What's the Ideal Length for a Blog Post?

Small business blogs come in all shapes and sizes, which leaves many new bloggers wondering, “what is the ideal length for a blog post?” The answer…

There is no ideal length.

First and foremost, your post needs to be as long as it takes to get a compelling message across. That’s it. As long as your writing is passionate, informative and articulate, go as long as you need to. All killer, no filler.

I lied. There IS an ideal length.

Keeping in mind that the quality of your content trumps everything else, be aware that search engines tend to prefer posts that are at least 250 words long. However, while longer blog posts (generally speaking, 1,200 to 1,500 words) get picked up more by search engines, most readers appreciate content they can get through fairly quickly.

That said, I recommend weighing in at 300-500 words per post MINIMUM, but shoot for 1,200 words.

Actually, I lied again. The right answer is… there is no right answer.

Blog length can be dictated by many factors:

• The length of your posts may depend on your blog’s subject matter. In-depth articles backed by research and facts need to go long. Blog posts that are primarily updates on current events are rightfully going to run short.
• If you update your blog frequently, it may be best to write shorter posts… your readers might not have enough time to invest several times a week if you write long. On the other hand, they might enjoy a weekly ritual of settling in with your in-depth lengthy post, much like people used to look forward to the Sunday paper in the olden days.
• Post length also depends on your business brand’s target audience: does your intended audience prefer depth or brevity? It all depends on who you are writing for.

At least breaking up is easy.

If you feel like you have a lot to say, but don’t want to publish a really long post, you might be able to break one post up into multiple posts; now you’ve created content that you may be able to spread out over the course of a few weeks!

Also, your post won’t seem “as long” if you break it up into smaller paragraphs and insert interesting images. Use sub-headings and bullet lists to make your content easier to scan.

Whatever is best for your small business blog, try to be consistent with your post length so your readers learn what to expect; eventually, post length becomes a part of your branding.

At the end of the day, there are no real rules. Figure out what works best for you as a blogger and more importantly, what works for your brand.

Need help launching or writing your small business blog? Get in touch with Nishi at Night Day Digital Media today!

Special thanks and shout-out to Naomi who owns In the Buff Skin Studio for the question, “What is the ideal blog length?” Got a small business social media or blog question? Get in touch and I might publish a response! – Nishi

Get my free ebook, “How to Blog Like an Entrepreneur” now – CLICK HERE!