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7:06 am
April 29, 2011
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Buck Inspire
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Hi all,
Do you like reading long or short posts?
Do you like writing long or short posts?
Is there a correlation between your most popular posts to the length of your post?
Thanks! 
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8:32 am
April 29, 2011
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Derek@LifeAndMyFinances
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I honestly don't like posts that are super short. I feel like they were a waste of my time because they basically told me nothing. I don't mind a longer post – especially if the topic has to do with someone's success and how they got there. And, the post needs to be broken up with bullet points or titles. If it's one solid paragraph, I just can't handle that.
My most popular posts do not depend on length, more on content.
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8:38 am
April 29, 2011
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The College Investor
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I like reading semi-long posts. Too short, and I feel it wasn't enough (unless it is Len Penzo's 100 word challenge). However, unless the content is good, at word 1,000 I may be checking out.
I like posts around 500-700 words. I think that is a good length.
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8:46 am
April 29, 2011
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Suba @ Wealth Informatics
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I have been debating that myself. Most of my posts are long (super long for some people's taste). >1000 words. In fact that is my heavily stripped down version from the first draft :). If no one likes long posts, I will have to tone it down…
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9:23 am
April 29, 2011
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Khaleef @ KNS Financial
| | Fat Guy, Skinny Wallet | |
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I am very interested in this as well. Since I don't write a lot about my personal life, many of my posts tend to be long (except for opinion pieces).
@ Suba, I'm with you – I have a lot of > 1,000 word posts that have been reduced from a larger amount or made into a series.
I love reading long posts as long as they are organized well. I agree with Derek when it comes to really short posts.
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9:57 am
April 29, 2011
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AshleyB
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I try to keep my posts about 500 words. I don't care about the length of a post as long as it's interesting. Although I'm less likely to make it through a super long post.
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10:06 am
April 29, 2011
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JT_McGee
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My posts are usually longer, most exceed 800 words, and a few are 1000+
That said, I've noticed that I get fewer comments on longer posts, but the people who land on these pages stick around for longer, often reading the first page in 5-6 minutes, then reading a few other related posts for 4-6 minutes. I'm stoked with that.
One thing with longer posts is that I've been including a summary/too long; didn't read to the bottom so that people can better skim my articles. I've found that it helps in maintaining a good number of comments, even on super-long posts.
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10:47 am
April 29, 2011
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Buck Inspire
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Thanks all for the great feedback. Interesting mix of answers. I'm thinking a medium sized post may be the best. Everyone is so busy it might be difficult to sit through a really long post, unless the topic happens to hit home. I agree a short post might leave the reader feeling less than satisfied. Trying to fine tune my posts. Always learning, right?
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8:27 pm
April 29, 2011
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FamilyMoneyValues
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I've been trying to shorten mine up lately.
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5:11 am
April 30, 2011
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Car Negotiation Coach
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I'd vote for longer posts with a little meat to them. Providing facts and backing them up with a detailed explanation is key.
@Suba- Yes, your posts are long, but that's why they're such good references! Please don't change them!
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5:49 am
April 30, 2011
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Melissa (Mom's Plans)
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I usually write 500 word posts naturally, and that seems to be the length I like to read. If someone is writing a very long post, it would hold my interest much more as a series of three or four shorter posts. That also keeps me coming back to the blog as I look for the next part. With a very long post, I usually skim and/or just stop after a while, even if the content is good.
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8:39 am
April 30, 2011
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Sustainable PF
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I write what I want to write.
On one hand we have our Sustainability Tips. Very short and designed to be that way. They are very popular I think. It is a tip, not an essay or an in depth analysis.
On the other hand we have our longer articles that delve into green/sustainability and personal finance. These are also popular (well, as popular as our site is – about 120 unique visits a day).
I think our RSS subscribers don't actually come to our site as the tips can be read quickly in email or a reader.
As a reader I don't mind short, medium or long posts. Quality content can be delivered in various ways. Akin to Twitter, short can be VERY popular but like news print, so can longer pieces.
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8:40 am
April 30, 2011
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Jackie
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I tend to write shorter posts, and I prefer reading those too. I don't aim to write shorter posts, but I write until I've said what I need to say and then stop. I prefer reading them because I don't have a lot of time to read longer posts, even though I find them interesting. I usually end up leaving them open to "read later" and then never do.
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1:57 pm
April 30, 2011
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Money Reasons
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I'm with Jackie on this one. I use what I consider to be the right amount of words that get the idea communicated. I also like to read short blog posts, because my time is limited.
So for my Disney World Experience, it was over 1,000 words (I honestly couldn't do less…), but other post like the contributions rates for Roth IRAs, are short.
I have noticed that over time the length of my posts are getting longer and more media rich.
So I guess it really depends on the topic… at least for me.
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2:31 am
May 1, 2011
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Buy Like Buffett
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I actually prefer shorter posts. Long posts have to be incredibly interesting to keep my attention.
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2:11 pm
May 1, 2011
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Kay Lynn Akers
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I like shorter posts and subsequently write that way. Most of mine are 350-500 words. My reading comprehension goes down the longer the post although good formatting makes it easier.
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3:29 pm
May 1, 2011
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Eugene Craig III
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Personally, it depends on the topic and how the post is arranged. If its a big paragraph more than 500 words I will have tendencies to just skim through. But i can say a good 200-500- words, but also its relative to the topic being written about. -Gene
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5:22 pm
May 1, 2011
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Pat S
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Whatever it takes to get the point across.
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4:09 am
May 2, 2011
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Dana
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I typically write shorter posts because I like to read shorter posts.
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Dana
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8:44 am
May 2, 2011
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Eric – PersonalProfitability.com
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I like a mix of post lengths. Some topics deserve 1000+ words, most deserve 300-600 words, a few deserve less.
My posts that get social media success are usually shorter, but my posts with the most interactivity are longer.
If you only use one length, your readers will probably get board. Mix it up and give topics an appropriate length.
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