The short-form content paradox

"I have made this longer than usual because I have not had time to make it shorter."

From Blaise Pascal, this quote sums up half of what I call the short-form content paradox...

There's no need to explain how quickly the world of short-form content moves. You're pushed daily to craft 280 characters into ever more 'personal' and polarising pieces of content.

However, as Pascal knew, this process requires more time than most dedicate to it.

It's no simple task to come up with an original idea and express it in words, let alone when there's an imposed maximum on the number of characters you can use.

Why then, are we paradoxically forced to create many times more pieces of short content than longer-form ones?

The short-form content paradox leaves no surprise as to why tools and methods such as templates and content repurposing have become so prevalent in today's world of short-form content strategy.

Unfortunately, this approach doesn't work to great effect. Respect short-form writing as something that takes as much time, creativity and skill as writing longer pieces. Especially considering the volume that social media platforms such as X require us to create to stay relevant.

Show your appreciation for a well-crafted short piece of writing next time you see one. Not a platitude. Not a template. A good piece of writing.

That's my take on the state of short-form content at the moment.

I'm sorry this piece is so long - if I didn't have more to write after this I'd have made it shorter.