more relaxed reading when they are at home or work. At the end of the day, it’s not about creating content of a specific length, but about doing what best fits the need of your audience. Use that creative brain of yours to figure out which type of content you are going for. If the topic needs longer coverage, go for it, but if you are marketing to someone on the go, be short and concise.