Short & Sweet: 7 Advantages of Concise Content

Creating clear and concise content has many advantages for your brand, audience, and search engine optimization. In this article, we list seven benefits of concise content.

The trend in content marketing is toward ever-longer articles. Long-form content is considered to be more effective, offering more reader value and search ranking advantages. These are all excellent benefits, but shorter content can provide plenty of value. Clear, concise content can help you gain and keep readers' attention. Your message is more specific and more likely to be remembered. Here are seven (brief) reasons you may want to go short from time to time.

1. Fast-Paced World

From social media status updates to 24-hour news soundbites, it's a fast-paced world. Consumers are used to reading messages that get straight to the point and may skip over lengthy pieces that seem like an effort to read.

2. Skimmable Information

Those who do take the time to read your content often skim through it first before deciding if it's worthy of closer attention. Shorter content makes this easier and makes a favorable decision far more likely. 

3. Greater Impact

A short piece that focuses on a single point will have a greater immediate impact than a longer article covering broader ground. However, when you have an important message to deliver, don't dilute its power by introducing too many competing concepts. 

4. Mobile Accessibility

Although today's smartphone technology is awe-inspiring, the fact remains that a reader doesn't want to be confronted with a wall of tiny text on a small screen. In addition, shorter content is far easier to consume during the morning commute or in other on-the-go situations.

5. Resource Efficiency

Simply put, shorter content is usually easier, quicker, and less expensive to produce than longer pieces while still offering value for the reader. So, save the more resource-intensive long format for your blockbuster posts which explore ideas in greater depth.

6. Topic Range

The relative ease of production means you can cover a broader range of topics within your niche, testing for popular angles which you can expand upon later.

7. Focused Writing

Lastly, aiming for shorter content encourages writing that focuses on the message instead of an arbitrary word count. Tighter content without padding is always stronger, whatever your aim.

Final Thoughts

Great content comes in various formats, styles, and topics. An effective marketing strategy will use as wide a range as possible. Long-form content has many benefits, but it's not always better - sometimes, shorter really is sweeter.

Thank you for reading!