Discussions
Long Posts Suck
Posted by bloggernoob • 5/14/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blogging
I'm not a fan of lengthy posts. I don't like writing them, and i certainly never read them. I know it's all about preference, but there should be a standard right. Look at movies, most of them are 90 mins long. Or pop singles. Can't go over 3 min. What do you think should be the standard, garden variety blog post length?
User Comments
-
It really comes down to content... As, I read your post outloud to my wife (Truthoughts), we were discussing it and we both came up with "it depends"...
1. Subject matter - Some subjects require longer post by nature of their content.
2. Writer - If someone is a good writer, then a reader can get lost in their post and find themselves a full page or two down and not even realize it. Where as a bad writer makes it difficult to get through their first paragraph without it being agonizing.-
good argument, but no answer or suggestion. Just a "it depends". Hmm.
-
touche' - your question was actually about standard, garen variety... so, pushed for an answer I would say, "2 to 3 paragraphs max".
Here is why:
Most people get overwhelmed with a post that scrolls down past their open window. So, short bursts, will keep them interested, and hopefully coming back for more. (I wanted to write more, but my wife warned me that my reply would get too long.)
How's that? -
excellent!
-
-
It should be as long as it takes to tell ones story or explain ones' point of view. -
I think the standard is 250-500 words. If I was going to set one it would be 300 words.
One reason I think this is the evolving standard is that if you look at the freelancer boards webmasters hiring writers for blog post almost always set a minimum of about 250 or 300 words, if they provide a range it is often 250 to 500 words.
There is a wide spread belief that 250 words is the minumin length for a post to rank well with google. -
I agree with those who say 'content' - If it's interesting enough to write then it should be interesting enough to read. Length isn't everything, it's what you do with it that matters.
Incidentally as for the 3 minute music track - I don't think any of the best I've ever heard are under 5 minutes.
Blogs will hold my attention as long as the writing is interesting.
Ben-
I've heard that line before OzScot, but you're correct. Length isn't everything. Now, I tend to disagree on the music portion as there were so many Beatles hits that were, in fact, under three minutes. Both my husband and I are musicians and we discussed this very subject, not too long ago. Content is the main ingredient.
-
LOL Theresa - funnily enough I had a Beatles song in my mind when I posted that - 'Hey Jude' - then there's 'Like a Hurricane' Neil Young, 'Stairway to Heaven' and so on and so forth - Oh and Golden Slumbers by the Beatles
As for his comments about movies - again 'Dances with Wolves' which lasted for three days or so lol - 'The Untouchables' over two hours and of course for any Scotsman a true winner in 'Braveheart' - three hours.
That's not to say that anything under those times can't be a winner - It's just one of those things where my own personal favs tend to be longer.
I think maybe I'm digressing from the thread theme lol - Sorry!
Ben -
I am a lover of long songs and movies as long as they do not drone on and on and on and on.
-
oh yeah, this thread is getting interesting. as far as music, i think we can all agree that most of the stuff out there is for commercial gain. the music that they put out now, are all prepackaged stuff. Boyband stuff. And beatles fans might disagree with me here, but weren't they the first packaged "boy band"? I don't know what i'm talking about here. just playing devils advocate.
As far as movies, i know some stuff. i studied film and i'm a lover of all things cinema. I think there's a relationships with dreams. the length of a film is calculated by attention spans and dream sequences. The standard is 90 mins or shorty, but there are a few gems that go beyond. braveheart, dances, untouchables, all great examples. but those are outliers. most films would suffer if they tired to stretch it out. the industry also would have a stroke, cause they would make less money. Sell less tickets per day, etc.
The reality of all this is that art, is always mixed with economics. can't distribute it if no ones paying for it. In a way, it sucks that bloggers are starting to make money. It kills the rebel, indi jounalist vibe. It's all about making money.
