What’s Best, A Long Post or a Short One?

Short answer - a long one.
 
Kidding!
 
What I mean by short vs. long post is a true article – not a meme or a gif or a pithy remark. For the sake of this conversation, let’s call a short post a one-to-two-minute read and a long post a four-to-six-minute read.
 
Therefore… yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Clau… I mean, yes, there is a two-to-four-minute ‘medium’ post, but we’ll leave that out of this dialog because if we add it, the article will be too long.
 
SHORT POSTS
I’ll address you folks first, cause if I’m not careful, I’ll lose most of you by the next paragraph. We want the information fast because that is our life. We make quick decisions, set the teams in place to make it happen, and move on to the next item.

​We don’t dive into details, rather, the purpose outweighs the minutia. If we find we’re headed in the wrong direction, we adjust quickly and decisively. Here’s more…

• Who we are
  • Type A personality.
  • Quick moving socialites.
  • Multi-taskers; Get it done now.

 

• What we prefer
  • Bullet points.
  • Stay on subject.
  • Brief answers to our questions (someone else thought through the details.)

 

• Virtues
  • Energetic.
  • Ambitious.
  • Competitive.

 

• Vices
  • Impatient.
  • Aggressive.
  • Domineering.

 

• How to reach us with the written word
  • Be bold.
  • Use vivid imagery.
  • Don’t bury the lead.
  • Use a credible source.
  • Just the subject line should do it.

 
LONG POSTS
We’re in-depth learners and theorists, looking to hear arguments from both sides of the isle. We prefer items that are thought through to the smallest detail. It’s even better with facts, figures, examples, side-by-side comparisons, and ‘if this, then that’ walk-throughs.

Once we decide, we’re confident in it. We have little regret or buyer’s remorse because we’ve done our research and deciphered the consequences of many scenarios. Here’s more…

• Who we are
  • Type B personality.
  • Deep relationships.
  • Thinkers; Observers.

 

• What we prefer
  • Case studies.
  • Different perspectives.
  • Time to ponder the issue.

 

• Virtues
  • Patience.
  • Creativity.
  • Work well in groups.

 

• Vices
  • Time averse.
  • Procrastination.
  • Can be perceived as lazy.

 

• How to reach us with the written word
  • Show us charts, models, and graphs.
  • Give us a list with descriptions of each.
  • Tell us what’s coming; then take your time.
  • Ask a tough question; give multiple options.
  • Ask multiple questions; give multiple options.

 
Bottom Bottom Line
If we wish to reach both audiences, post both choices. If you need to cast the net wide, it’s an advantage to use multiple tactics (short and long posts) to attract the attention of different personality types.
 
A good tactic is to draft a ‘long’ article, and then along with the post, provide a brief or bulleted overview on the topic point. Two birds, one stone.
 
Well, at around 500 words, this ended up as a two-to-four-minute post. So, let’s call it Medium and I hope it resonated with you, no matter your personality type.
 
Yours,
 
Blaise