Count The Words or Make Each Word Count

 57 Comments on Count The Words or Make Each Word Count 0 799

The shortest post I ever wrote was 11 words.

It was a haiku*.

My longest post was published on another blog of mine, was a short tutorial on wood recycling and was nearly 2000 words.

Although they don’t always start out that way, I normally keep the posts on this blog short – 300-500 words.

I do, because on this blog, it’s in the comments written by others, where the greatest value lies.

My words are just the conduit which leads there.

Today’s Lesson

Many new bloggers are confused how long a blog post should be.

Some will say,  “Keep ’em short” -“Edit. Edit. Edit”. “Brevity rules.”

Others believe, “Write until the story is finished.”. “Write until your heart stops speaking.” “Anything goes”.

But then we hear if our posts are too long, our readers will skim.

And truth be told, many will.

For some it becomes a catch-22. We’re damned if we do, damned if we don’t.

We want our readers to like what we’re sharing, but in the same breath, we want to be authentic.

We hate the thought some might be skimming our well written posts, but know how others read is their choice.

We want our words to make a difference, but may worry we said too much or not enough.

We practice editing, but don’t want to cut out the human element.

What’s a blogger to do?

Via experimentation, I do what I’ve found works best for this blog.

What about you?

Today’s Assignment

Do you have a set limit on how many words your blog posts will have?

What advice would you give a new blogger with regard to how long a blog post should be?

Raise your hand and share your thoughts.

signature for blog post.

*For more information on how to write a haiku, check out Janice’s fabulous post Some Haiku How Tos

57 thoughts on “Count The Words or Make Each Word Count”

  1. I do. I like to keep them at around 300 words and definitely not longer than 500 words. However, if the tropic calls for more, or if it’s a personal post, I write as much as I need to write.
    .-= Check out vered | professional blogger´s awesome post: Vaginal Rejuvenation Awareness Day? Seriously? =-.

    1. Hi Vered,

      That’s a good point. Some topics do call for longer posts, and often when we’re sharing a personal story, it loses it’s message if we shorten it too much.

  2. Part of me says 450 is a good number, but that would have to include bullets, photo, and headings to make it more “skimmer friendly.” Another part of me hears my crusty, old journalism professor answering a similar question: “An article should be like a woman’s skirt — short enough to be interesting but long enough to cover everything.” (Professors didn’t know Political Correctness back then.)
    .-= Check out Lori Hoeck´s awesome post: Think Like a Black Belt in newsletter form =-.

    1. Hi Lori,

      That’s a good line from your journalism professor. No pun intended but it does cover the topic very well.

      Thank you for sharing that one.

      And I also agree with you on making our posts “skimmer friendly”. Since we know some of our readers will skim, why not make it easy for them to do so?

  3. Heh, heh… the secret is to get the reader to want to read; to capture their attention so much that they don’t realize how long the post is or how many other blogs are on their reading list. Aren’t I a bugger? 😉

    Setting a word count goal can be a good thing. If your post is running too long you can edit to divide it into a few shorter posts.

    My preference however, is for shorter posts — you can do a lot with a few words. I try to keep mine averaging around 600 words. When telling personal stories it’s more difficult to edit the ‘human element’ out. Some blogs I will read the comment section before I even read the post, because, as you say, there is a lot of value there.

    For new bloggers (and old, actually) I say do what you feel like doing and see how it plays out. Try to mix things up. Some posts write themselves and you just have to flow with it.
    .-= Check out Davina´s awesome post: The Muse Will Play in May =-.

    1. You’re funny Davina,

      But don’t worry, I won’t put a word counter on comments. You all can use up as many words as you’d like. 🙂

      You nailed it with being able to capture the readers attention from the get go so they don’t even realize how many words they’re reading; kind of like a good page turner. And…I must say, you have that gift.

  5. Good question. Well, I don’t sit down to blog with a set word count in mind. I prefer not to limit myself from the get go. Though, looking back at a lot of my blogs they do tend to end up being around the same length. I try to ask myself a couple questions while I am editing my work:

    1. Is this blog visually daunting? Does it look like a 45 minute read?
    2. Is there any way to bullet point or summarize to reduce “fluff”
    3. Am I beating a dead horse by repeating myself or ideas?
    4. Is this content best suited for a blog or should I break it up into a series of blogs?

    Everyone has a different opinion and different social circles will have different styles, but as long as a blog entry does not turn into something with chapters or multiple pages I think most are “good”.

    1. Hi Heather,

      Those are GREAT questions to ask ourselves. I especially like the idea of looking at our blog post and asking ourselves if it looks daunting. That alone could drive a reader away. Breaking it up with bullet points or photos is a great way to make it more pleasing to the eye.

  6. Oh dear…I’ve been dreading the day you’d do a post like this. My coaching column articles for the newsletter were between 450 and 900, designed for folk to sit down and read with a coffee; the editor deliberately placed them at the end, after coaching pieces that were very dense and informative. They weren’t blog posts. Now that I blog, I have no set length for posts because my blog has no aim except to share my journey (don’t vomit, Friar…) and to encourage other folk to do the same. I know from comments I’ve had that folk do skim. I also know from shorter posts I’ve done that folk are much happier with those, but still I ramble on in the name of authenticity. I originally intended to intersperse longer pieces with short poems, music reviews, writing prompts, photos, quotes and videos etc, but I haven’t hit that rythm yet. I know I’ve lost lots of readers because my posts are too long. And I’ve probably irritated a lot of folk because my comments are as long as posts! But some blogs just make us want to comment more. Like Davina says, brutal editing’s a bit trickier with personal blogs that don’t lend themselves so well to bulleting etc.

    It takes all kinds of blogs to make a blogosphere so in the end, we just have to do what feels right. Brilliant topic, Barbara!
    .-= Check out janice | Sharing the Journey´s awesome post: How to Write like Adam Lambert (revisited) =-.

    1. Thank you Janice,

      I’m so happy you showed up and shared why your posts end up longer. That’s a perfect example of how a personal blog is often different than one that may be more nichey (is that a word?)

      You’re telling your readers stories, and when you do, I feel we’re sitting across the table from one another. And for that reason, I can see how it would be difficult to cut out the human element and still have the story interesting.

      You’re right. It does takes all kinds of blogs to make blogosphere, and that’s what makes it so fascinating. We can click between all kinds of blogs and never be bored.

      P.S. I love your long comments. The floor is yours, Janice. 🙂

  7. I am a newbie to blogging and would consider myself in the “not so good but getting better” category. Everything that I have read about blog posts is to keep the content of a post relevant to the subject of that post and keep it reader friendly. I am assuming and let me know if I am wrong, shorter is better. While a reader may read an entire “long” post they may not return to read another at least not on a regular basis.

    1. Hi Bruce,

      Welcome to blogosphere. I hope you’ve enjoyed your journey thus far.

      You’re right. We do want to keep our posts reader friendly and your observation about consistently long posts is right on target. Some bloggers are known for their wordiness, however what I find myself doing is exactly what you said – not reading EVERY post of theirs, but instead reading only those that truly interest me.

  8. I write under the assumption that my readers also read about 50 other blogs. This means I tend to write short posts, almost always under 500 words. I love when I have a 100 word post with punch. I also always add a picture and add a lot of white space to aid the weary-eyed reader. If I was writing a book, all bets are off, but for blogging, I’ve found that shorter is better.
    .-= Check out Junk Drawer Kathy´s awesome post: If He Dies, I’m Having a Yard Sale =-.

    1. Hi Kathy,

      That’s a good point. We do need to consider the fact our readers are reading dozens of other blogs.

      Thank you for bringing up how we can add white space to our posts to aid in the reading of them. Solid text can often send readers clicking.

  9. I usually write poems on my blog which are usually, even though they can be lengthy, somewhat easy to read as they are divided into stanzas.

