Updated on July 2, 2020.
Do you struggle with writing social media updates because you’re unsure how long they should be?
Does writing a blog post send chills up and down your spine because you don’t know if you should write 500 or 1,600 words?
Do you want to faint at the thought of writing headlines for your content because you don’t know if it should be short or long?
If you answered YES to the above questions, you’re not alone.
I even question the right length for social media updates, SlideShare presentations, headlines, etc. Is the ideal Twitter update 100 characters? Or is it 71-100? Are 6 word headlines optimal? Or can you go over? It’s enough to drive you insane!
The most important thing to remember is to write for your audience and focus on what you’re writing. For example, if the ideal blog post is 1,600 words but your audience prefers 500-700 words, give them what they want.
If you’re selling merchandise, you may consider writing a headline of 10 words or more. David Ogilvy, a master advertiser, had research conducted on headlines. The study revealed that short headlines are good for readership.However, longer headline tended to sell more merchandise.
Remember, Google doesn’t buy from you. Your customers and clients buy from you!
The infographic below from SumAll (no longer in business), as seen on Buffer, will help take the pain out of trying to figure out the ideal social media updates, podcast lengths, size of images and more. Plus, you want to monitor your brand or company online with a social media tracker.
I hope you’ll find the infographic insightful. If you’re uncertain about some of the data, test it.
If you use Twitter, write a shorter Twitter update to see how your audience responds. Did your post get retweeted? How about replies did you receive? Testing social media updates gives you a good idea of what your audience wants and needs.
Your business is unique. What works for another business may not work for your audience and that’s okay. And sometimes, its best to ignore your competition. After all, they’re not you and you’re not them. You don’t want to sabotage your business by following someone else, do you?
Copy marketing strategies and tweak them to fit your business and use marketing tools that work for your business.
To save the infographic to your desktop, right click on it and choose Save Image As. You may want to print it out too. Consider bookmarking this post so you can easily refer back to it.
Infographic: Never Write the Wrong Social Media Updates Again!
Infographic attribution: http://blog.bufferapp.com.
Bonus!
Are you thinking about starting your own business? You’ll want to purchase a domain name. According to Moz, some of the best domains have the following characteristics:
- Short
- Easy to remember
- Easy to spell
- Have a .com extension
- Branded and descriptive
- No hyphen
- Do not have numbers
My domain, Savvy-Writer, has a hyphen. Why? Because I wanted it to stand out. Also, I think SavvyWriter.com was taken.
But there is another reason why you may want to use a hyphen: Sex.
For example, I used to write, and now sometimes guest blog for, Travel-Writers-Exchange.com. If the owners didn’t use a hyphen, the domain name would be TravelWritersExchange.com. While sex sells, you may not want it to appear in your domain name, unless it is your business and industry. No judgment here!
Keep in mind that domain brokers buy variations of domain names. If the the one you want is taken, you either have to think of another domain name or buy it from a broker. This may cost your thousands of dollars.
I don’t see anything wrong with having a hyphen in my domain name. I haven’t had a client say to me, “I can’t hire you as my content writer. Your domain has a hyphen in it!”
If you’re concerned about adding a hyphen to your domain name, think of another one.
Over to you. What do you think about these optimal lengths? How long are your social media updates, blog posts, headlines, etc.? Let me know in the comments below.
Hi Amandah; thanks for sharing this. another thing you want to have in a website name is something that is easy to say and be understood when giving it out in a conversation, over the phone, or during a radio or television interview. while people can write it down or find it in the notes; nothing beats something that is easy to say and have it understood. for example my primary site is midwaymarketplace.com it is very descriptive but most people quit listening at midwaymarket. so i have to repeat it or spell it. this is not good. so a while back i filed for a second domain name mr-midway.com still descriptive because a lot of people refer to me as mr midway online. but much easier to say. my new site theblindblogger.net is easy to say and understand because there are three hard consonants. i never have to repeat it. 🙂 just sharing a few thoughts. thanks for the post, max
Hi Maxwell,
I agree that it’s a good idea to have a website name everyone can pronounce. Throughout the years, I’ve come across some website names where I wonder What’s the name? How do you say it? Some people like to get creative with their website names. However, a simple name may be the right choice.
Thanks for stopping by Savvy-Writer. Have a great weekend and week ahead!
Hi Amandah ,
First this is a Great Post and Thanks a lot for Sharing me , i am First Time Visit Your Blog and My First Comments , i am Really IMpress with Your Blog Post Wonderful Work and Awesome Content , Keep it up
Regard Jassica
Hi Jassica,
Welcome!
Thanks for stopping by Savvy-Writer.com. I hope you’re having a great week.
I’m glad you liked the post. 🙂
If you have a suggestion for a post, let me know. I’m here to help.
Hi Amandah,
It’s been a while, and I am sorry for not having visited your blog- just been so overwhelmed with the new blog community and forum, as you already know, being a part of it. Glad I made my way today, especially to also wish you for Thanksgiving. 🙂
Coming to the post, that surely was a wonderful infographic – saying it all. Yes, Google loves a post length of 2000+ words, but I’d say go with what suits you best and what your readers like, just as you mentioned. Better still is to have a variation of post lengths, as it might be preferred than following one standard length always.
Yes, those are the right things for social media, the headlines, and other things. Regarding the domain name, just like you, mine too has a hyphen, but it’s worked well so far I would say. I honestly didn’t know what is preferred when I chose mine 4 years back, and I just went with what I liked and wanted. And I think perhaps it was taken also way back then – don’t remember too well now.
I guess at the end of the day, we should do what suits us and our audience, rather than going with what is generally done, isn’t it? Of course, the social media etiquette’s, we cannot let go and should follow them to the T.
Thanks for sharing, and have a lovely Thanksgiving with your loved ones 🙂
Hi Amandah!!
I recent question that puzzled my mind was how long a blog post should be. I didn’t want to make it too short nor did I want to make it too long. But as I pondered on the question, that was when I came to the realization that I enjoy writing longer posts that ranges in the 1000-2000 words range. I know it’s much easier to post shorter content and some people would prefer it, but I enjoy releasing what’s in my head.I want my readers to feel a sense of completion after they read my article because self development and success isn’t a topic a person could master with only a few words. It takes consistent pounding and reminding why they have to fight to achieve their dreams.
Hi Harleena,
No worries. I know you’re overwhelmed with the new blog community on AhaNOW! Good stuff. 🙂
I agree that blog posts have to be written for readers. If they prefer short, snappy posts between 500-700 words, I wouldn’t write 1,000 words or more. Besides, sometimes less is more. 😉
Regarding adding a hyphen to your domain name…I remember the president of the company I blogged for saying that a hyphen could make your domain name easier to read. And if some words blend together to create a not-so-nice words, a hyphen can separate it. You don’t want to offend anyone.
Thanks for stopping by as it’s always nice to see and read your comments. Have a great weekend!
Hi Michael,
Thank you for reading my post and your comment!
I often find it a challenge to write shorter posts; I’m always up for a challenge when it comes to writing. This is why I appreciate it when a new client or one of my regulars asks me to write a 500-700 word post I get excited. It gives me the opportunity to say what I need to say with the least amount of words — all of them must count!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Have a great weekend!
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