Velocity vs Depth

I've been thinking about this lately. I find I spend more time on marketing philosophy and quick snippets (yours and Seth Godin's blog). If anything is too long, or contains too many graphics I'm out of there. I've recently been toying with ditching my Mashable feed: even though its great to be in the know, its too much to keep up with and not all useful to me.

I've also found as my Twitter use has gone up, my blogging has gone down. As has my seeking out other ways to find news and various updates. I still havent determined if thats a good thing or not. :)

I have tried writing velocity, it's just not in me, so I try to write when I am really inspired with something that is beneficial for others to read. Some people, like yourself Chris, can pump out beneficial content all day long - others like me have to wait for rain to get wet.

As I have told friends in the past, I don't have writers block, I have a hydra.

Cheers.

A mix of both velo. and depth are good. Sometimes I take the time to craft a well thought out post. Other times I spew off the top of my head and those posts get the most attention.

The best writing is easy to read, easy to follow, easy to assimilate. Just make it easy for your readers.

I guess it depends on your audience as well. [A lot of people lack the patience to read a blog post, let alone anything more in depth.... lol.]

I think that deth is great, but velocity is essencial. I have written three posts for a week, and I think this is worth.

Regards,
Monthiel

There shouldn't be any rules. A blogger should feel comfortable about writing a 5,000 word blog post (I remember Seth Godin had one that never seemed to end). Within the same month or so, I remember him writing a post no longer than 10 or so words long. And it worked.
I think the blog should include indepth stuff (and I think you have done that, a lot). As well as being provocative / half-baked (half-baked ideas that need developing) / factual (based on hard research and case studies), and so on.
In other words, it should be comprehensive in approach (individual readers, not just readers in general, want different things / variety - i think ...).

There is much to be said for both. Velocity and depth can be achieved with a well thought out goal. If all you have time for is velocity then unless you have direction you will be going round in circles. Then again how much depth can you give in a short piece. You did it perfectly Chris once again I applaud your approach with the "snackable content" including your "free ebooks like these" depth. Bravo once again spot on.

Chris,

I very much agree. Being a new blogger, putting metrics on response to my writing, noticing the drop-off when I don't have new entries - it pushes a guy toward shallow some of the time. And, at times, Twitter accelerates that.

I have something going that counters that tendency a bit, though. I'm older than most bloggers. That helps temper the tendency toward a heated rush.

I am amazed at how easy it is for some, like yourself, to write with velocity. Writing with velocity does encourage writing concisely, to the point, to the message, and it allows the reader to read it quickly.

I'm new to twitter and sometimes intimidated by it because I try to read too much into each message. I guess you could consider me a person who likes depth, not that there's anything wrong with velocity. I hope to achieve both.

Chris,

For me its more velocity than depth at the moment. I write for a few reasons, the most important of which is to participate in the community and to gain more knowledge in the field of social media and branding. Because I'm NOT an expert, I focus more energy in re-tweeting, or linking up great articles and posts by others, while giving my take on it as well.
That being said, I also feel like there are topics and areas where I would be an asset, and I try to focus more on depth with those topics. I think its the depth that can help make you a resource and and expert, but its the velocity that can really be used to help others and network.

I base my writing off of creativity and experience. No two days are alike to begin with and I am perfectly fine with that.
I read a varied amount of material on a daily basis (New York Post, Hip Hop Music Publications, Rolling Stone.
I browse through a fair amount of blogs on a daily basis as well. I go to what ever suites my interest, or lively conversation that is taking place. Blogs that have interesting topics and challenges my normal thought process keeps my interest.
I suppose that is how my poetry and short stories manifest themselves.
I make sure I post once a day to keep myself current in between classes.
That makes sure my Blogs are constantly changing. Leaving a unique mark that no one can copy, hence that is the purpose of graffiti.

Blogging is definitely a valid platform for both. I don't see a necessity to choose between the two or to even deliberately engineer a balance between them. If you're blogging is honest and helpful, it will connect with readers, and that's the point. The unique thing about blogging is how personal it can be. You recently posted a picture of your son. What newspaper editor would ever get away with that? But here, people love and appreciate it; it makes sense because the site is personal to begin with.

I subscribe to some blogs that only post once a week or less. It's good stuff. I think it's a myth that you have to put out TONS of content to be helpful. In fact, too much velocity turns me off. It's all personal, and if you keep it that way, it's all good. I don't think that is an element that needs to be part of your blogging plan.

Chris,

Still trying to figure that one out myself for my audience.

Velocity can be used for equipping people and for giving readers insight to your mind. It interests people, but it doesn't distinguish you.

Business leads and relationship building require depth. People will come to you for the depth. Anyone can generate content - not everyone can generate good content that inspires discussion. The depth is what attracts readers in the first place.

