Microblogging: Everything You Need to Know

As bloggers, we are bombarded with studies showing the positive correlation between blog article length and positive outcomes.

• “Longer blogs get more social shares.”
• “Longer blogs get more backlinks.”
• “Longer blogs rank higher in search engines.”

While these points are valid, to an extent, there is still utility in short-form blog content, also known as microblogging.

This short article will cover the basics of microblogging, the benefits and drawbacks, examples, and more.

What is microblogging?

Microblogging is the process of publishing “micro” or short blog posts frequently. Microblogging is a combination of instant messaging and standard content creation. Since microblogs are short, one can produce them frequently and connect with an audience quickly. Microblogs are often found on social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, and “normal” blogs.

How long is a microblog?

Microblogs are between 20 to 300 words, while “normal” blogs are anywhere between 300 to 3,000 words or more. According to Orbit Media, the average blog article published in 2021 was 1,416 words, meaning that microblogs are considerably shorter. The short length of microblogs allows one to post them more often.

Popular microblogging platforms

Microblogging is possible on various platforms, but it’s best suited for social media platforms, as these sites thrive on short-form content and instant connection.

• LinkedIn: This is a trendy platform for microblogging. Written content thrives on LinkedIn. While video and images are popular too, short microblogs from both companies and individuals are an excellent way to connect with others and share value quickly.
• Facebook: This platform has more extended character limits for text posts than other social media platforms, but most posts from people or companies tend to be in the microblogging range.
• Twitter: Twitter is on the extreme low end for character length and could be called a “micro-micro blogging” site. The platform’s great for posting microblogs often to stay connected with your audience.
• Instagram: While Instagram is a heavily visual platform, you can write microblogs alongside posts in the description field, such as announcements, tips, opinions, and more.
• Tumblr: Tumblr is an old-school microblogging site. You can create blogs that include descriptions, links, GIFs, videos, and more in your posts, which appear in your followers’ dashboards.
• Pinterest: Pinterest is another image-focused platform, but alongside images, you can post descriptions to provide context for images, link to products, and more, enabling you to connect with users quickly.
• Your website: Blogs on the higher end of the microblog word count range (around 300) can be effective on your website’s blog page (see example below). They can help provide value to website visitors looking for quick insights rather than reading in-depth posts.

Microblog examples

Here are three examples of different microblogs in action.

#1 LinkedIn

#2 Website

This is an example of a short 169-word microblog on Copyblogger. While most blog content on websites is over 1,000 words, short and snappy posts like this have their place.

#3 Twitter

Benefits

Microblogging has some key benefits. 

• Frequency: The most notable benefit of microblogging is the frequency of posting. Because you’re investing less time and resources into creating microblogs, you’re able to produce a higher quantity of posts, allowing you to distribute them more frequently. The main benefit here is the constant communication and connection with your audience that isn’t as easy to do with long-form content.
• Save time: Producing a comprehensive 3,000-word blog article has its place, but it takes a lot of time and investment. With microblogs, you can create them easily, without spending much if you’re outsourcing them and saving a lot of time if you’re producing them yourself. 
• Instant connection: Due to the nature of microblog platforms, you’re able to connect with your audience instantly. For example, if you share a 30-word microblog on LinkedIn, it can quickly gain the attention of thousands of people as it’s highly shareable. In contrast, a long-form post on your website may get less attention, at least in the short term, due to the more considerable time investment on the users part to determine its value.

Drawbacks

While microblogging is excellent, there are downsides.

• Bad for SEO: If you’re posting microblogs on your website, it will not be great for SEO. While word count isn’t a ranking factor per se, posts that fall under the 300-word range will struggle to rank, as there will always be more comprehensive competing blogs on similar topics that will usually out-rank yours, regardless of how well-written they are.
• Limited depth: One key disadvantage to microblogging is that the content is thin. While you can have a significant impact with fewer words, it can be challenging to cover an issue comprehensively if you only have 100 words to use. Therefore when trying to elaborate on the analysis of a specific topic, microblogging may not be the ideal option to get your points across effectively.

The bottom line

Microblogging’s popularity continues to rise. While long-form blogging has its place, and likely always will, especially for favoring search engines, it’s hard to deny the convenience of microblogs from the user’s perspective. They’re easy to consume, hyper-shareable, and despite the disadvantages, microblogs are worth investing in as part of your content marketing efforts.