Social Media Etiquette: Don't Hit The Post Button Just Yet!

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Have you ever tried to pause and think before hitting the post button? Or even trying to re-state your content before posting it? Or perhaps, you belong to hundreds of people who just don't care about what they post? Remember, it is not just about posting. Social media is also about being rational in every approach you make. Even an online marketing agency knows so well that the content you post on social media can make or break you.

Generally, people do not care about the things you post online. But you also have to remember that the activities you do online reflect on who and what you are. If you tend to post irrational or nonsense content, then people will think you are an ignorant person. Eventually, they will lose respect for you. And I'm sure you don't want people will label you as such. Right?

Sad to say, not all people are educated on this matter. As a result, more and more people are being careless on the things they do online. If you don't want to be irresponsible for every post you make, then below are the questions you should ask yourself before you hit the post button.

Am I seeking approval?

One of the most rewarding feelings, when we post something interesting, is that red flag are popping up to notify you that someone is giving you attention. And sometimes, it's addictive. When you feel like you wanted to have that feeling again and again, then perhaps, you are seeking their attention and approval. It's not a bad thing at all. In fact, people will most likely wait for your next interesting posts. But before anything else, it is a must for you to consider a healthier post and scrap the idea of posting unhealthy ones. In that way, you will please more people with the posts you have.

Am I boasting?

There's a thin line between sharing excitement and bragging. Unfortunately, not all of us know the difference of both. And as a result, most of us brag about something that we have. Before you post, you have to go over your content and examine your motivations first. If you think that people don't care about the things you flaunt online, then you might be bragging about it. However, posting something that can grab the interest of your readers is another thing. And if you don't want to annoy your readers, you have to have a good judgment on your motives and words.

Am I discontent?

Whether you agree with me on this or not, social media will never give you contentment. The more you receive praise from your audience, the more you are motivated to post more content. It's a cycle. If you feel like you are looking for something better for your well-being, then social media is not the answer. The posts you will read can only make or break your day. Yes, you might get some advice from your readers, but it's just it. It is on your own will to be motivated by doing things that make you feel satisfied inside and out. Well, I suggest, if you are discontented, you better walk away from social media for the mean time and find yourself in serenity.

Is this a moment to protect?

Social media is a jungle. People strive to be noticed by their audience. Of course, competitions are all around you. And these competitors will try to steal something from you and make it as their own. If you are a kind of person who values privacy, then it is your responsibility on whether or not to post something that is valuable for you. Yes, people know you as a good person who also posts good and interesting topics. But at least, you are not giving them all the information about your life. Protect what's yours, and you will not have any problem at all.

Is it kind?

This is one of the things most of us forget to consider. Remember, social media is not your diary where you can freely post any rants. Some of us here even pots curse words, which is definitely a no-no. Yes, we have a freedom of expression, but you also have to remember that what you post online reflects of who and what you are. And if you don't want people will label you as someone who is not educated enough to post something stupid, then you have to think again if it's kind and for the betterment of all mankind. If not, then stop!

The Ideal Length of Blog Posts

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“How long should an ideal blog post be?” 

Bloggers, content writers, search engine optimization (SEO) specialists alike have all ask themselves this proverbial question.  This pressing question becomes a lot more imperative when these writers are under the employ of an SEO company as this company would utilize their posts in building links.
Though there is no precise approximation as to how many words you should put into a post, to obtain a successful amount of readership, shares, and comments, writers must have at least have an idea as to how to make their blog posts long enough to be comprehensive yet short enough to maintain their readers’ attentions.  

So, how do writers hit that particular sweet spot wherein a blog is long enough to cover all salient points yet concise enough as so not to bore the reader? Well, there is a multitude of techniques but the first thing writers must take into consideration is to dispel of the myth that their readers would prefer to peruse posts that are shorter. While this may be true for readers who are looking to pass the time, the same cannot be said for readers genuinely gathering as much information as they can garner. These readers are the ones who want a comprehensive view regarding a particular topic you may have the opportune avenue for writing. And nothing disappoints them more than an insubstantial piece they will come across online that barely scratches the surface. If these readers see that reading your entire article does not take more than at least two scrolls, they will dismiss your entire article and look for something more favorable. Needless to say, your post would not get that much-needed shares and readership either.

So, if it is a fallacy that post should be short, what then is the ideal length? 

Well, when it comes to hitting the perfect word count and length of a post, it all boils down to the type of entry or post you are writing. This means that the length of your post largely depends on what advantages you want to get out of your blog or post and what you want to accomplish. If you are looking to have more comments on your blog, then you will fare better if you have shorter posts (this is especially true if you are focused on asking your readers some questions in order to generate a discussion). Ideally, these posts should be no more than 275 words and your main focus should be a writing prompt that sparks a discussion.

A disadvantage of short posts is that they rarely get shared on social media and is not exactly the best thing for SEO, but if you are trying to build an audience,  try this tack.  However, if your goal is to have more social media shares then you must appropriately choose a topic that is incredibly relevant to your audience. Additionally, the quality must be excellent as articles that are sub-par or are written substandardly would only succeed in getting ridiculed online. For social media shares, the average length of your post should be between 600 to 1250 words. To really get your post noticed and shared, write a catchy headline with a compelling premise—steer clear from writing articles that bait your reader into reading your post though as they would not take this too kindly.

And lastly, if you are looking to drive more traffic from Google to your blog, this largely means you are writing basically for search engine optimization (SEO). Writing for SEO remains to be the trickiest among all others, but the incentives are beyond great as when done right. Should you want more traffic from Google, write better-researched posts with at least 2450 words. This may sound a tad bit too demanding but long authoritative posts are the search engines’ friends—most especially if they are focused on solving a problem for the reader. This is the ideal number of words to get more traffic to your blog.

Concisely put, shorter posts are better for generating comments while longer posts are ideal for SEO and generating traffic.  However, do not limit yourself. Do not be afraid to write extensive posts that are over 2000 words or incredibly short posts that are less than 600 words. Do consider that there are topics you can cover as comprehensively as you can without sounding monotonous while there are topics you can sum up in a short post. The key is to vary your style and see what works best to your advantage. Do this and you may just come up with an ideal length for yourself.