Comments on: How long should a blog post be?

By: David Gillaspie

David Gillaspie — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:18:51 +0000

I work with the standard 1,2,3; beginning, middle, end; setup, twist, conclusion; into, body, ending. It's what I learned in screenwriting classes, 1/4, 1/2, 1/4. It feels right and still follows the no rule rule.

Good stuff. Thanks.

By: My Favorite Writing Assignments

My Favorite Writing Assignments — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 22:10:44 +0000

[...] Kevin’s recent post about how long a blog post should be reminded me of a pair of writing assignments I was handed when I was in school, both of which changed my perspective on writing forever. [...]

By: deakaz

deakaz — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 11:41:11 +0000

Personally I think it depends on the type of post your writing. If it needs alot of explanation e.g. how to type of post then it should be pretty long. Another thing you have to keep in mind is your audience and what they are used to, I myself don't like reading to long of a post. Anyway, great tips to keep in mind for bloggers!

By: purwokerto

purwokerto — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:12:03 +0000

yeaah, I agree with you Bos. keep on writing, blog is one of place we can pactice our write ability.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 07:54:06 +0000

Good article and tips. I hope they will help beginners to create a good blog Terry Forsey

By: Muzi Mohale

Muzi Mohale — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 05:24:20 +0000

I tend to write long post when motivated by something (the sudden drive to deal with a particular subject matter), however I'm more comfortable writing short posts.

By: Susie McCray

Susie McCray — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 23:57:09 +0000

I agree with you when you talked about mixing it up. To me, the length of the blog depends on the subject matter. I write both poetry,prose, reviews. My poems are usually short, whereas my story entries or book reviews are longer.

By: Sarge

Sarge — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:55:50 +0000

Agreed! It doesn't really matter how long your blog posts are as long as you provide value to your readers which keeps them reading your posts whether it be a long or short post.

Consistency is another important factor. If you have long-term readers the last thing they want is a dramatic change in the way you blog. (unless of course the majority have requested the change

By: Chad Mustard

Chad Mustard — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:24:15 +0000

I think a more important factor to worry about then length is how interesting the post is. The post could be three lines, but full of drivel. The post could be interesting for 500 words and then lose me. The post could be 3000 words and captivate me the entire time. The post can be any length as long as it is keeping your readers interested.

By: Kevin Muldoon

Kevin Muldoon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:58:00 +0000

Thanks for the comments guys, think most of us are on the same page

Rob – Write to the length required – very good point. That's something I never covered in the post but is a very important thing to remember.

Jordan – Great blog you have there. I've been a cm fan since the amiga days. I still end up buying football manager every year but I try and limit how much time I spend on it as it just consumes you!!

By: David Stillwagon

David Stillwagon — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:21:12 +0000

I agree with the others who have left comments. I try to be consistent in the length of my posts and I try get to the point without padding on any words

By: Jordan Cooper

Jordan Cooper — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:44:49 +0000

Kevin, it's nice seeing you on the ProBlogger forums!

You're spot on here. The question, in and of itself, is too vague for there to be a specific answer. It DOES really depend on your niche.

For instance, my blog covers a specific video game title. In that type of community, I'm used to writing "guides" that can easily encompass 20-30 pages of tangibly published text – hence why I tend to laugh a bit when people consider only 1000 words to be "long".

It's a great benefit to visit other blogs within your niche or at least ones that are generally similar in coverage. Either see what seems to work or go the opposite route of supplying a content length that actually isn't being served.

By: Rob Mangiafico

Rob Mangiafico — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 12:14:08 +0000

It's like the old saying "How long is a piece of string?". I think overall you should have a target length that the majority of your articles adhere to (more or less), but varying up the content size as appropriate for the topic at hand is likely the best practice to write effectively. Some topics require brevity, others a long diatribe.

Write to the length required to cover your topic without going on and on or without covering it sufficiently. Vague, huh?

Rob – LexiConn

By: Diana

Diana — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 10:50:26 +0000

well that is me told then.. most of my blogs seem to have a life of their own and are roughly the same length.. although one, on a trip to Normandy which covered 4 days was a bit longer and covered different things.. but thanks for the affirmation that it is what is right for you is the answer!