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NOTE: This is part 3 of a 7-part series that describes the main types of blog posting formats. See the index to this series for the complete list.

The brief remark is a blog posting that generally is just 1-3 short paragraphs long. It can contain virtually any kind of content: an observation on current events, an idea, an event announcement, a question for readers, an anecdote, a joke, a description, etc.

Brief remark postings often (but not always) contain external links. However, the links are not the main value offered by that posting. In a brief remark posting, links support the content. In contrast, in a link blurb posting, non-link content exists primarily to support the links.

Sometimes it can be hard to distinguish between a link blurb and a brief remark. But remember, all of these blog posting formats represent points along a spectrum. In the blogosphere, they often tend to blend into each other…

If you use blogging software that allows you to publish just the beginning of a posting on your blog’s home page and then finish it on a separate page, the full text of a brief remark posting probably would fit well within your home page layout (and maybe in your webfeed, too).

EXAMPLES: Jack Vinson’s blog Knowledge Jolt with Jack often publishes brief remark-format items, such as On the web – Ask and you just might receive. Also, the Poynter Institute’s E-Media Tidbits blog (to which I contribute) mainly publishes articles that generally are 1-3 paragraphs long, although some are longer. And my recent posting, I’m Officially a Furl Junkie Now, is a brief remark.

ADVANTAGES: Short, content-rich, link-attracting

Brevity is generally a good thing in weblogs – it promotes content grazing by readers who are looking for a few quick items of interest rather than an in-depth reading experience. From the reader’s perspective, blogs that include mainly brief items are usually easier to absorb, especially when blog-reading is an activity crammed in during the odd spare minute.

However, brief remarks postings also distinguish themselves as primary content. That is, the core reason for these postings is that the blogger had something original to say. In the blogosphere, this is generally viewed as more significant than simply referring to someone else’s content. Primary content is far more likely to attract inbound links than referral content (postings that mainly exist to pass readers along to another online destination). Including more primary content can increase your readership as well as your reputation as a blogger.

DISADVANTAGES: More effort, potentially superficial or banal

Brief remark postings are a very good idea for most weblogs. However, any editor will tell you that it’s generally much more difficult to write short items than long ones. Good short content requires a lot of attention to wordcrafting, scope, and flow. This effort takes time. Unfortunately, most of your readers probably won’t notice how hard you worked to give them an easy and rewarding reading experience. So don’t expect many kudos for high-quality writing or editing in your brief remark postings.

Also, it’s possible to misuse this format. In particular, if you misjudge your audience or simply get lazy, you might dash off a brief posting on a topic that truly deserves a deeper exploration. This might disappoint your readers or make you appear superficial.

Furthermore, if you tend to write lots of brief postings make sure you’re not just dashing off thoughtless, worthless, or irrelevant content just to have something to say that day. Every brief remark item you post should offer significant potential value to your readers.

TIP: Know your audience!

I recommend that most blogs use the brief remark format for at least some postings. How much your blog should use this format depends on its focus and your audience’s preferences and needs. If your audience mainly wants quick hits, use this format often (for at least half of all postings).

NEXT: List-format blog postings…

PREVIOUS: Link blurbs

INDEX to this series