What did i just write? it's almost 3am here, i gotta get some sleep
-
-
In some posts i agree but its best to always just say what you have to say then end the post. If it involves alot of writing break up into paragraphs and use many pics to keep reader going down the page. -
meh.
anyone who "can't" read a long post is a lazy sod.
it's true that reading on the screen is different from reading a printed page - but if the writing is decent and the content is interesting, it shouldn't matter.
expand your attention span! exercise your mind! read long posts!-
Long posts tend to be overwhelming to most. Short posts, if to the point, are just as good as far as blogs go. Then you have many people who blog that don't even know what they are doing. Here is an example.
hongkongwillie.blogspot.com
You probably won't get past the first post. -
You can complain about the reading habits of blog readers, but you can't change them, and unless you realize this, you're going to have a tough time finding readers.
-
-
I'd say, somewhere around 500 words, with optional extra content hidden or behind a cut. Unless it's in bullet points or very clear paragraphs with subtitles, then it could be longer.
I never read long posts, and don't usually write them either. It's the internet, things are supposed to move fast -
I have the hardest time reading long posts if it's just one huge paragraph.-
Thegoodknife you're absolutely right - for ease of reading it has to be broken up into sections or at least punctuated with an image...I can't read sentence after sentence without a break somewhere...just can't.
Ben -
I agree goodknife, when it's not broken up it's hard on the eyes, I am always amazed at Wiggy he can tell a story in 2 paragraphs or less , it amazes me
wigwam2theorem.wordpress.com
-
-
I am accustomed to reading through contracts, so just about any length is ok with me, just as long as it's good - Nards
-
Garden variety - we like! Our blog is a virtual garden afterall...
For us it depends on the content -as we blogged our detox diaries the posts are longer than usual - we normally GO! for 2 paras max and sometimes the most effective are 1-2 lines long.
Often the most important part of the post is encouraging a response.
www.gosmelltheflowers.com -
It depends on the content of the post. I'm a busy person and I'd rather read 3-4 paragraph of blog post. But if the post is really interesting, I can go beyond that.
So I say the standard blog post length would be 3-4 paragraphs. -
I tend to think posts which are just a paragraph or two were designed just to slap something up there without fully-fleshing out a story, point or argument. (An over-generalization, yes, admittedly).
So many topics are extremely difficult to cover creatively, uniquely or reveal a writer's voice/style at only a paragraph or two.
I tend to write longer posts, highly broken down by very short paragraphs. And this seems to be attracting folks who want a full 300 word story, and will take the time to read.
I'm happy with that.-
I agree.
When I am researching something and a promising site turns out to be two or three paragraphs (usually buried in a stinking cloud of ads), I am invariably disappointed. I often think "that's it?" and may even scroll past the ads to see if there is more content or a page jump further down.
I feel the same way about blogs. There are very few topics that can be adequately or interestingly covered in a paragraph or two. Those always leave me with questions or wanting more info. I never bookmark or return to blogs like this.
I think it is part of the "sound byte" culture which, to me, denotes laziness on the part of both the writer and the reader. I write longish posts and I prefer to read longer posts that actually contain more than a truncated rehash of stuff I've already read elsewhere.
-
-
Sometimes when it comes to tutorials i am interested with, i don't really mind long posts. however, id prefer 300/400 words only. -
Well short post with lots of pictures always interesting. Long post with an interesting story always worst to read -
Long post with an interesting story always worst to read
you're kidding, right? -
I agree I like photos to break up posts on blogs. -
I hate them. Hate them so much that a lot of times I'll stop reading in the middle of a post if I have to keep scrolling past pictures to find the rest of the post. Good writing carries you along--interruptions pull you out of that stream and you have to start all over again on the other side. Usually, once you've been yanked out of the "story" it's not worth trying to work your way back in...especially if you know it's going to happen again forthwith.
-
-
I like long posts, so long as the post is broken up.
Don't get me wrong, I'll read short posts, but it isn't something that will make me come back again and again.
Unless it's about tech stuff, in which case I want short and sweet
I think a standard of about 500 words is about right (even though I go WAY over that). That is what the online publishers require - about 500 words for the shorter blog style publications, longer for online actual publications. -
I think a post should be as long as it needs to be to say what your trying to say. Like most people have said It's all in the quality of the writing, If something is brilliantly written I don't want to stop reading so I'm happy with very long posts.
