Blogs are one of the most used small business marketing tools. That is because when done right, blogs are can be very effective when it comes to expanding your small business. Of course, your blog needs to contain great content, but how long should it be?
It is a common question. What is the right word count for blogs? Well, it depends! First, the only thing that matters is that you are creating stellar content, then you can consider the length.
As a small business marketing tool, blogs are a great way to reach your audience and get noticed. Most of the time, many people consider blogs to be normally around 500-800 words. This is a terrific starting point, but there are some factors you should consider before making the final decision on word count.
- Substance
For a blog to be successful, not only does it need to have high quality content, it also needs to have substance! Never overdo it just to have a longer blog. If you can say what you want to say in fewer words, then do it!
- Frequency
How often do you post content? Are you using blogs as one of your main business marketing tools? When it comes to the length of your blog, it really depends on how often you are posting. If you are posting often, posting shorter blogs is usually a better strategy. But if you are posting only once in a while, try to go for longer blogs.
- Audience
It is important to recognize your audience when deciding on a word count. You want to cater to your audience and post content that they will prefer to read. Always take their interests, passions and problems into consideration.
- Style
What is your writing style? Are you to the point and brief? Then keep your blogs posts brief! Depending on your voice, your blogs can be short or long. If you are looking to be more interactive and conversational, go for a longer blog.
Longer blog posts may take more time, all great content does! But there is an advantage to lengthy blogs. For example, it has been found that most blogs that are shared tend to contain 3,000 – 10,000 words!
Why is this? Because longer blog posts usually cover topics that are complex. Plus, they can create a perception of high quality content. It is reported that on average, people usually only read about 20 percent of the entire content. This is actually good when it comes to lengthy posts! People prefer to scan articles and longer posts give your audience the chance to scan the content for headers, subtitles and bullet points.
The length of your blog really depends on your style and how you are using blogs as a small business marketing tool. But there are still variables you should take into consideration before writing that next blog. And remember, without high quality content, the word count doesn’t matter!