    When I write short stories, I try to keep the word limit down, but if what I want to express can’t be said in under 500 words, then I have no problem in going over 500 words. I don’t mind if people don’t comment as much on my short stories, I appreciate that they’re very busy reading other blogs and tending to their own, not to mention their job/school work. I can relate to this, I often find myself in the same situation.

    What I do try to avoid is rambling – there is nothing worse than unstructured post with no real point in which the blogger has repeated themselves continuously. My advice: write what you have to say, write it well. Simple really.
    .-= Check out Sam Liu´s awesome post: Night Of The Storm – A Poem =-.

    1. Hi Sam,

      That’s true. Poems are easy to read and even if they go long, one stanza usually lures the reader into the next one.

      I like your advice; “write what you have to say, write it well.” Well put! 🙂

    1. Hi Brad,

      Thank you for sharing how a “tech” blog differs from other types of blogs. It sounds like you know your readers well and know not to waste your time nor theirs writing unnecessary verbiage.

  11. I try to stay reasonably short. Sometimes when it’s done, I go back and delete some of the material that isn’t as pertinent.

    I try to do that in comment, too. Sometimes, my comments get way too long. 😉
    .-= Check out Mike Goad´s awesome post: Gardens in the Woods =-.

    1. Hi Mike,

      That’s one thing I notice about your blog posts. They are to the point. And I know what you mean about deleting that which isn’t pertinent. Often on my final read through, I’ll delete dozens of unnecessary words.

  12. Hi Barbara,

    I think that posts need to be as long as they need to be to bring the point across. The caveat is that if they get much more than 500 words, I think the topic is not laser focused and the blogger should break it into a series.

    Personally, if it’s much more than 500 words, my internal response is, “Blabbity-blabbity-blab. This person sure loves to hear themselves talk.” I turn off, probably won’t read the thing or comment. The same goes for comments that are longer than the post.

    But hey, that’s just me.

    George

    ps, I tick the “notify me of comments” box, but they don’t seem to be coming through…
    .-= Check out George Angus´s awesome post: The Gizmodo Case: Are Bloggers Journalists? =-.

    1. Hi George,

      Good thing I keep the posts here short, hey? 🙂

      That’s actually a good idea to break a post up into a series if it gets long – depending on the topic and the type of blog.

      I will say, I just read a blog post by J.D. Meier titled Lessons Learned From Seth Godin which was thousands of words long, but from beginning to end he kept my interest. It’s well worth the read, but be forewarned, it will take time to soak it all in.

      P.S. I’ll see if I can figure out why the comment notifier isn’t working.

  13. Some posts are just a certain length because they need to be. I aim for 500 words for most, and then try to break the words in the meaningful sentence groups – often not really paragraphs.

    I think though I have to slow down on reading blogs, because it sometimes means I might only read 4 in my time slot and write comments….so I read many and comment on less.

    Now I am thinking I don’t know how to respond here, because I think part of my role as a blogger is to read and not skim, My numbers are not where I would like them to be…lately and do not fit into my goal or plan…so I am trying to figure out how to change to up the numbers to the level I am hoping for.
    Now I am getting wordy here…so will stop and say thank you 🙂
    .-= Check out Patricia´s awesome post: Book Review: EAT TO LIVE ~Joel Fuhrman, M.D. =-.

    1. You’re welcome Patricia,

      I find that to be true with blogging, too. We write and structure our sentences differently than we would if we were writing a book or report. And that’s actually a great way to add more white space to a post.

      With regard to skimming, unfortunately it is inevitable. People are in a hurry, have dozens of other blogs they want to read and/or comment on and they’ll skim for the highlights. When we don’t skim, we’re honoring our fellow bloggers and the hard work they put into their posts, but like you said, that also eats into our blogging time. That too, is a catch-22. 🙁

  14. If a long post is engaging I most likely will read it all right then. But that is rare! Too long & I definitely skim. Generally, I am trying to cover as many blogs and articles or posts as possible because I’m so busy. KISS “Keep It Simple Sweetie”

  15. Hi CJ,

    Your comment reminded me of how “sometimes”, when I have time, I’ll go back to a long post to read it, but like you said, when we’re trying to cover so many blogs/articles, that might not happen.