Having said that most of my posts run out at about 500 words.-
Wow, you write too?
-
Shut up you bloody anarchist!
-
Cranky today, are we?
-
I'm always kranky I'm incontinent, have four very short legs and eat ants for a living, have you any idea what it is like to snort ants??
I wouldn't mind so much but 78.2 per cent of every nose full of ants I snort is dirt.
-
-
I would have to say that in general, I prefer to read posts that will only take a few minutes. 3~4 mins tops.
On the other hand, when I'm looking for a how~to on a particular subject I prefer more detail, images, etc. Length is not an issue in that case. -
It all depends on what you write about,I prefer longer posts to shorter ones, afterall it is your blog and you can do what you like, and it will mosly depend on he reader on wether they want to read it or not. -
If it's a topic in which I'm truly interested, well written and with good information, THE LONGER THE BETTER! -
I tend to keep mine 3 paragraphs because I am so limited on time. I will read long post if the subject is of interest to me. There is one blog I read that has had a subject span over 5 days long, with 6-7 long paragraphs in each post. I read all 5 days before my 2nd cup of coffee -
Depends. I dislike short posts sometimes since I feel they just touch the topic and this is it. Sometimes, when writing about something I need more "space" so that I can explain all the details. Just making too many short posts might mislead the reader. I would leave such a site in an instant since I like my info to be presented fast, so that I don't have to click on 10 more links to get the idea. Again .. it depends. Some posts need to be short since making them too long would just "inflate" them artificially, others need to be longer so that you can present all the info and not have it truncated. -
I concurr, my attention span is uh.... -
I typically don't like long posts, however there's some writers I have no problem at all reading what they have written. It probably scares off new readers, but I enjoy them. It seems like too many writers drone on and on and on. Those tend to be the ones that use their blogs as a personal diary. That's cool, but not something I really want to read.
I'm terrible about long posts, but it's been some of my longer ones that I've received the best feedback. I deal with a serious subject, but try to make it light and entertaining. This typically results in me writing in a story-like format, which is hard to do in 2 or 3 paragraphs.
My post yesterday was about 7 paragraphs and I think it was the right length for what I had to say. As others have said, it should be as long as necessary. As long as you aren't putting people to sleep they'll likely hang around until the last word. -
As a writer of ridiculously lengthy NBA game recaps, the answer seems obvious. When it's appropriate, go for it. When you're writing about Papa John's 23 cent pizzas, calm down. I've had nothing but positive feedback on my game recaps. Readers from overseas appreciate the opportunity to experience the game in detail. Interesting topic - thanks for starting this discussion. -
What's it going to be like tomorrow? I think it will be difficult to delve into a human rights issue in 2 or 3 paragraphs, unless you just have links to various websites.
I think some people will learn that sometimes writing a long post is necessary. -
I only read my own blog so I have time for the long posts I write. -
vanity is a sin offended. Didn't you watch "devil's advocate" whoo ahh!
-
-
There should be no "standard." Enough stuff in this world is getting moderated or having rules set without including blogs. If I wanna get lengthy because I think that's what it takes to tell the story or review and I'm the only person who reads it, that's fine with me. -
Apparently size matters to some.
I'll read a blog of any length if the writer uses paragraphs. It's difficult sometimes to read one that has no apparent breaks in it. Hard to decipher them.
By the way, American Pie (big hit of the '70's) was around 7 minutes long, and the movie Titanic was at least as long as the actual voyage. -
There are a lot of things you can do to make longish posts more readable:
--Use bulleted points where applicable
--Use subtitles or transition words in bold
--Break your sentences so the more important lines are first in a paragraph, or are stand-alone
--Write shorter paragraphs-
Yes, a massive block of text in one paragraph will make me go away. That's true. If I can't get my eyes to see the text, I can't read it, no matter how interesting it might be.
-
Yes, these are the basics of "writing for the web".
Can't say I always follow them, but I try.
Visually I try to keep my paragraphs short though. And I try to drastically and heartlessly cut out words and sentences whenever I can in my draft process.
