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Jul
11

Does Size Matter? Find Out Here

By | Blogging, Write Better

45 Comments

shortYes, I believe that size matters.

Well, in the blogging world it does…

Here’s what happens…

  • Post number one arrives in my inbox.

It’s Monday morning. Not my best time of day or week.

I glance at the headline.

Hmmm, not very compelling. Not sure if it’s worth a read. But I give it a chance, I’m feeling generous…

I scroll down... (the opening paragraph goes on a bit),

and down… ( this long paragraph still doesn’t get to the point),

That’s it.

Click away.

Delete.

  • Post number two plops in.

It’s still Monday morning. Still not my best time.

I glance at the headline. Hmmm… intriguing. Could answer my problem. I sit up a bit straighter.

I scroll down… not too long this time, my kind of post.

It’s got me hooked.

and down… can’t wait to start using this advice.

I reach the end.

Brilliant.

Says it all with no words wasted.

Smiling, I bookmark it.

 

Why do I believe that size matters in the blogging world?

1.  Size matters because we have short attention spans.

We don’t want a novel, or even a short story.

We want the blogger to

  • solve our problem, 
  • show us the way,
  • help us to write well, 
  • teach us something.

This can be done in a short post.

As bloggers we  have to put in the work.

We have to edit, and edit.

We have to see the post from the reader’s viewpoint.

We need the reader to keep reading…

2.  Size matters because there’s so much competition for readership.

My Inbox gets pretty full of posts I’ve subscribed for.

I will only read the ones that  ’do what they say on the tin.’

I won’t hang around reading a long and difficult article.

I’ll move on to the next one.

My readers will do the same.

3.  Size matters because, in the blog world, shorter is better, small is beautiful.

But that’s only my opinion.

What do you think?

Does size matter, with blog posts?

Tell us what you think, in the comments.

 

 

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About Linda Hewett

Linda blogs at Positive Spin Blog where she provides Practical Confidence Solutions. She is a qualified Confidence Coach and has experienced many Confidence Issues herself, so she is able to empathise with her readers and help them to solve their problems.

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Comments

  1. Adeline
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 18, 2012 at 1:28 pm

    Short but sweet! Thanks for the insights on what visitors are looking for in a blog. It will definitely help guide me choose the type of topics I’ll write about from now on.
    Adeline recently posted..The Dark Side of Discounted Airline TicketsMy Profile

    Reply
  2. wordpress file upload plugin says:
    July 14, 2012 at 3:33 am

    Hey Linda

    Thanks for this interesting share. A long post if written in bullets, can attract readers, or if presented with an image can be engrossing. A blogger just cant cut short his thoughts for search engines or some other reasons. It’s a bloggers choice how long a post he wants to write. A good blogger has the power to graba readers attention even till a 1000 words.
    wordpress file upload plugin recently posted..Client Area SoftwareMy Profile

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  3. Roman Bershadsky
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 13, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    Sometimes long size is OK, but you have to hook the reader in the first paragraph, make reader fight with his/hers attention span :-)
    Roman Bershadsky recently posted..Toronto Web Design and Google ranking – moral SEO dilemmaMy Profile

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  4. bookmarking Junction says:
    July 13, 2012 at 8:58 am

    hey according to me size matters alot…….
    bookmarking Junction recently posted..computer forensicsMy Profile

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  5. Julian King says:
    July 13, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Well, I think it depends on the topic. On one hand, if we write too much information we might get the adverse effect. Nevertheless, if the posts are too short and don’t comprise the amount of information needed, a visitor might think we are superficial. The best solution is to ask a feedback from our readers and to adjust the posts to fit their needs.
    Julian King recently posted..Firewood Shed PlansMy Profile

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  6. vishvast
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 13, 2012 at 2:36 am

    hello
    I usually write short posts that get right to the point because I’m a lazy blogger and that works well for me.
    vishvast recently posted..Facebook Profile SymbolsMy Profile

    Reply
  7. Agus
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 12, 2012 at 11:47 pm

    size doesn’t matter.
    some people don’t like long posts that need at least 10 mins to read.
    that’s just wasting time.
    Agus recently posted..Wonder Girls ft. Akon – Like Money lyricsMy Profile

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  8. Kevin Martin
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 12, 2012 at 4:40 am

    I usually write short posts that get right to the point because I’m a lazy blogger and that works well for me.