  16. Hi Barbara
    I am newish to blogging though I have begun to sense a certain ‘doneness’ to my posts – akin to what I sense when I know I am at the end of an energy session with a client. The feelings are the same – that of satiation – so I have been instinctively going with that. I love the way you cause us to put into words things we do automatically – it’s good for me so thanks again.
    K
    .-= Check out Kaye Tench´s awesome post: This Easter Find Your Inner Bag Lady And Do Some Inner Energy Healing =-.

    1. You’re welcome Kaye,

      I like how you put that – that you can sense when the post is done. I think when we know what message we want to convey, if we pay attention to our muse, like you said, the end comes naturally.

  17. Hi Barbara,

    I don’t seem to have a word counter, but my posts are relatively short or full of pictures with captions and/or explanatory text. On articles or stories, I try to keep it short, and find that after I’ve written everything I wanted to say, I can combine short sentences, and trim out the excess to make it more reader friendly.

    I have a book called “Looking Good in Print” and I try to apply those same ideas to my screen pages.

    1. Hi Linda,

      Yes, keeping our posts reader friendly is important. Trimming the excess out is a great way to make our posts more concise without losing the message.

      Thank you for mentioning the book you refer to. It sounds like a great resource.

  18. I guess you’d put me in group 2. I write as much as it needs for the point to get across.

    Of course I like to be thorough and add personality; those that exclude such things would write my articles shorter, but it’s the wrong move. 😉

    I have also gotten into using the header tags for easy skimming without much loss…great for SEO too. 🙂
    .-= Check out Dennis Edell | Direct Sales Marketing´s awesome post: What are YOUR Top 3 Social Sharing Recommendations =-.

    1. Hi Dennis,

      That’s a good point. If we over edit, we could easily cut out our personality, which is why others visit us. It’s a fine line, but with practice, we should be able to produce value PLUS show readers who we are.

  19. Hi Barbara,

    I have noticed that I don’t care if the post is long or short as long as the content is great.

    Seth Godin’s blog typically has very short posts. But the quality of the content is definitely there.

    On the other hand, I subscribe to one blog where the blogger typically has ~2000 word articles. But the writing is so good and the articles are so informative that I really look forward to reading them. The articles are only posted about once a week, so it doesn’t become too much.

    Hulbert Lee’s blog From Bottom Up is another great example of long posts that I think are high quality. I love reading his inspirational biographies of famous people who have overcome a lot of adversity.

    On the other hand, I recently came across another blog that posts extremely long articles and I could only skim them.
    .-= Check out Greg Blencoe´s awesome post: Relationships as mirrors =-.

    1. Hi Glen,

      I hear you. If articles are long, well written and the blog author doesn’t publish lengthy posts every day, their work can become something we look forward to.

      Yes. Hulbert does a great job on his blog. I recently read the article he did on Steve Jobs and found his writing style very captivating.

  20. It has been a lot of fun reading all of the comments here and the approaches everyone takes — very informative!

    For me (and please pay no attention to today’s somewhat-out-of-the-ordinary LONG post), I tend to write with the idea of “make every word count.” I do a lot of editing (most of the time) of my posts, eliminating redundancies and what I feel are unnecessary words. And if I can say something more succinctly without losing the flavor or nuance I want, I do it.

    What this means is that, in general, I have manageable posts that don’t tax the eye or the reader too much. But it also means that I will not favor brevity over the heart of a story. The story takes precedence every time. 🙂

    p.s. I like the quote mentioned earlier: “Short enough to be interesting; long enough to cover everything.” That’s how I was taught to write in journalism class in high school = very true!
    .-= Check out Chania Girl´s awesome post: La Bella Vita =-.