-
-
It makes a big difference if there are well defined paragraphs, and i agree about bullets, Thriftshopromantic!!!
I don't post long entries as a rule, i want to write a nice little gem and keep 'em coming back for more!-
That's certainly an excellent goal for writing.
-
-
I know I'm in the minority, but I really dislike short posts unless they're just quick comments linking to something else or maybe a little humorous story. When there's a real substantive topic involved, posts that are only a few short paragraphs always leave me feeling as if I haven't read a post at all, but just a teaser letting me know what the whole post would be about...if it existed.
-
Pillar posts are longer posts and IMO every blogger ought to consider having 4 or 5 of them. Pillar posts are content rich longer blog posts that require research. They outline expertise around a specific topic and are of timeless value to your readers. They bring in search engine traffic and backlinks as well. onecoolsite.wordpress.com/2008/05/05/blogging-characteristics-of-pillar-pos...
Aside from making that point I agree with others. The length of a post depends on what the subject matter is. I agree with the points thriftshopromantic made about breaking up blocks of text. Also note that images and screenshots can be used both for illustrative purposes and to break up large blocks of text too. -
"Pillar posts."
Thanks for the vocabulary-booster.
MadameX, agreed.
If someone has something to say that takes 200 words, it should be 200 words long.
If the same person has something to say that takes 2,000 words, a 400 word post on the topic would be an incoherent fragment.
On the other hand, if the person used 2,000 words to make the 200 word point, that would be akin to a rant.
Thanks for bringing this up.
-
-
Depends entirely on the subject matter and what the blogger has to say. Some things need more space. Of course, that doesn't mean I won't skim, but to reject something outright because it might entail a little effort would be to sell oneself short.
My own blog posts vary in length from short to medium to long. -
I don't like short posts. It feels like a waste of time when I read a really short one. Mine do tend to run on a bit long, but that's because I have something to say. Short posts that have little to say probably shouldn't be written.
-
hmn.. and i dont like short posts...
i dunnow... maybe it depends.. not all the time..
my other blog is about religion and philosophy..
I can make a long post espexally in doing the beliefs..
but.. in long posts, I usually do it with paragraphs and bullets..
and highlight importance...
but if Ill only do one belief, that is only a short..
usually, you can never see me write a single paragraph..
standard...? hmn.. short post wid direct and concise matter..
long post..? use bullets and paragraphs..
is my reply too long...? lolz.. -
I'm not a fan of short posts at all. Like Anok, I tend to struggle with brevity - but no matter how much I type I always think later "oh, dangit, I really wanted to say this too!!!" -
I think the posting frequency also matters.
If we take a long time between posts, or say we write something insightful that needs thorough arguments and supported facts- we may have to write longer posts..Quality does extend to the length of our writing in some cases..
It depends on your niche and the topic you're covering. -
No more than a single typed page, I guess. Though I was guilty of posting up to two at a time on my now defunct blog. -
I keep on flip flopping. Some days I write long posts, others I write one sentence. As it turns out, my five readers don't care how much I write or don't write, just as long as I'm being mean and obnoxious. Go figure. -
I rarely write more than 3-4 paragraphs. Even awesome
writers loose my interest with very long blog posts. -
I'm guilty of the long post. Still trying to get my groove but I do intentionally plan one really in-depth one per week. The rest of the time it's recipes, shopping lists, or brief stories relating to cooking.
I do hate looking at a page full of text, though, so I make sure to break my thoughts into sections that have titles. If I won't put enough effort into the post to know what the section should be titled, how can I expect a reader to stick with me?
I also post a thumbnail size image every couple of paragraphs, so that the reader can visually leapfrog from one to the next as she scrolls down the page. Entertainment for the visually stimulated as well as those who enjoy content. The small size of the image also keeps from disrupting the flow of the thought.
If variety is the spice of life, then perhaps the standard might be, "some of each." -
Well this is making me feel not so great about the post I am currently writing. It's for Bloggers Unite and it was a paper I wrote a few years ago. Almost 6 printed pages, double-spaced.
