Click my logo to ask me a question!
We live in a fast moving world with a huge amount of information being thrown at us from all quarters. The 21st century is evolving into the age of facts and figures, constantly bombarding prospective audiences from ever-increasing sources reached by rapidly developing technology devices.
Therefore does the web-savvy reader have time to plough through a thesis every time a blog post is published? Twitter has introduced the quick-fire communication values and this has been taken up with gusto, though not always used within the best methodology.
Therefore I ask the question: do you value a long post with lots of ideas, or would you rather be greeted with short, rapidly produced missives that hit home with an idea or concept that gets you thinking to stimulate a suitable response?
And if you have a subject that requires a lot of explaining or with many scenarios to explore, why not split it up into a series combined with cliff-hangers to encourage your visitors to return for the next instalment?
Producing a short blog post requires great skill, as not many of us would feel only a few well chosen words would provide enough added value. But if you do feel brave enough to take the plunge, as Seth Godin does on a daily basis, it would be worth evaluating whether it results in a more frequently visited blog.
Latest posts by Alice (see all)
- How SEO uses the human factor - Thursday 23 May 2013
- OMG, I’ve been doing SEO all wrong! - Wednesday 22 May 2013
- Grab my sidebar badge now! - Friday 17 May 2013
I think the answer depends on the topic, among other things. For example, a blog on economic policy cannot rest solely on bromides, and must take the time to explain and dig deep into the issues. On the other hand, there is something like xkcd.com which can be read in only a few seconds (alright, the postings took much longer to create), but enjoys a wide audience.
If you have to write a blog that ‘digs deep into the issues’, spare a thought for the reader, and deal out these insights in smaller amounts. There is nothing wrong with serialising your posts, as the promise for more will encourage your followers to visit again for the next instalment. And breaking down a complex topic into more accessible chunks will make it much easier to digest, and you could probably go into more detail if necessary.