    1. Hi Chania Girl,

      I know what you’re saying. The “story” does take precedence. Sometimes we can do that in less words, but other times each and every word holds value which may mean the post goes long.

  21. Barbara —

    Keith, who commented just before me, suggested that we consider writing an eleven word post. Now, I have tons of respect for Keith. He’s a great writer and makes public speaking sound almost fun:~) However, truth be told, I couldn’t write an eleven word post if my life depended on it. I can’t even write short comments, as you well know:~)But there are goals to aim for in life and I will keep Keith’s challenge in mind:~)

    Now, to move on from my first 79 words, I think it’s best to say what you need to say in your post, then get someone with good editing skills to take out all the redundant stuff — where you said what you needed to say AGAIN and AGAIN, then go with it!! It’s a blog…it’s should reflect who you are and what the blog is.

    All these words just so I could have my say! In truth you actually said it best, “Via experimentation, I do what I’ve found works best for this blog.” And you said it in just 12 words:~)
    .-= Check out Sara´s awesome post: Picture Poem: Love is Divine =-.

    1. Hi Sara,

      Oooooooh! You’re going to be put to the test. (see my comment to Keith – and the upcoming assignment) 🙂

      I know what you’re saying. We are writing blogs. What we say and how we say it, is what makes it unique. Although some use more words than others, the variety is what makes blogosphere so great.

  22. Hi Barbara
    Perhaps todays assignment should be ro write an eleven word post and make it interesting. That would be some assignment!

    I don’t have a limit I just start writing and finish when it feels as though I’ve said enough.
    I give detail but not tons of it.

    Common advice seems to be:
    Short posts cater for short attention span.
    Long posts allow better use of keywords for SEO.

    Looks as though you pays your money….
    .-= Check out Keith Davis´s awesome post: Flying in formation =-.

    1. Hi Keith,

      That sounds like a fabulous idea for a post – 11 words. In fact, I’ll take you up on the challenge and when I do, the comments will be limited to eleven words, too. Be on the look out for that fun assignment real soon. It’s on my “list”. 🙂

      Your comment reminded me of how when we do write, sometimes it’s better NOT to include all of the details as it leaves no room for those who comment to add to the post.

  23. Like other folks here, I try to keep my posts concise, and part of doing that is EDIT, EDIT, EDIT. I suggest that one shouldn’t be afraid of taking their posts through at least 2 or 3 drafts in order to check spelling and things like redundancies… stuff like that. You really want the thing to read well and effortlessly.

    Another thing I do to hopefully draw folks into wanting to read my posts is have some nice art, and an interesting title. I like to play around with my titles in the hope that folks might be intrigued by them. Dunno if it’s working yet, but that’s what I’m trying out anyway. 🙂
    .-= Check out Tony Single´s awesome post: A Weighted Mind =-.

    1. Hi Tony,

      Yes. We do want our posts to “read” well and effortlessly. By reading them back to ourselves, we can easily find those spots where they don’t.

      I like what you do with your blog. You not only showcase your talent as a cartoonist by using art which fits the post, but also share your thoughts in the words. I think it’s a winning combination.

      P.S. Playing with different titles is fun, isn’t it?

  24. In general, I would say to write in chunks, and break it up where you can. Unless, of course, it’s a list or a “nail it” post.

    I doubled the readership for one of my blogs, just by chunking up my posts to be readable in 2 minutes or less, and flowing more frequently. It was faster to write, and simpler to consume.

    I think it’s good to mix it up too … like hitting singles, doubles, and periodic triples and home runs.

    If I need to do a long post, I try to make it super simple to consume, using a variety of tricks of the trade.
    .-= Check out J.D. Meier´s awesome post: A Lean Way of Life =-.

    1. Hi J.D.,

      Two minute posts? That’s a fabulous idea. You mentioned they are faster to write, however I do think that’s a knack that may need to be mastered.