I'm still going to post it -
good for you!
i don't think i have any posts quite that long and there are some i've done as a series just to break it up a bit - but i think it all depends on your readers, your target audience.
-
-
I'm with you, having said that I had a longish post this week, but it was my most visited. I prefere reading short ... nice and concise. -
Some long posts suck. But if the actual content is something that is easy to read and written properly than it shouldn't matter. -
long post? chunk it.
-
Maybe this should be a subject of bloging investigation to establish a recommended post length! Just what is to long or to short for a post to be considered a enjoyable read?
I tend to get off subject and it takes me a few lines to recover and get back on my real subject.-
Many commercial blogs and internet sites, when seeking writers, ask for articles of 250-500 words only - perhaps they've found this to most effective in terms of their readership?
-
-
I'd also like to think that, as writers with something to say, we could come up with a slightly better analysis of the short and long post question without boiling it down to "it sucks."
-
but that would take too long. "it sucks" is so concise and to the point.
-
Heh, and then folks wonder why they get flame mail.
-
I agree, Jenn. "It sucks" sucks.
-
-
I intend to always write short posts but by the time I press "Publish" the post is already a long one though just 300-600 words I think. I always include photos, I discovered they inspire me to write. -
A post, normally, should be no longer than 5 or 6 paragraghs. In most cases, if ya can't get your point across or tell your story in that text frame, you're one gabby dude or dudette that's boring the hell out of me.
What do I expect from a post? Something new and interesting. Or something truly humorous. Or something fresh and entertaining. Or all of the above. -
Is there a quick way to do a word count?
-
If you are using WordPress, there are some plugins. My friend installed my plugin, although she didn't tell me where she got it and there isn't a link to it in the plugin section... anyway, if you do use WordPress, you can search the net for "wordpress word count plugin" and you should be able to find one.
By the way, my long post ended up being 2277 words. -
I've done a copy and paste of the post content into a Word doc, and then run a word count from there.
-
I use Microsoft Word - not for editing, but for counting words. It's got a word and character counter.
Very handy, and my guess is that most contemporary word processors have something like it.
Just like ThriftShopRomantic said, I see (sorry 'bout that! I ought to look before I comment - but that wouldn't be as much fun.
-
-
I'd say not more than a page long if you were to type it into a Word doc. But yeah, it all depends on the topic of discussion.
And a lot of GREAT movies are well over 90 mins and I actually prefer it. And songs are better when it's more than 3 mins as well... they only cut it short on the radios. -
If there is a good story to tell I have no problem with a longer post but it really needs to catch and keep attention. Generally I have the attention span of a fly so I really have to be caught to be held in the full glare of brilliance. -
Webmasters seeking writers for their sites usually ask for articles to be no longer than 500 words.
As mentioned by others, it's important to grab the readers attention in the opening paragraph.
Use a readable font & text colour and negative space (chunking).
Most readers give you less than 5 seconds (and if your site takes longer than that to load you'll loose a lot of potential readers).-
That 500 words is a good limit.
And, I've used it as an informal limit for units in Web pages.
Despite appearances, 500 words is a lot of post. -
I've had a peek at your blog. i think you can get away with slightly longer posts because your style of writing is engaging and easy to read. you use frequent paragraphs too, which is absolutely acceptable (and crucial) to good writing for the web.
Hope you don't mind my little review. i'm subtly (or not so subtly!) trying to get the message out (to the many talented bloggers out there) who loose readers because the format of their posts is reader unfriendly!
-
-
I have no preference other than it be good content. If it's great content, I'll read it to the very end no matter how long it is. But then I enjoy reading.
-
Exactly. Length, whether long or short, doesn't matter as long as it is well written and interesting.
-
-
I think that posts should be the right length, and no longer.
I vastly prefer reading short posts, but tend to write long ones.
Whenever possible, I write, take a short break, then go back and read a post. If there's a redundant phrase, out it goes. Same for those tangents I love to go on.
As maddening as it is, though, I don't think there's a specific number or words that's 'right.'
On the other hand, I'll give this advice (adapted from a number of now-forgotten sources):
Write the post. Then go back and take out extra words, phrases, and ideas.
Repeat the process.
When you can't take anything more out without making nonsense of the post, it's the right length.-
sometimes i wish i had an editor! it's often difficult to identify redundant words (or even paragraphs!)in your own writing.
-
-
Quality trumps length
Engage me, teach me, move me
Mostly, learn to write -
i cant ever create a blog post longer than a couple of paragraphs, however as a reader some of my favorite bookmarks are long blog posts with useful links or good advice.
Edwin, www.cashthechecks.com -
My take is that it depends on whether you are a 'reader' or 'glancer'. Some people like posts which are short to get the gist of it. Long winding posts can be boring to read. But some people can write long articles that can engage. So it is not that long post sucks... but if you cannot write engagingly and keep your post fresh and interesting then write short ones. If you can then go ahead and write your heart out.
What is a short post... less than 200 words? My opinion is that posts between 200 - 500 words are just right... shorter will become summaries. Some people are expressive and interesting and I don't mind reading their long articles.
I am going to ask this question into the void of net... how many words do you prefer blogs to be?
I don't claim to be a good writer... but working to be one.... my post are both short and long, depends on mood :)... www.mywisewife.com -
my last post was 1500 words and just about four pages in Word. that's not terribly unusual for me and i could not have really made it much shorter and still carried the meaning.
for me a blog is about learning something - a good joke, a funny story, information about tech, what it's like to walk in someone else's shoes for a moment - but something.
you can't always do that in five sentences and frankly, it bores me when people try. i read blogs for substance, not for a superficial way to pass the time.
just my two cents.-
I have a tendency to write long posts myself. There may be another way to look at short posts, rather than knocking the long posts, is that some (note the word "some") people write poorly and for them doing a short post is a blessing for their readers.
-
heh. yeah. i've seen a few of those ....
come to think of it, there's some threads hanging around here like that, too.
Happy Birthday, PointlessBanter and CRPitt!
Long Live Baking Soda!
-
-
i think that blog posts should be like a prayer right before supper. short and to the point and lets eat!
-
I think returning to the boards just to bounce a bunch of your own, old, played out threads sucks.
-
is it better to write a new thread about the same topic? cause we see that happening all the time here. what do you propose markstoneman? and who made you BC police?
-
-
I sometimes write long posts - but most of them are not. I actually get as many comments on the long ones as the short ones.
-
I have the same experience.
I don't think there's a one-size-fits-all method to it for proper blogging.
It depends on your niche, your topic, how engaging the writing is, formatting... many factors.
-
-
yep.
www.mrbastard.com -
I have to agree bloggernoob! YOUR post was too long!! haha!j-k:D -
I try and keep my posts in a 300-500 word range, but that's really just a guideline. It's no how big it is, it's how you use it.
-
I prefer posts in the 400-800 range. Occasionally, I'll read good quality long posts -- but they just take too long. I'll scan them. But I know many people who enjoy reading and writing long posts -- so there's no magic formula for length. It's about quality.
-
I'll admit it. I'm a long post writer. When drafting posts in Word, I try really hard to keep them to a single Word page or less. Often I just creep over to the next page.
Ideally I like 'em short, but as others have said, I don't mind reading long posts if I'm interested in the topic. As long as they are formatted well and cut into decent paragraphs.
If my post is getting really long, I'll chop it up and serve it up as a two-parter. Sometimes helps to keep people coming back if the story is interesting enough!!
Generally speaking I always like to see what I can edit out before I post - as in, will it make a huge difference to what I'm trying to say if I kill that paragraph or sentence? If not, then it goes.-
yeah, i think breaking them down into sections is a great idea. it's like sequeals...why give it all out at once
-
-
if you don't like 'em, don't read 'em.
i like writing long ones and if they're well-written, i like reading them. -
So I guess my blog sucks huh?
Cos I have long posts!! Hahaha!!
