How Long Should A Blog Post Be?

Last week I participated in the #BlogTrends chat on twitter. The topic for the night centered around ways to  grow our blogs and new technology to aid in the process. 

At some point, somebody asked how long should a blog post be. Now listen. If you've never participated in a chat before this kind of question may seem off topic, but it's not. One of the things I like about twitter chats is that most have an open format. If a question pops in your head - you're free to ask and more than likely you'll get an answer. 

In this particular instance, there were lots of answers. And they were all across the board too. Some folks said they prefer reading longer posts. Others chimed in saying if a post was too short, they felt like it was rushed and half done. 

Here's my advice:

Instead of focusing on how long or short the post should be, focus on what you want to say. 

1. If you're writing a how-to post, have you detailed all of the steps?
2. What's the purpose of the post? What do you hope to accomplish?
3. If a reader lands on your blog for the first time, will what they read make them want to come back?

There's all kinds of blogging tips out there. Some I agree with, but most I don't. 

One thing I know for sure is if your primary focus is on how long your posts should be, you won't have a successful blog. 

What are your thoughts?