      Mixing it up is a great idea. Not only does that take pressure off of a blog author, but it’s also a good way remain a little unpredictable.

    1. Hi Elmot,

      What you shared is a great way to make sure a post holds value. Making sure it is understandable to our readers I think is the most important.

  26. Hi Barbara, I like people to see my posts on the page, rather than having to scroll down a long way, so they tend to be between 200 and 500 words, and normally 200-300. As you mention above, this also gives less intricate detail and leaves the opportunity for discussion via the comments. I believe a blog post should be short and to the point, anything longer should be an article or a report. I hate reading long missives on blogs – in fact I usually don’t, I navigate away to another blog! (Short attention span? No, not really, I just visit alot of blogs so time is of the essence!)

    Enjoy the journey.

    Mandy
    .-= Check out Mandy Allen´s awesome post: Can you afford it? =-.

    1. Hi Mandy,

      Yes. Time is of the essence. When visiting other blogs, I often save those long posts for last or for another day when I have more time to dedicate to reading.

  27. Oh Barbara,
    This is tough one for me. More so cause I have never really bothered about the words too much. The only thing i noticed was and keep in mind..is that if I post something on a weekend, i like to keep it short considering the readers are on a holiday and should be spending more time with family than reading 🙂
    Over the week though the posts do range from 300-500-even a 1000 words…all dependent upon my mood. But, I remember reading somewhere(i dont remember where though) that highlighting and emphasizing lines in the post helps the reader understand and digest the post faster. So i do try my best to do that.
    But its a tough one..cause there are times when you can make out someone is just there to drop a link…and hasnt read the whole post 🙂 All the same…more the merrier right!
    Much Love to you,
    Z~

    1. Hi Zeenat,

      I like how you consider the fact bloggers may be spending less time on blogs over the weekend, and therefore publish shorter posts.

      Yes. Highlighting and emphasizing lines in a post does help the reader to get the gist of our message faster. In the event they don’t have time to read the whole post, at least they’ll get a general idea of what we’re writing about.

  28. Hi Barbara .. when I started out I was advised to write +/- 500 words and that was tough .. as my information was a great deal to scale down into 500 words and I was writing every day.

    Now it’s crept up – and I must get it back down .. but I love to give the background, some history, some story telling & just some life .. and the posts seem to be appreciated – as they’re very different (informative) and I put five pictures in usually to give added explanation ..

    However as the posts will become ‘something else’ in due time ..and they’re appreciated as is now .. I’ll probably just carry on doing what I do for the moment, til refinement hits & I move me and the blog on …

    I keep some Google Reader posts back I want to read properly before I comment, some I can’t deal with because they’re too long – so it’s content and the blogger .. etc etc

    You takes your pick I guess .. but waffle = no no …
    Have a good May Day weekend .. Hilary
    PS good thing you’re not counting the words for comments!
    .-= Check out Hilary´s awesome post: The Okavango Delta – the perfect place to Safari or holiday? = Yes for me! Part 2/3: John’s Story…. =-.

    1. Hi Hilary,

      You do bring up a good point. Posts like yours aren’t conducive to being short. When you are including the background to the story, editing out words could change the whole meaning as well as devalue the post.

      Happy May Day to you too, Hilary.

      And nope. I won’t be counting the words in comments. The floor is yours. Enjoy! 🙂

  29. I try to keep my blogs relatively short because I do believe most people will skim or even skip a post if it gets too long. I know I do. However, sometimes it’s not east to keep it short and in situations like that, I split it up and make a series. Most of the time, these posts revolve around Down syndrome awareness issues. There is a lot of important information that I want to share. So, I find a good stopping point and tell my reader to come back tomorrow (or whenever) for the next part. I tell the reader at the beginning of the post that it is a 2 or 3 part-er. I think this can also be advantageous for getting your readers to come back. Everyone likes a good cliffhanger, right?
    .-= Check out Debbie Yost´s awesome post: SEW – Upstaging =-.

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