How long should an article or a blog post be? How about a sales letter? The answer is, of course: “As long as necessary. And no longer. ” Obvious, right? Most writers know that brevity is crucial. In writing, like many things in life, “less is more.” But in writing and in Texas BBQ, we tend to over-indulge. We don’t need the extra words any more than we need those surplus calories, delicious though they are. Why does brevity matter? In your content marketing , you might want to inform or you might want to entertain. If your audience is mentally screaming “Get to the point!” you’ve done neither. And no one will share your work if they don’t understand it, or if it bores them into a coma. For sales copy, brevity is even more important. Yes, long copy sells . But “long” means you cover all of the important facts your prospect needs to know. It does not mean you indulge your desire to natter. If you have ever silently waited, cash in hand, while a windbag salesperson droned on, you will recognize the issue here. It actually takes more work to write a short post. You may find you spend twice as much time editing as you do writing. But you owe it to your readers to cut the fat from your content. Bottom line: If you want your words to have impact, get to the point — then get out of the way! About the Author: Chris Garrett is a professional blogger and co-author of ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income . He is a man of few words, and many of those words can be found on his blog, chrisg.com .

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Are You Too Lazy to Write Less?