The “TikTokification“ Of Writing
The <1-minute rule
Shortform video is all the rage.
No one can deny that TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, and Facebook Reels are here to stay.
Well, not so sure about Facebook Reels, but anyhow…
Shortform is king
Whether this is a testament to our shrinking attention spans or not, it’s undeniable that creating shortform video content will have a huge effect on views & growth.
But what about all of us who don’t want to be in front of a camera, talking into a smartphone all day?
Here’s the good news.
Shortform is taking over everywhere else too. Perfect example: writing.
Twitter has always been shortform for writing and the Twitter creator economy is booming in 2023. Medium introduced its version of shortform in 2020 & 150-word stories are everywhere now.
What has been on my plate more and more recently is another type of shortform content that is enticing for writers. Emails.
Shortform newsletters
I’ve been reading multiple shortform newsletters and there’s a unique appeal to the <1-minute read. No fluff, no nonsense, straight to the point, links to relevant longer readings, no or tastefully small ads & sponsorships.
There’s a lot to like.
Examples of shortform newsletters I enjoy are 8AM by Christian Collard, the Minimalist Hustler Daily by Jamie Northrup - Minimalist Hustler, or For the Interested by Josh Spector, all of which feature a couple of paragraphs tops, but come daily or (bi)weekly.
The idea is dead-simple. Curated content, links to further reading, a tip here and there, and 1 partner or sponsor.
That’s it.
The bottom line
I am a huge fan.
And I can think of many niches for which shortform email content would be ideal. If you can’t, just get inspired by shortform video content. What type of shortform video content could be turned into a daily or biweekly email blast?
I have an idea in mind that I’d like to try. But I already run two newsletters. A third might be overkill. Then again, it’s short. It doesn’t take much time. That’s the point, after all.
What do you think?