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Hey, guys!
I just have a quick question for all the bloggers out there: How long do your blog posts usually run word count-wise?
See, I’ve been doing a test run of my blog on a private scale to see if I can keep the schedule before I release it into the wider world of the internet. I just finished my first post today only to find it’s just over 2,000 words! That sounds like a crazy high number to me, but I wanted to get some more data on the subject before I freak out. 😉
@Ethryndal @Audrey-Caylin @Daeus @Kate-Flournoy @Winter-Rose @Hope @Brandon-Miller @Jane-Maree @any-bloggers*is probably geeking out about something*
The articles on KP are about that length just for comparison.
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@graciegirl I’ve heard it’s best to keep blogposts short because people have such short attention spans nowadays and don’t have time to read lengthy posts. I usually try to keep mine under a thousand words. If the post seems too long maybe you could make it a two-parter (that’s what I do). I’m looking forward to seeing your blog! What kind of stuff are you going to post?
Fyi, K.M.Wieland’s posts are also often above 2,000.
I think a large deciding factor is your subject matter.
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2,000 words is a long post, for sure. But I read and enjoy a blog which goes well over that mark nearly every week. The key is keeping the content separated enough visually so that it doesn’t /look/ like it’s that long. And, like @Daeus said, content trumps everything.
@GracieGirl I actually researched this once, and the general consensus was that 1,000 words is a good length. However, like @Daeus said, this is largely dependent upon the subject matter. KP and K.M. Wieland can get away with longer posts because they’re more like articles. Short stories work as long posts too, but when I write small snippets about my family or philosophical reflections, I try to keep them at 1,000 words. Any longer, and people start to skim read. (I know this because I’ve done it before…)
Not that the occasional 2,000 worder is going to hurt anything. But for the most part, I’d try to keep them shorter. 🙂
INTJ ➸Your friendly neighborhood mastermind. ➸https://thesarcasticelf.wordpress.com/
@Graciegirl I did once publish a 14,000 word post. . . never done that again. . . but I don’t worry that mine average at about 1,500. As others have said, it’s the content — I tend to write about deep sorts of things, and I don’t want to do the subjects a disservice by skimping or being superficial.
As to the advice to suit the length of your posts to people’s attention spans — yes, well, it can go boil its head. If you want to appeal to the lowest common denominator, sure, but then the question is, why would you want to? Quality over quantity, and all that.
You will draw water joyfully from the springs of salvation. (Isaiah 12:3)
@GracieGirl *peers in* *looks around* What everyone else is saying, I think. One of the large things it to make it easily readable, whatever the length. So lots of paragraph breaks and section breaks with headings and such.
INTJ - Inhumane. No-feelings. Terrible. Judgment and doom on everyone.
@GracieGirl I think right around 1000-1500 is good, though like Daeus and Brandon mentioned, it depends on what you’re blogging about. I do inspirational/writing-themed posts and keep them right around that length 🙂
I think the key is to keep it easy to read with relatively short paragraphs, fonts that aren’t too small, headings, and sometimes pictures. If you do have a post that needs to be longer, I suggest putting important phrases in bold so people can skim it and still get the gist if they need to.
@GracieGirl I range between 1000-2000-ish. And everyone else has very good reasons. XD
Writing Heroes ♦ Writing Hope // janemareeauthor.com.au
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Everyone I talk to says about 900 is best. But I end up all over the place, depending on where I’m posting
@Daeus @Mariposa @Brandon-Miller @Ethryndal @Northerner @Hope @Audrey-Caylin @Jane-Maree @JosiahDeBoer
Thank you all so much!! This is a huge help.
To answer all your sorta-questions collectively, the post is probably more along the lines of a philosophical/personal experience/just for laughs post. If that makes sense. 😛 It is divided into three subsections already, so I could probably divvy it up into three posts. Or, of course, just go back and trim it and make it super readable like many of you suggested. Once again, thank you all!
@Mariposa It’s kinda hard to say for sure, but the direction I’m heading in is similar to @Ethryndal’s blog. Personal experiences, philosophical ponderings, the occasional short story. But without all the snark obviously. XD I can only use that stuff occasionally with Dad or my characters. I think it says somewhere on my About page that my blog is basically: “written accounts of my life as you not-so-average sixteen-year-old.” So, yeah. 😀*is probably geeking out about something*
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Okay -@graciegirl I definitely feel like 700 word posts are more common than 2000. Plus, this way you can post 3 times this week rather than 1, which does help.
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