Remember those days when businesses and individuals were hellbent on churning out long pieces of content? Remember how most statistics indicated that all blog posts must be over 1000 words long? What if we tell you that this convention is not really wrought in stone?

We are, of course, talking about microblogging. With an average attention span of only a few seconds on a search engine, we are actually not surprised that short is the new hot. In fact, around 75% of readers prefer reading blog posts that are less than 1000 words long! (Source: Contently) Does this indicate the end of traditional blogging strategies, though? We wouldn’t be so sure yet.

But why are we saying that? Let’s dig deeper and find out.

Microblogging – The trend that’s here to stay

It all started with the likes of Twitter and Tumblr but Instagram took it to another level altogether. Microblogging is all about creating engaging posts that are big on value and short on content. You often accompany such posts with media or links to connect with the audience. Now, even though Instagram is a visually-driven social media platform, users crave for a connect. They want to read the story behind the image or video you upload and, that is why most users read the caption. Thankfully, Instagram allows 2,200 character-long captions, allowing you some space to express yourself. Twitter is slightly more stringent but we seem to have adapted well to the restrictions.

Blogging – Is it over?

No, not really. Long blog posts are actually just as important today as they were earlier, especially from the SEO point of view. Now, since SEO factors in users and their requirements, this is something we should take very seriously. Websites with more content still rank better and perform well organically. There are also many users who still want in-depth information through blogs and are patient enough to go through more than 1000 words. So, it would actually be unfair to say that the golden era of blogging is coming to an end.

What’s a marketer to do then?

It is all about balance, friends. It would be just as wrong to shift completely to microblogging as it would be to stick to long blog posts.

In this world of intense competition and ever-changing trends, we need to satisfy both – search engines and users. This is why we recommend a blend of microblogging and blogging. Keep publishing high quality blogs while focusing on Instagram and other such microblogging platforms! And, remember, they are both incomplete without visuals!

A few tips on microblogging

To round off this article, we would like to share a few tips on microblogging because it is a relatively new scope.

1. Identify the most relevant microblogging sites for your business and sketch a social media marketing strategy accordingly.

Here are some of the most popular sites today:

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest
Tumblr

2. Do not try dipping your toes in all foreign waters! For most businesses, just one or two sites are enough.

3. Long or short, work on establishing a connection with the audience. If your content is weak, the platform won’t matter and its length won’t either.

4. Use GIFs, videos, links, audio, and images wherever you can. None of the microblogging sites encourages plain text.

Has your business added microblogging to its social media marketing strategy yet?

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Blogging versus microblogging – Who's winning in 2019?

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