Does size really matter? Glossy magazines would suggest it does, as do any number of internet usability studies and reader feedback questionnaires. As far as I’m concerned the obsession with article or content length (depending on your persuasion) takes up too much time, getting in the way of what’s really important.
The message
Nothing else matters. As a general rule if it doesn’t support your message it has no place in your writing. Depending on your audience and channel (see below) it’s best to stick to one message told well, rather than several messages that get mixed up together
Don’t get me wrong, there may be several elements to your communication; by all means include them all. This post for instance has three key points but they all add up to one message.
It takes discipline not to get diverted or head off on a tangent. You want to make your writing interesting and this requires a broad vocabulary, real life examples and in many cases personal touches to connect with the reader.
When reviewing your writing, ask yourself: is it need to know or good to know? If it’s the later, be super critical. Is it about the message or about your ego, after all you thought it was interesting enough to write in the first place.
On the other hand, if you have conveyed your message in a few well-chosen words, don’t feel compelled to pad it out to “make it look better”. There is nothing wrong with short and sweet.
The audience
Who are you writing for? Too often we are so busy telling the audience what we want them to know we forget that they have their own agenda.
Do they want to be entertained? Is it general information or advice they are looking for? Are they searching for the answer to a question or problem?
This will have a big impact on how much you need to write. Yes, you may want to add a wealth of details but if the reader doesn’t need or want them, they are wasted. Vice versa, sometimes you want to be brief to avoid a touchy or difficult subject but a non-committal text will just alienate and frustrate.
The channel
There is a big difference between how you communicate vie email, in a tweet, an intranet article, blog post, static online content, newsletter, newspaper and so on. This needs to be taken into account.
What are the reader’s expectations of the channel? What impact does this have on the time they will invest? What are the specific usability issues I need to take into account? Is this really the right channel for this message?
Put this all together, and you can create the perfect text for your needs. One that will be the right length no matter the character count.
Yes, this is a long post. If you’ve made it this far I’ve lived up to my own advice. If you haven’t, well you’re not reading this paragraph anyway.
Related reading
Check out my Random Thought: The hazards of short notes
I agree with you that the importance of content length is often exaggerated. And as I read your post in its entirety, perhaps your advice works.
However, I would also raise another relevant point: skimmability. Especially in online writing, it is important to be able to find the main arguments quickly and effortlessly. Part of the reason I read every word you wrote is, actually, that I had trouble finding more details on your main arguments besides the headings themselves.
With easily skimmable content, it can also more easily serve multiple audiences: some may just want the main points, whereas others will delve into the details. Serving both types does not have to be an either-or decision.
I have discussed skimmability in more detail in my own blog: http://www.kilkku.com/blog/2011/09/from-brevity-to-skimmability/
Posted by Ville Kilkku (@VilleKilkku) | September 15, 2011, 10:26 pmVille, you are completely right of course. I suppose this is what I mean by consider your channel.
Each channel has its limitations and advantages, which will, to a degree, dictate how we deliver content – including length.
Online content must be scannable/skimmable – and since web readers hate to scroll, we need to seriously consider the value of content the extends beyond the first screen.
At the same time, we can use graphics/infographics and other design features in print material to help tell the story, while in a tweet the writer needs to think about limited character count to about 120 of the 140 available to allow for a retweet.
Posted by MichWalkden | September 16, 2011, 8:57 amMore than 30 years ago (oops, I am aging myself!) my journalism adviser revealed a formula for content length that I continue to follow even today. He encouraged students to write with the mini-skirt philosophy in mind: content should be long enough to cover the story and short enough to make it interesting.
I share this not to offend anyone or infer any gender bias, but instead to share advice that has stuck with me for decades. These words certainly illustrate the point that the quality of the words certainly matters more than the number of words!
Posted by Terri S. Turner | September 16, 2011, 2:20 pmBrilliant visual on that one! And perfect reminder as well. My old journo boss used to say “Write what it takes, but no more”.
Posted by MichWalkden | September 16, 2011, 2:34 pmThanks for this — great to read!
I suppose that’s the long and the short of it (sorry…). So, I suppose, it’s a case of:
1. AUDIENCE FIRST
Definitely audience first and foremost, “Who are you talking to?”. This will give answers about:
– What media/platform would be most effective for (a) actually reaching them in the first place, and (b) getting the communication across — ie “How do they like to receive their communications (and, more specifically, communications containing these types of message — eg strategy, general interest information, etc)?
– What language and style would be most effective? — eg there’s no point doing long, dense technical language if that isn’t the audience segment
– Does the whole audience need/want all the communication/information? Segmentation is key for deciding on content and how to deliver it. Which leads into the next point…
2. MAKE IT EASY FOR THE READER TO ACCESS THE CONTENT (THEY NEED)
– Break up the article with headings.
– Provide levels of entry through hierarchies of info — subheads, bullets, etc.
– Provide different types of media to deliver the content if the platform supports it. For example, include text, video, podcast, etc. The audience will access the media that has particular resonance for them and/or will come back to the other media later to get more information.
– If your research indicates different segments in the audience, then bear in mind the needs and wants of each of these when thinking about this area —- breaking up content into particular areas of interest/communication need and providing multiple entry points will be key otherwise the different segments will lose interest, get confused about the messages, etc.
3. RULES PER MEDIA/PLATFORM
Connected with both of the above — once you’ve picked the right media/platform, it’s important to observe the ‘rules’. For example, if it’s online, generally put a carriage space between each sentence — no long paragraphs as it’s difficult to read.
4. INTERACTIVE
Bring content to life with ability to interact. Is the communication just information or is it ongoing? Do you want a conversation to start?. The latter seems to be increasingly important in terms of gaining interesting and encouraging people to take the time to read – people who see the content is not just a group (head office, the publisher, the editor, the columnist, etc) talking AT them, are likely to feel more valued and more keen to read the info.
If the conversation then develops on the same page (perhaps even in real(ish) time, like this blog), and there are opportunities to post links to media they’ve seen that they feel are relevant, or even post their own user-generated content, all the more interesting to them and all the more powerful the communications.
Posted by Graeme Ginsberg | September 27, 2011, 12:22 pmSorry – one more thing:
5. TEST IT!
If you’re unsure whether people will take the time to access the content or whether the message you’re trying to get across will actually get across, why not test it first?
Put an audience test group together
Or, if it’s essential for the content to be read and the message understood, why not involve the audience in its development (if appropriate). “We’re doing a feature on xyz and looking for your stories”, for example.
Or, more personally, invite specific readers to be part of a readers forum, perhaps meeting face to face for particular communications or magazine issues. Not only will this be a fantastic source of ideas and the opportunity for developing communications that are very closely tailored to the audience/segments, but will be very engaging for this group. Ambassadors and representative forums work very well for employees within companies, where the group members are engaged and employees feel respected.
[Naturally, if you're using websites and technological platforms, testing is essential, but people forget to test other comms platforms and media.]
Posted by Graeme Ginsberg | September 27, 2011, 12:49 pmGraeme I’m a little embarrassed to say that you hve written a much better post than I have through your comments!
If you ever want to write something for mich-communication I would love to hear from you.
Posted by MichWalkden | September 30, 2011, 8:37 am