With all the content punching us in the face at every turn, click, and swipe, we barely have time to take in a Tweet without having to move on.
Read an entire article? Forget it.
This is why it’s crucial to capture and hold a reader’s attention. A to-the-point, educational blog post is more attractive than a dissertation (to me, at least).
Sure, almost all blog-writing-tip websites will tell you a title with a number in it is catchier than one without. But who has time for 75 Tips for Dunking a Donut so the Sprinkles Don’t Fall Off or 101 Ways to Style Kid Rock-like Hair for a Wedding*?
Not many unretired people.
So, keep it brief. Single digits seem much more digestible, don’t they? Even if your list gets into the teens (or, hell, above 20), keep the text brief. For example, check out LinkedIn’s 21 Great Tips on Writing Blog Posts—there are 21, but they’re each only one line. Also, make sure each number is really worth it. If you can consolidate a couple points, even better.
Steer clear of unnecessarily large words. And don’t pack too much into one thought. Simply put, short sentences win.
There are general guidelines about how lengthy a blog post should be, but the most notable should be: give your readers as much as they need. Don’t hold yourself to a word count, but don’t bore readers with extraneous information that isn’t really related.
There will be times when a topic calls for a lengthier post. According to the same LinkedIn tips, “short can be sweet but long can be epic!” If a post seems too long, though, consider divvying up the content into two parts or a blog series.
The point is to encourage visitors to come back to your blog, not for them to pass out at their desks.
Got any (brief) tips to add?
*This is purely hypothetical. Everyone knows there are 0 ways.
