There’s a fine line between concise writing and bland content

You may read a lot of content writing advice telling you to always be concise in blog posts. This is certainly true as snappy, to-the-point sentences will always be easier to read than waffle, but you also need to ensure that the meaning you’re trying to convey is not lost in the editing process.

In this context, being concise means that you say everything you want to say in the minimum number of words. You should be straight to the point and avoid long-winded or unnecessary wordage. Readers will see straight through an overlong post stretched to meet a word count.

However, all this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t vary your vocabulary, be conversational or express opinions in your own imaginative terms. This is, after all, what makes blog posts so interesting to read. The key is to find the right balance.

These tips should point you in the right direction:

• Don’t repeat yourself – Even if you’ve worded something differently, you may still find when you check again that you’ve reiterated a point or two
• Use fewer words – The key to cutting down on waffle is to say the same thing, but in a shorter, more direct way
• Cut out irrelevant information – Think about the point you’re trying to make with each sentence or paragraph. If it isn’t relevant to the overall message, get rid of it. On the other hand, don’t cut out anything meaningful just to make your post shorter.

Christine Felton
Content Writer