When people use the internet, they are often bombarded with waves of information. The majority of people who read online content now tend to skim through longer pieces of text, just so then they get the bare bones of the content. This has also led to many people actually turning away whenever they come across large blocks of texts because they simply do not have the time to sit reading it all.

This is why building content that is concise and to the point has become more popular. Many content providers have found that they can get everything they need to get across in less than 1,000 words. Some sites are now even instructing their content writers to only write to the 400-word minimum designated by Google search rankings.

With shorter content becoming more popular, it is important that you consider adopting this philosophy in order to keep your website looking modern and popular. Here we will look at how you can effectively keep the word count of your content down without losing out on quality. We’ll also look at how this can really improve your site in the long run.

Write A Short Description Of Your Post

When you have initially come up with an idea for a piece of content, start by writing down a short description that should be no more than one sentence long. Then try and condense it a little so then it forms the initial basis of not just the content but also the headline.

This is a very effective way to start, mainly because it focuses your mind on what you want to write about. It’s so easy to start drifting off and start talking about things that are related to your chosen subject. Sure, what you’re writing could be of benefit to your readers, but if that’s the case then the related topics should get their own content pages. For now, stay focused on the topic you have so then you don’t end up with a massive word count.

What Will You Give Your Readers?

Now you have your headline and your chosen topic, you can now really think about what your audience is going to take away from the content. Once you know what that is, you will be able to focus your content on that one single objective.

It will help keep your content direct and to the point so then you are able to communicate your message more succinctly. Using fewer words also means your communication will have an impact and it will be more likely to resonate in the mind of your readers.

Find Three Piece Of Evidence

Now you know what you’re going to be telling your audience, you need to build an argument. In order to do that, you will need evidence to back yourself up. This is where many content writers end up getting bogged down. They want to use all the information they get hold of because it will make their post more helpful and comprehensive. In this case, all it will do is add to the word count when that’s what we’re trying to avoid.

When looking for evidence, find three sources and then stop. Your content is going to be concise so you don’t need any more than that. This will also encourage you to stay on your central message, as you won’t be able to drift off and find sources about a related topic. Once you have these, start making an outline for your argument so then you know that the quality of your position is good.

Make Notes

Now is the time when you can start to use a little creativity. Take your three pieces of evidence and start fleshing out your argument. You can start using case studies and other examples to back up your argument now if you want, but make sure you stay within the parameters of your headline description and the three pieces of evidence you picked out.

This is also a great time to really start letting your creative writing ability shine. You can start making your writing thoughtful and engaging. Chances are you will keep everything concise and brief, mainly because you have stuck to that method up until this point. By now, your piece of content should now be taking shape.

Editing

Now that you have your content in place, it’s time to start editing. Yes, you have been keeping everything and concise and effective as you can, but there is always room for cutting a few words here and there. You can allow your writing to breathe a little bit for a day or two if that helps you, as it does many writers. Then come back to it and you will probably find it a lot easier to bring that word count down just a little bit more.

Ultimately, writing shorter content will become common practice in the end. Everyone is getting busier and the time they have to read things online is getting shorter. By crafting shorter content, you increase the chances of your readers sticking around to read all of your content.