You are such a meanie...
purple-cashmere.com/blog-
@cashmere
Yeah, that's how I felt too. Just because a post is long doesn't mean it sucks. You should read some of my posts and take note of the comments that the readers put on them, then tell me if you have the right to say my post sucks. It so happened I believe that not every reader is an autistic child with short attention span, and I am entitled to that belief. Don't generalize because I don't, never ever say that short posts suck. I have too much respect for people to say that. By the way here is a sample of my work and read the comments please... Then you can say who sucks...
hangingonahyphen.blogspot.com/2008/10/finding-miss-nelia.html -
@Hangingonahyphen
I didnt't say any kind of posts suck...
I was joking with bloggernoob regarding his issue with long posts.
Thus, assuming that he's saying my blog sucks cos I have long posts.
Nobody's posts suck big time... I never said such things..
-
-
Hey Cash, I'm sorry, I don't mean to rub you the wrong way. Actually what I'm saying is I completely agree with you I mean I share your sentiments. I was reacting to the title of the thread. It's unfair to generalize that all long posts suck. But that's what the title of the thread says...
-
Haha! ok, my bad....
cos you said ".....you can say who sucks".
Thought that whole thing was for me..
No worries then.. sorry for the misunderstanding.. lol!
Cheers!
-
-
yes
-
i agree im down to 1 letter posts like 'j...'-
@jospehgelb
LOLOLOLOL
However I can top one letter posts...I'm down a blank page. LOL
Each person gets to interpret what they see and then comment. If they are depressed they will see emptiness and feel like no one loves them. If they are feeling tired they will be relieved that they don't have to read anything and can simply write: "Fantastic post". If they are feeling enlighted they will look at the blank space and say, "Far out man; it's a zen thing." See it works!!! To each his own...or not.
ACTUALLY: I am too verbose (as you can see from this comment) and am working on shortening my posts. It's hard for me to keep them short. But since I usually don't have time to read long posts...I'm begining to appreciate brevity. BUT that does NOT mean long posts don't work. It depends on content and writing style and how well I know someone, etc.
-
-
It depends. I use long definitive posts + short posts. The best benefit of long posts is getting additional visitors from search engines like Google. Short posts don't.
I get a lot of comments with long posts. These comments are not of the spammy type. You can check these out in my freelance blog, or even in my other personal blog (where readers even wrote longer comments that are good for a blogpost).
Of course it depends on what blog content you are putting up. Photo and poetry blogs are best done in pretty short posts.
A lot of short posts suck too. I don't comment on them.-
It's not true that short posts don't get visitor from search engines..
I have both short & long posts.
And I get traffic from them for both.. -
i agree with cash...i get visitors from search engines on posts of all sizes. on a side note, i think that every post, long or short, should have images. pic is worth 1000 blahblahblah. helps with search engines as well. i get a lot google image search visitors to my blogs.
-
Short posts do get visitors, especially if you use good SEO techniques. Consider your word choice for every post, but most especially short ones. It will make all the difference as to whether a post gets lots of search traffic or next to none. -
Short posts - I guess it has to do with SEO indeed - my guess is on the sites that link to that post.
-
Provided you have basic SEO skills and utilize them well, the length of the posts is irrelevant. Pillar posts can be up to 750 words and still get lots of hits. I know this from my own experience.
-
-
Sometimes its great in term of SEO but for the readers they dont totally read all words in the post.
bloggerwire.blogspot.com -
you know what sucks more than long posts? Long discussion threads.
So there -
IMO what sucks even more is religious posts.
-
-
The most effective posts you can write are between 300 and 600 words. If you look at free article directories this is the length of the most often used posts.
Longer posts aren't bad if you do them right. Visual layout is most important. I am still cleaning up yesterdays 55 post mess going back in doing the SEO and paginating the long posts as I update with commentary. In the end it will be up to who your readers are and what your subject is.-
I haven't had occasion to use it yet, but I found a new wordpress plugin today that looks promising for breaking up long posts into a series of posts.
remstate.com/projects/in-series/
-
-
How about short posts but with long-playing YouTube videos? Some (not all) of them suck too.
Add Your Comment
Login to leave a message.
