Does Content Length Really Matter?
When it comes to online content creation, there are different schools of thought. Not only that, but trends concerning content marketing constantly surface. Website owners are eager to embrace these trends. What they may not realize is that not every trend is worth embracing. Not only that, but trends may not be appropriate for your industry. When it comes to content marketing, what really matters is that you provide content that your audience wants to see.
Even something simple, such as content length, doesn’t have a straightforward answer because it depends on a variety of factors. Here are some things to think about as you write your content:
Be Sure to Cover the Topic Well
When you set out to write an article, chances are pretty good that you have something specific that you want to say. The length of the article should be just long enough to adequately cover his topic – nothing more, nothing less. For example, if you write an article called, “5 Reasons Why Your Blog is Important for Content Marketing” your article will be long enough to go over what these five reasons are. In other words, the topic will play a large part in dictating the article’s length.
Let’s say that article feels “done” after 600 words. You would be doing your audience a disservice if you stretch it out to 1000 words, just because you think that longer content is “better”. In this case, the extra 400 words will likely make the article feel forced, and people won’t enjoy reading it.
Your Audience Has Certain Expectations
When your audience reads one of your content pieces, they need to feel that doing so has created value in their lives. If your audience is known for being busy, chances are pretty good they will find scrolling though longer-form content to find information to be a little tedious. In this case, focused articles in shorter lengths of around 500 – 600 words will be best. If members of your audience are known for wanting to be thorough when researching information, they will be more receptive to articles of 1000-2000 words.
In other words, your audience has certain expectations when it comes to content. If these expectations are met, they will be happy. Expectations could include the types of information they like to read, the way the information is delivered, article length, amount of images used, et cetera. Your audience should be the highest priority when it comes to creating pieces.
Be Careful of Content Trends
You may notice while reading content online that certain trends seem to surface. For example, you may notice that some might include a lot of images in their articles, while others tend to write long-form content, thinking that it is better for marketing. While these tactics are both tools that you have at your disposal, it is a good idea to really consider if they make sense for your audience before you use them. Embracing a trend could do more harm than good to your brand.
The bottom line is that your audience needs to be on board with the content you create, and length is part of this. As long as your pieces are well thought out and are designed with your audience’s needs in mind, it really doesn’t matter how long it is, as long as it adequately gets the job done.
Categorized in: Content Marketing
LIKE AND SHARE THIS ARTICLE:
