One of the hardest writing skills to develop is conveying a point as concisely as possible. In the age of social media, this technique is even more important. After all, if you don’t capture people’s attention in the first few seconds, they’re likely to scroll right on by. In this article, we explore the scientific reasons behind the growing emphasis on short and sweet social media posts.
1. Reading Patterns
You probably don’t even know it, but right now you’re reading this in blog in a F-Shaped pattern. Research into patterns of reading on the web show that most users follow either the F-Shape or Marking patterns while on social media. 
F-Shape is aptly named, as users eyes make a rough “F” while reading. This means they scan the top and bottom of a post before reading the middle. Marking, which most often occurs on mobile, is when the reader keeps eye in one place as they scroll through the page.
Importance:
Studies show 80% of social media time is spent on mobile, so marking takes place a great deal. In most cases, readers will likely read only the first line and the first few words on the left. If your post is too long, people may not even see the most important information.
2. Time Per Post
Surveys and research have shown that the average adult reading speed for non-technical content is about 300 words per minute (WPM), or 5 words per second (WPS). Of course, if you’re interested, go ahead and test yours here!
Importance:
Using Facebook’s own statistics, we can infer that an average adult is only reading about 8.5 words on mobile and 12.5 words on desktop per post. As statistics show that 95% of Facebook visits are on mobile devices, 8.5 words per post is the number to pay attention to.
3. Keep Social Media Short for Attention Spans
A study by Microsoft found that the average attention span in 2021 was just 8 seconds. This is down from 12 seconds in 2000. Yet, a survey of business professionals finds that: 
Contrary to popular belief, attention spans are not conclusively found to be shrinking, but rather, we find that they’re evolving. It emphasis the need to quickly grab attention and to keep it. Telling stories is one of the best ways to do so. 
Additionally, on average, American Adults spend 11+ hours per day consuming media, from gaming and television to radio and internet.
Importance:
While attention spans aren’t shrinking, users are becoming more and more selective, so it’s harder than ever to capture attention through the onslaught of content.
4. Optimum Word Counts
According to Buffer, Hootsuite, and Social Media Today here are the optimum character counts per post for 3 large social media platforms of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram: 
Importance:
With just a quick glance, it’s clear that the shorter the post, the higher the engagement rate. Based on media consumption, reading patterns, and reading stats, these numbers make intuitive sense.
Conclusion
Consequently, the data shows that users are now given to be interested only in social media featuring: Stories that can be absorbed in less than 2 seconds. Main points in the first line & on the left in as few characters as possible. With so much in the mix, they can only ignore the other content, which is why good CTAs are absolutely crucial.
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