Yes, Virginia, There IS a Perfect Length for a Blog Post!
“My blog posts are usually giraffe-like length.”
When my friend, Carrie Talbott, confessed her deep, dark secret, I replied, “Yes, but…”
Yes, but… your posts tell a story.
Yes, but… your posts are entertaining.
Yes, but… your posts show the real you.
All bloggers are slightly obsessed about the ideal length for a blog post.
(Learn why long posts – over 1,500 words – are trending.)
Carrie shared her two pesos:
“I used to think blog posts needed to be short to hold people’s attention. Then I read that they should be long for SEO. Then I read that somewhere in the middle is actually best. Then I felt like I was doing it all wrong and wanted to quit.
I’ve finally come to two conclusions:
- People read 800-page novels, so if your content is good enough, they’ll stick with you.
- Your posts should be as long as they need to be to get your point across, but no longer. Don’t use 2,000 words when you can communicate the same message in 900.
Now I write what works for me and serves my audience, knowing my goal is to write tight, relevant and compelling content. Period.”
Carrie nailed it.
Blog posts don’t have to be “the ultimate guide to everything you’ll ever need to know about my topic.”
Nor do they need to be a random thought-of-the-day, published solely for the sake of publishing something.
If you have something valuable to say that you sense will connect with your readers, say it.
If have nothing to say, don’t say it.
No matter how long or short your blog post, write tight. Make. Every. Word. Count.
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