Blogging: Is Shorter Better?

Posted by Jessica Madrazo on April 28, 2009

As you’ve probably noticed, blogs are getting shorter and shorter as the years progress. Blog entries are limited to 250 with a maximum of 500 words, and the gaps between paragraphs are forever bombarded and drowned with images. Is this due to the fact that bloggers are getting lazier, or is there an underlying principle behind this word count cut?

Maybe there is. There could be several reasons for this trend, both on the blogger, and the reader. Placing myself on the reader’s shoes, if I were to read something I was interested in, I would probably stick to it for as long as I can, until I get bored. However, if I were to read something I was interested in, and the article happen to be as amusing, then, I’ll make it a point to finish the entire read.

The point is, there aren’t too many blogs out there who can actually deliver all informative, long and fun. If there were, they would probably have monotinized their niche. If unable to deliver these three, the reader would jump to a blog that’s just as informative, but more interesting than yours. There are millions out there, and all very likely to be found. Attention has to be caught early on, or the reader will be lost half-way through the article. Even I would ditch some articles I used to appreciate if I got the same ideas presented in something shorter.

On the other side of the wall, bloggers also have something to benefit from shorter entries aside from having more time to do other things. One is being able to write more than an article a day. Drafting, editing, and finalizing a really long article takes a very long time. Write shorter entries and be able to reach around 3 or 4 blogs a day. Since your ideas are pieced, there are less chances of not being able to write at all. Stuffing a lot of ideas into a single article could lead to a burn out, and you could end up digging for ideas on the next article.

Another thing you should also consider is that readersare most likely looking for specific information. The drill would be to scan the article for their search terms, and with long articles, it will prove to be a daunting task. Hence, they move on to something shorter and concise.

Before you decide that short is for you, keep in mind that it should be matched with quality information. The term is brief; short, and direct to the point. So, is shorter better?