We all want the best SEO, the best pictures, and the most beautiful words. But we all have limitations on our writing. One of these limitations is the character limit.
You are writing a blog post, and you have so many things you want to say. Maybe you need to impress the higher-ups and make sure your audience gets the best knowledge from you, or maybe you just want to tell your followers something very important. Whatever the reason is, it makes sense to you. However, in many instances, you have to follow the specific limit. If you go beyond that prescribed limit, you may not achieve your writing goals.
I don’t think it’s any great surprise to anyone that character limits can greatly impact your ability to get a message across. Whether you are writing a tweet, an article, or submitting a comment on a blog post, there are often character limits that leave you scratching your head and wondering how on earth you will fit what you want to say into the allocated character limit.
Here are the top five suggestions that you can follow to stay within the character limit in your write-ups:
1. Avoid using unnecessary words and helping verbs
One of the best things you can do to keep your writing relevant and within given character limits is avoiding the usage of unnecessary words and helping verbs. If a word doesn’t add anything to your sentence, remove it. That includes extraneous adjectives, adverbs, and helping verbs like “is,” “are,” and “was.” For example, instead of saying, “The flow is interrupted by a series of rocks,” try “A series of rocks interrupt the flow.”
Be specific in whatever you want to say. Clear up any ambiguity in your writing by using specific nouns and action verbs, not abstract terms like “things,” “stuff,” and “opportunities.” For instance, instead of saying that “Children need more opportunities to play outdoors,” say that they need more time outside a recess or after-school sports programs.
There are many reasons why you have to be concise in your writing. Sometimes, it’s because of a character or word limit in an essay for school or work. Other times, it’s because your readers have short attention spans, and you want them to stay focused on your message. In either case, you have to write succinctly.
2. Use a character counter tool
One way to ensure that your tweets and other write-ups stay within the character limit is by using a character count checker. This is a very useful tool if you have already written your content and want to know how many characters it has. It will not only count Your Character, it will also count how many Word, Paragraphs, and sentence they are in your Document.
Not all character counter tools deliver the same results. Therefore, make sure to choose the one that is credible and provides efficient results without wasting your precious time.
3. Make new paragraphs instead of using many bullet points or lists
This will help you avoid having too many long sentences in one paragraph, and breaking up information into smaller pieces will make it easier for readers to consume your content on the go. People are ten times more likely to read content on their phones than print it out and read it on paper, according to a recent study by Pew Research Center.
A paragraph allows you to use a mix of sentence structure. For instance, you can use sentences of different lengths, which makes your write-up read more interesting. On the other hand, too many bullet points of similar length are likely to put readers to boredom. That’s why it is important to create new paragraphs instead of using lists and bullets repeatedly or overwhelmingly.
4. Use acronyms and contractions
Contractions can make your writing sound more conversational and friendly. They also help shorten sentences by combining two words into one. For example, instead of saying “you are,” say “you’re.” It may not seem like much at first, but these changes add up over time.
Sometimes abbreviating a word or phrase can improve readability while keeping your message within character limits. For example, instead of saying “for example,” say “e.g.” This saves two characters without reducing readability too much. Use abbreviations and acronyms if they are common to the target audience. Do not use the ones that are not common among the general public. If you use them, you are likely to confuse your readers.
5. Use a simpler language
If you want to stay within the character limit, then you should prefer using short and simple words. Using shorter words enables you to communicate your message in fewer characters. Although the dictionary is filled with long and difficult words, try to keep your language as simple as you can.
Sometimes, new writers try to impress readers by including difficult-to-read words. They try to leave a nice impression on readers. However, using complex words and phrases is not what you are supposed to do. A good writer always keeps his audience in mind. He writes according to readers’ level of understanding. He never creates hurdles for his readers.
Furthermore, simple language plays a critical role in keeping your text within limits, while long words are always difficult to read for a layperson. They cause your content to go beyond the specified word limit.
Other things that can also help you stay within the character limit include re-checking your writing to keep sentences short, removing unnecessary words, limiting the use of the passive voice, and proofreading your work to ensure that you have not hit the character limit.
