Let’s jump right in: you’re in the midst of creating a riveting blog post. You’ve crafted a compelling topic, fine-tuned your research, and created a solid draft. But there’s one lingering question — how long should your blog post actually be?
The Importance of Blog Length for Reader Engagement
The blog length, or “content length” or “article length”, plays a significant role in engaging your readers. It impacts the time a visitor spends on your page, influences the level of detail you can go into, and even affects your ranking on search engine results.
Content type is important in determining how long an article should be — if you’re explaining something complex or detailed then a lengthy piece gives you better opportunity to explain things properly and provide extra context.
On the other hand, simple topics or summarizing research results might work best as shorter blogs since people don’t need too many details here; they just want information without all excess words slowing them down!
Maximizing Impact with Longer Posts
There’s something to be said about longer blog posts. Not only do these provide more in-depth information for your readers, but search engines tend to favor lengthier, well-written posts. It’s also easier to repurpose long form content.
Longer posts often indicate that the content is detailed, comprehensive, and valuable, qualities that can significantly boost your blog’s visibility. Additionally, longer posts allow for more opportunities to include keywords naturally, which can bolster your SEO efforts.
Balancing Content Length and Writing Time
Here’s a common pitfall: you’re so focused on churning out long, informative posts that you neglect the importance of your writing time. Producing quality content takes time and effort, and this directly relates to the length of your blog post — no questions asked.
Sidenote:
I’m nearing the end of a writing challenge that involves doing the following every day:
reading 10 pages of non-fiction
writing 3 tweets
writing an article on Medium
taking a snap shot of the work I’ve done and post it to Twitter
I’m on day 53/66 and I’m burned out. I started writing long form content on Medium (to test the waters) and now for the last few days, I’m down to short form content, not because of analytics tells me to, but because I just don’t have the energy or time anymore.
And before you say that I shouldn’t sacrifice my self-care for this challenge, I hear you and I appreciate your support, but I’m seeing it to the end. I’m so close and quitting now would make me feel worse.
Let’s continue…
If you find yourself pouring an outrageous amount of time into a single article, it might be worth questioning its length.
- Can you deliver the same value in fewer words?
- Can you break it down into a series of shorter posts instead?
Always aim for a balance between content length and writing time.
Tips for Determining Optimal Blog Post Length
So, how do you find the ‘optimal sweet spot’ for your article length?
Here are a few tips:
Who Are you Writing For? Above any other tip, knowing your audience is the place to start.
Understanding your audience’s preferences, interests, and reading habits is key. Short posts may work better for readers seeking quick information, while long-form content may be more appealing to those wanting comprehensive insight.
If your reader, a busy working mom, rushes through her day juggling tasks like a professional circus performer. For her, a quick weeknight recipe needs to be just that — quick! A 2,000-word culinary saga would probably be a bit too much on her overflowing plate.
Imagine another scenario: your reader, a stay-at-home mom, has finally got the kiddos off to school. With a hot cup of coffee in hand and a peaceful house, she might enjoy diving into that longer, more detailed blog post.
Remember, the length of your content should consider who your reader is and what her day looks like. It’s all about creating a perfect fit for her lifestyle!
Consider your topic: Deep dives and technical subjects often demand more detailed, longer posts. On the other hand, simple tips and tricks, or entertaining content may be better suited for shorter, more digestible reads.
Analyze your data: Use your analytics to guide your decisions. Which of your posts get the most engagement or shares? Is there a correlation between the length of your posts and reader interaction? Let the data speak to you.
Wrapping it Up
In the quest for the perfect blog post length, remember that quality should never be sacrificed for quantity. It’s less about reaching a specific word count and more about delivering valuable, engaging content for your readers.
So, why not experiment a bit? Try out varying post lengths, analyze your results, and tweak your approach based on your findings. Give these strategies a whirl, and discover what the optimal blog post length is for your content and your audience.
Until next time, stay inspired!
Gisèle
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