Too Long, Too Short, and Just Right

When developing marketing content for clients, a common question is, “How long should this marketing piece be?”

While it may seem like a simple question, it’s a good one. If your content is too long, you can lose your reader and the message can drown in a sea of words. If your content is too short, you could be missing out on giving your target audience key benefits or features about your product or service.

So, how do you find that “just right” length of content? Personally, I use the “skirt rule” that was given to me by one of my college professors. When students would ask him, “How long should this paper be?”, he would respond with:

“It should be like a woman’s skirt – long enough to cover the subject, but short enough to be interesting.”

While the same analogy could be applied to many other things, I’ve always stuck with the skirt because it works for me. Tailoring a skirt is a lot like tailoring content – you can start with a lot of fabric and cut it back a few times to find that “just right” length, but, if you cut off too much, it can be difficult to add it back on and still have smooth lines and a nice flow.

Anyone with a pair of scissors can cut up a skirt, but if you want your finished skirt to be functional and look nice, it’s best to hire a professional tailor to make the alterations. The same rings true for marketing content. Anyone with access to the content can shorten or lengthen it,  but for the project to live up to the vision you have in mind, hiring a professional copywriter or editor is a smart decision.

A professional content writer knows how to trim the words and can help turn your content from too long or too short into content that covers the subject, is interesting, and that’s just right.

Jill

Need a professional copywriter or editor for your next marketing project?
Contact Heiste Communications for content that is just right.