Since I'm just starting out (converting my company's old news section into a blog), I'm making a few "velocity" posts while trying to come up with great ideas to inspire "depth" posts. I think a healthy mix of both is necessary to have people coming back to your blog/site. Sometimes people only have time for a snack. Other times, they're extremely hungry and want a 5 course meal. If you can't deliver, they'll go somewhere else.

@balemar

A reader once told me that she liked my material because she can skim it and get the gist if needed. I hadn't intended for my bullets and numbered lists to have that effect, exactly, (it was really in reaction to how my brain processes data) but when I really thought about it, I realized that its a really good thing for today's hyper-saturated reader. If interested, they can read deeper and if just wanting a skim, they know they can hit my posts fast and still come away with something.

I try to hit velocity AND depth these days. Velocity for the reader that is (cuz' some days, it just don't come easy!)

Thanks for the post Chris... now I'm off to write mine for the day...

Typically I blog for depth, but that ends up creating consistency issues. Ie, its near impossible to go into depth on a daily basis, unless such writings present a large revenue stream. The other issue, is depth tends to make for much longer articles, more like white papers than blog entries.

As a bridge, depth builds credibility pretty well... but the downside is growth can be pretty slow, and it does little to build community. I think those who have mastered how to add value with velocity are on to something big, and the credibility comes organically over time, and thus leaving depth for ebooks, white papers etc. The challenge I believe is how to best add value when velocity blogging. Its something I'm looking into.

I find the most inspirational content I read to be the short bursts, so I write those more often. The lengthier stuff I allow to flow out of my other work, then transfer it over to blogging. For me (I'm a Pastor) that means that often lengthier content will flow out of message preparation rather than in-the-moment inspiration.

If I've got 30 minutes to spare, I'd rather have 5 inspirational bursts thrown at me than a good ebook, though.

Hi Chris,
I would guess that you're writing for the joy of it all, as well. It shows.

When I post I wish to provide my readers with information which will hopefully get them thinking about what they're doing and perhaps question whether they can do things differently. Stress is a matter of perception and by changing our perceptions we can start to feel & do better emotionally, mentally & physically.

As @AuntieStress, I made the decision long ago that I would post once a wk. and send out newsletters quarterly. Except for 1 or 2 occasions on my blog, I've abided by this rule. I chose to do this for 2 reasons. 1. I don't wish to overwhelm my readers, who are already receiving lots of great information with only so much time. 2. It's important for me to practise what I teach about choosing how we do things so that I don't become over-extended.

I do have a number of drafts saved from when I've jumped into my flow. (They just need to be dressed up a bit [not in stress, though!] and they're ready if I've run out of topics.)

The bottom line is that people need to find the style & frequency that is suitable for them & their readers.

There's some more talk about this very topic on @matthewcornell's blog.
http://matthewcornell.org/2008/08/idealab-0826-...

Chris,
Snackable content is correct, and you are a master at delivering a story with clarity and appeal in a few words. I think of the symbolism of a pyramid - get to the point, first, then build a little, and conclude.
Thanks for such a terrific blog where I am continuously learning.
DH

Good questions. In a culture where everybody writes, who's a writer?

Pre-new media, I was a writer; an opinion writer. I was paid to opine -- to write my opinion about whatever I wanted. After a corporate stint, I've returned to learn new media and am still trying to figure out my place. I still want to be "a writer"; to be valued for my writing; to write about whatever I want. But how that fits into blogging, where we're advised to be experts on something, to offer advice, to engage in dialogue... I haven't figured it out.

Chris, I ask you this: Is blogging the same as writing? Is it different? IF so, how?

And soon: a dead tree book by Mr. Brogan! Are we all writers and creators as well as consumers of all this stuff? Yes... we surely are. But, for some topics, there still is basic truth. That is where I struggle: who is telling me the truth?

Chris,
You read my mind! This is exactly what I've been thinking about this week. I want to offer more snackable content but I agree I think there does need to be a mix between that and depth. Also, I hate to post just post. Sometimes, I just don't feel that I have anything intelligent to say. That is the issue I wrestle with the most. Having relevant or at least entertaining or interesting content to share. There are blogs that I've started to skip completely because they are less than a snack--just putting up a post because I guess they feel obligated to.

If I discover something through my own research I become uncertain whether to blog about it or compile it into exclusive content, but then I don't want to become one of these guys that only have 'squeeze' pages with no character. I want my blog to be ME. I AM my Blog if you see what I mean.

I only just started blogging and to be honest it feels therapeautic !

I just recently started using the concept of velocity with my blog post. I understood both the concepts of depth and velocity but was leaning heavily on the depth end. But just like everything in life I see its about the balance of both rather than going from one extreme to the other.
@bookerx3

It's a predicament I find myself in. It's like, if I want to go deep, I have to switch off the part of my brain that scans and comments and tries to cover as many bases as possible. It means withdrawing to a large extent. It's also a matter of, I only have so much time. I know many of you outgoing perky types don't suffer from this, but time constraints really are a drawback.