    Reply
  9. Cheryl Brian says:
    July 12, 2012 at 3:37 am

    I also believe that size matters, but the content itself matters the most. It should be interesting.
    Cheryl Brian recently posted..click here to read itMy Profile

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  10. Myrna says:
    July 11, 2012 at 10:20 pm

    Well I agree but I think it depends on how good the topic is. I don’t mind reading a long post if it tackles an important and interesting topic. On the other hand, I don’t really read long posts where the introduction already kills the whole sense of the article. It all depends, I guess. :)
    Myrna recently posted..master guitar soloingMy Profile

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  11. Paduka
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 5:23 pm

    dunno Linda… I’m a little bit confuse with this long or short post.. we need reader just like we need search engine to get better position in search result… “battle” for a keyword+content more hard now..
    For me, oh i would like a reader like you, just strike to point, but for search engine(like goo*le), hmmm…. :(
    Paduka recently posted..Precor Products. Running TreadmillMy Profile

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  12. Olusegun
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 2:24 pm

    I think contents matters.
    Olusegun recently posted..Clue to my dreams. (love poems)My Profile

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  13. CollegeofContent.com
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 12:24 pm

    In the blogging world and concerning unique web content, size does matter. Why does size matter? Simply because search engines judge you by the knowledge and link of uniquely written webpages, blog posts, and articles submitted to article directories. The size of your blog posts, discussion forum thread, article published, or otherwise affects your United States search engine rankings, as well as search engine rankings in other countries, depending on what your content is about. Truly, size does matter.
    CollegeofContent.com recently posted..“Get More Traffic Now to Your Published Articles Free Using Feedburner”!My Profile

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  14. Jeff says:
    July 11, 2012 at 11:56 am

    Size absolutely does matter and unique content that is added daily, I believe that is a good standard to follow that really will give you a great boost in traffic and rankings. What are your thought on keyword link diversity or do you think google is discounting that more now?
    Jeff recently posted..Business Yellow Pages DirectoryMy Profile

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  15. Suresh Khanal
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 10:33 am

    You are true to say that Linda, but these days Search Engines started to favor longer better. It recommends at least 450 words :-(
    Shorter is better, so I leave my comment shorter ;-)
    Suresh Khanal recently posted..What does it mean to do SEO research?My Profile

    Reply
  16. Jim from Bird Deterrent Film
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 9:20 am

    People today have very short attention spans and can’t be expected to pages upon pages of a post. Even when the title is compelling and the post addresses a a real problem people are having, if its too long and convoluted people will lose interest quick and move on with their day.

    Reply
  17. Enstine Muki from retweet exchange network
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 8:51 am

    Hi Linda,

    Long matters…
    Short matters…

    It all depends on the message you want to pass out. You may go short and not deliver the message. You may go long and say unnecessary things.

    The manner of writing and formatting long posts can encourage even the most impatient reader to pay attention and read through. If you really find your issue properly addressed in a very long post, I’m sure you are going to give it time.

    So while Long and Short matter, content is key.
    Enstine Muki recently posted..More Followers, More Exposure, More Traffic on EasyRetweet.com with New FeaturesMy Profile

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  18. Zainil
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 8:02 am

    I do agree with you that the size matters. Also you have quoted well saying “shorter is better, small is beautiful”. I would surely like to be as what is quoted, but unfortunately, Google doesn’t actually accepts this! :-( So I think that has to be proper length to ever post, not to big & not to small like a headline!
    Zainil recently posted..Giveaway – MacX iPhone DVD RipperMy Profile

    Reply
  19. Justin says:
    July 11, 2012 at 7:32 am

    Being someone with a very short attention span I have to agree completely. I have skipped over many articles that sound very interesting but don’t get to the point so I leave and continue on with my day. Too many things to do to spend 10 minutes reading a log article.

    Reply
  20. Rashmi Sinha from ReRam
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 6:08 am

    It is true that long posts seem scary when the content is very good. On the other hand, if you have great content, a long post can start a lot of discussion around the subject you just wrote, which is very good for your blog.
    Rashmi Sinha recently posted..New SEO Tips & Tricks After Google Penguin UpdateMy Profile

    Reply
  21. Harleena Singh
    Twitter:
    says:
    July 11, 2012 at 5:19 am

    It does and doesn’t – can be both ways I think!

    I guess what really matters is the content you share with your readers and how much it’s liked. Yes, attention span is indeed short online, but don’t we get stuck with some massive guides or long posts because one line compels you to read on further – right till the end.

    Guess I myself have never really been able to express myself in a few lines and prefer giving my readers everything in one place if possible. Have yet to try my hand with shorter posts, something I intend working on.

    Thanks for sharing and bringing this to our notice. :)
    Harleena Singh recently posted..How to Find Purpose in Life and Be HappyMy Profile

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