--- title: "Writing Short: Give That Copy a Trim" id: "18902" type: "post" slug: "writing-short-give-that-copy-a-trim" published_at: "2013-08-07T22:30:57+00:00" modified_at: "2026-11-09T19:07:03+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/08/07/writing-short-give-that-copy-a-trim/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/08/07/writing-short-give-that-copy-a-trim.md" excerpt: "The art of writing short isn’t one that shouldn’t be ignored on the web. Also: Why you should save your personal anecdotes for another time." taxonomy_category: - "Marketing / Communications" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Business" - "Communications" - "Social Media" - "Writing" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Director" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Writing Short: Give That Copy a Trim This entire post is right around 250 words. Why? Check out our Social Media Roundup: ### Try Something Snappier > Pull ’em in! 6 tips to magnetize your association’s [#website (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/website?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [http://t.co/rw7HomvF0x (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/rw7HomvF0x) > [#MultiBriefsOC (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/MultiBriefsOC?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#marketing (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/marketing?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — ViewOnAssociations (@ViewOnAssocs) [August 7, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ViewOnAssocs/status/365197377507823616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Are you finding that your association’s site** just isn’t drawing eyeballs? Doreen Ashton Wagner and Jeff Chabot, writing for MultiBriefs, have some ideas for improvement. Among their tips: Be brief. “Too many words on a page will discourage visitors, many of whom are now using mobile devices to look up information,” they write. “What looks reasonable on a desktop computer often is too lengthy on an iPhone or tablet.” Instead, they recommend 250 words or less. [Head over this way (opens in a new tab)](http://www.multibriefs.com/briefs/exclusive/6_tips_magnetize_association_website.html#.UgKqymTTVF8) to learn more. *(ht @[ViewOnAssocs (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/ViewOnAssocs/status/365197377507823616) )* ### The Problem With Advice > Excellent perspective – RT [@jcufaude (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/jcufaude?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > : “Here’s what I would do … ” [http://t.co/TMs4YpODTL (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/TMs4YpODTL) > [#nonprofits (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/nonprofits?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > [#assnchat (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/hashtag/assnchat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > > — Janine McBee (@SCMSJanine) [August 7, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SCMSJanine/status/365074359397793792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Are you in an advice-giving mood?** If so, Idea Architects’ Jeffrey Cufaude suggests you take a step back and think about what you’re offering. If you’re about to give advice from personal experience, he says, it may be the opposite of helpful. “Stop and ask yourself if you’re about to finish that sentence with advice based on your experiences, your interests, your values, your needs, and your aspirations,” he writes. “If you are, it might be best if you say nothing.” [Here’s what Cufaude suggests you do instead. (opens in a new tab)](http://www.ideaarchitects.org/2013/08/advice-on-giving-advice.html) (ht @[SCMSJanine (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/SCMSJanine/status/365074359397793792) ) What’s on your social list? Tell us all about it in the comments. (iStockphoto/Thinkstock) [Ernie Smith](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Ernie Smith is a former senior editor for Associations Now. [More articles by this author](https://associationsnow.com/author/ernie-smith/) Tags: [#Business](https://associationsnow.com/tag/business/) [#Communications](https://associationsnow.com/tag/communications/) [#Social Media](https://associationsnow.com/tag/social-media/) [#Writing](https://associationsnow.com/tag/writing/) **Stay Informed** [Subscribe to our free newsletter](https://associationsnow.com/newsletter/) , *Associations Now Daily News*, to find out what’s happening in the association world every business day. ## You Might Like - [Video2025 Summit Award Recipient: American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationOctober 3, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/10/03/2025-summit-award-recipient-american-speech-language-hearing-association/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 2 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 14, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/14/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-2-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoSneak Peek: Highlights from Day 1 of the 2025 ASAE MMC+Tech ConferenceMay 13, 2025](https://associationsnow.com/2025/05/13/sneak-peek-highlights-from-day-1-of-the-2025-asae-mmctech-conference/) - [VideoThe Future is Yours to Create. 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