What a thought provoking question???

I would say that the reason i blog is to teach.

teaching what i am learning at the time helps me learn that even better because i'm rehearsing what i learned in my head.

so blogging about something that i just learned to teach it helps me learn and helps those who are interested and read my blog as well...

It's kind of a teaching/learning tool.

+ More... i won't keep going lol...

Thanks for the post chris!

DBK

well i like to read and write when I am not busy outside home or office, though my writing skills are not excellent but still I like doing it, the most important to deliver a message and information which i am sharing.

Also I write to build new connections and community all over the world, as I like doing nice connections.

Writing got me to know ppl like chris and so many other gr8 ppl on the net.

Cheers!
Jean

@Chris Brogan:
I would suggest that velocity and volume is a byproduct of the need (or pressure) to be ever-present in the digital world. You were also writing something similar to this about a week back in terms of communications expectations and when you were expected to reply (i.e. within a minute 24/7, 7 days / wk). Velocity is fine, but if velocity is linked to volume I would be concerned that people would fall into a 'noise trap' - i.e. spending huge amounts of time and energy on simply trying to be seen. Depth is much more enduring, the problem is it takes longer and we feel the pressure of not providing velocity and volume simultaneously. There is also a paradox, as depth providing high-quality signal will be lost in the noise of Web2's detritus unless there is a degree of velocity / volume to accompany it (even the prodigious and precocious child needs to shout "look at me", "look at me").

The Web2 realm seems to me to be gearing towards almost obsessive repetitiveness and with pressure of real-world jobs and relationships I hope sense and balance will be personal goals for all.

I keep 2 charts (simple workflows) on my wall, one for weekdays, one for weekends. I have tasks that I go through (checking news, updating blogs, commenting on blogs, researching topics etc.). Each is time-boxed and when the clock beats me I move on. That way I control volume / velocity and hopefully have some time left to provide useful depth. It is a very difficult balance, and there is a lot of temptation (I'm sure) for the non-pro bloggers (self-included) to spend too much time on repetitive noisy behaviour.

I've been thinking a lot about what one has to offer their online community (building one may be the most difficult step!). I think that expressing the story of who you are (authenticity/sincerity/uniqueness) and giving people something valuable, whether that be industry advice, entertainment or interesting and thought-provoking pieces that are attuned to the medium (I agree that for the most part, most blog posts should be bite-sized snippets rather than comprehensive articles or mini-ebooks) is what matters, rather than be too mindful of volume or depth. People can choose to peruse one post or move onto another. Giving your readers choice is important, what might resonate with one person, may be lost on another...

I think it's all about balance. If I spent all day long just blogging, then people would definitely have a sense of what's going on inside my head at any given moment (since that's pretty much what my blog is - random thoughts).

However, if I wasn't able to balance that with writing media content for my clients, business proposals, presentations, lectures, etc. my business wouldn't be very profitable.

You choose the medium based on the message. Not to get all McLuhan-ey on you or anything, but the method you use to communicate something is as important as the message itself, if you want your message to be effective. (McLuhan would have said it's more important). These days, with so many channels, that holds true more than anything else.

I have been thinking about this a lot lately, why am I blogging? It is nice to see that I am not the only one out there thinking it. I think it comes down to the freedom to express yourself and share with others... it is also a great way to meet other people and see how they think ;-)

My comment is from one blog reader's point of view so I am not getting to the immediate question Chris poses to writers.

My day is an endless combination of meetings, deliverables to be developed, casual stop-bys by my office, hit-and-run conversations in the hallway, and the ever-present really-unnecessary "crisis" launched by someone higher up. I would love to read endlessly and yet get all things done at work. I do also want to have time at night to read stuff that is not about work, as well as do 20 other things that can be more fulfilling than work (yes, there are such things!).

With that background, I cannot be digesting too many books, long articles or expert reports as much as I would like to learn and research. However, in between the meetings, crisis, hit-and-runs, I love to be able to scan a variety of material and then choose where I dive in. I like "blogsnacking" as a way to distract my brain for 5 minutes from the last meeting, for example. Blogs usually give me that opportunity. Sometimes, just reading random content triggers an idea related or unrelated to the core of the entry (to me, the most satisfying outcome!). So, to give the "blog customer" viewpoint, I read blogs to learn, to connect with new people (though I am new at this and don't have great results yet), to expand my mind, to trigger the random new thought.

If a blog can help me with those things, depth is not always the most important element I need from the blog. Of course, if a blog is directly relevant to a key issue I am looking at, then depth would be nice but I always have other ways to get the depth (commenting, contacting the blogger, contacting a commenter, etc.). So if you have a lot of ideas to blog about, as long as you don't sacrifice writing quality, velocity has the edge for me.