I was chatting with someone a few weeks ago about blog post length and it got me thinking – how in depth should your blog posts be?
There’s a few different thought processes for different types and lengths of blog posts, here’s 5 that I see most often:
- The In Depth Expert Post – This is the post you write when you want people to know how smart you are on a subject. Or, put more politely, this is the post you write to assert yourself as an expert. You’re probably referencing other sites and experts here. It may be a super long post but you’re hoping to assert yourself as an expert so it’s worth the research and details.
- The Hot Off The Press Post – This is the “initial reaction” to the latest news tweet, or commenting on a new technology or movie review kind of post. These aren’t meant to be as detailed as they are to be FIRST.
- The Series Post – That would be if I decided to write this as 4 blog posts instead of 4 points and go a bit more in depth with each option. It’s not really my style, but it works great if you are covering a big heavy topic and it’s easier to chunk it out into readable and shorter posts. I’ve also seen the “Article Break Down” Post – where people have published an article and turn it into 4 or 5 blog posts over the next few weeks.
- The “I’m tired of writing the same thing over and over again to people” Post – These are a lot of the posts that I write. I tend to write my blog posts in response to something going on in my business (see my opening sentence as an example) and that I think may be helpful for other small business owners to hear about. I also like writing posts that I can easily reference back to when someone asks me about it. So the next time a client or prospect asks how long I think a blog post should be, they’ll be getting a link to this post!
- The Review/Recommendation Post – My Pop Culture Round Up is an example of this. My friend Matt has an app of the week post that I often check out. If you are frequently reading or writing or working on projects that you can make recommendations, go for it! I’ve seen IT companies do this well with different software options. Or nutritionists recommending an app or a product (who knew Apple Cider Vinegar was so important?) Give your totally biased opinion on something!
I know there are a variety of opinions on blog post length, content and depth. What do you find works for you?
The other day I was talking to a friend about her newsletter, she mentioned she’s working on an “ethical bribe.” I had to laugh, because let’s be honest, that’s EXACTLY what an opt in IS!