The problem with writing huge articles
I've been trying to write longer articles for a while now mainly because I didn't feel like I was delivering enough content. For the past month I've been writing around two articles a day, some of them having around 1000 or more words, trying to make sure I bring as much value to my profile as I could.
The main problem with this was that most people that are here, on Steemit, don't have the time to read everything you write, especially if you write huge articles. Each of us has a limited amount of time in which we have to choose what kind of content to consume and how much time to allocate to that, while also keeping in mind we need to work and spend time with our family and friends.
That's why writing huge articles and publishing several times a day can result in less rewards and it may actually slow down your progress. I'm not saying writing a lot every single day isn't a great thing. However, you should always publish taking into consideration your followers and the time they have to consume content.
Because of that I believe we should all learn how to bring as much value as we can without forcing the reader to spend too much tine reading our content, at least if we're publishing daily, and write something longer from time to time when we want to talk about something different that can't really be discussed in an article with less than 1000 words.
That being said, I will do my best to also write smaller articles and focus on delivering value without taking too much from your time. I may start publishing more than twice a day as well, in order to compensate, but again, I want to make sure I give you enough content to consume while also not making it hard to read whatever I write.
I don't advice everyone to do the same, because each writer has a certain type of followers, but what I think we should all do is take a second and think about our readers. Do they all have the time to read what we write? Are they really interested in what we have to say? Is it okay if we publish in a certain way, or should we change that in order to make the readers happy?
After all, we all write for someone, and I think we should make an extra effort and focus on the people willing to read what we write. Doing that may result in better content creation, in more engagement between you and your followers and who knows, maybe in more rewards.
Hello @raikuhen
I don't think content lenght will put off readers.
I wrote my best and Longest post on Steemit last week titled.
How to write comments that makes influencers Notice you.
It was over 2000 words but people still read it because the information was useful to them.
The post got more than 100 comments and people are still resteeming it till this day.
People will read a long post if it contains valuable content.
I also reccomend you read the post. It will help you a lot.
I am also inviting you to the Blockchain Bloggers Discord Server, you will love it there.
@ogochukwu
#blockchain-blogger
Great point, I guess I didn't take into consideration articles that contain enough valuable content to be relevant years from now.
My main idea here was to not "annoy" followers with a lot of huge articles multiple times a day that take a long time to read, and to shorten content in order to provide value without forcing readers to spend too much consuming it.
But you are right, we should also focus on creating content that will last, that brings value to the reader and that helps you move forward, despite its length.
I'll keep experimenting with the length of my articles, trying to find a balance between long and short writings, having value in mind, trying to provide as much as possible for the reader.
And thank you for the invitation, I don't use Discord right now, apparently my computer has a few problems with it and with its CPU usage (it constantly jumps from %3 - %4 to %15 - %30 for no reason), but if I'll fix the problem and I'll start using it again, I will consider joining :)
I do the same and consider a similar dilemma. Albeit, I also consider playing a long game with providing content which has a longer half-life, that is, content that is pertinent a year from now, not just today or tomorrow. Of course, there are methods to play with the Venn Diagram a bit more, providing strong half-life data that is also an Hors d'oeuvre and not an Italian-family's Sunday 8-course lunch. I'm going to try and take the route as well with equilibrium by posting more responses to topics (such as this one), which should naturally be shorter than primary content, but have at least one node of value. This too, as a community, is pure experiment (I mean, it is still in beta), so experiment away and iterate based on the feedback loop (or lack of one). Point is keep at it. Cheers.
Good point, experimenting is key, especially on a new platform where people aren't yet 100% sure of what they want. Thanks for the comment! :)
Hi @raikuhen! Good Day!
I just want to let you know that your contents are great and professional. You don't have to worry about what people will think or don't read your post because its too long. There are tons of people on steemit that are interested in different things. But what i have learned from my past experience in my old account, whales are more likely to upvote quality contents like yours. Keep being classy! Stay what you are. Don't change yourself because you're great of what you are right now. We have this bad and good luck. Keep trying! Try to gain more followers as well for the exposure of your contents. Following you and looking forward to see more great stuff you will post! Cheers!
~ earisu
You are right, my main objective should be providing as much value as I can, and I shouldn't focus on the length of my articles just because I fear people may not read them.
Thank you very much for your comment and for the kind words :)
Thank you! For appreciating what I've said and actually understood what i meant. ^_^ Talksoon my friend.
You make a good point, i personally don't really like bulky article because i have alot of other interesting authors work to go through with limited time. but it is like the steemit system likes bulky article, so if you have it , give it to them.
I guess it's about taste. Some people love long articles, while others only care about short content that gives them exactly the information they need.
Maybe formatting the text is a great way to combine both and to make sure those who love to read a lot have enough content to go through, while those who only want certain types of information can get what they need without too much trouble because of the well edited text. That is something I need to think about as well when writing future articles.
Thanks for your comment, it made me think about another important aspect when writing - formatting the text!