Oh, I love meta-analysis, so here goes. Web usability guru Jakob Nielsen is rippling the pond with his missive on whether or not it’s better for one write too-brief blog posts or author more extensive posts similar to traditional articles. His thesis:

To demonstrate world-class expertise, avoid quickly written, shallow postings. Instead, invest your time in thorough, value-added content that attracts paying customers.

The man makes some great points, and there’s much to be said for an industry expert who would be better served building his or her credibility and profile with lengthier, well-supported posts. They might tax reader patience, but then, those aren’t the readers you’re trying to reach.

That said, let’s not blame an apple for not being an orange. A blog is a somewhat schizophrenic outlet. One day, you may have the stuff to author an elaborate post dissecting a specific issue. You may, the next day, dash off a quick comment on an industry-relevant item from that morning’s headlines. And again, there may be days when you want to post a few picks of your dachshund rooting through a sack of hamburgers.

Nielsen fears (perhaps appropriately) that less relevant posts hurt your “brand equity”. Interesting, but couldn’t that frequency build rapport with your audience? You may not snag major traffic when a post is less than profound, but your audience will make that call regardless. If they like it they stick. If they don’t have time, they click. Simple.

He’s emphatic about about in-depth content being value-added content, pointing out that audiences appreciate well-conveyed expertise if it meets their immediate needs.

For most sites, the content is not the point. Instead, you want to answer customers’ questions as rapidly as possible so that they’ll advance in the sales cycle and start buying (or donate, or sign up for your newsletter, or whatever else you want them to do).

Elite, expertise-driven sites are the exception to the rule. For these sites, you don’t care about 90% of users, because they want a lower level of quality than you provide and they’ll never pay for your services. People looking for the quick hit and free advice are not your customers. Let them eat cake; let them read Wikipedia.

Many of our clients deal with extremely well-defined audience segments, and need to consistently convey expertise with clarity and authority. As such, a content-driven blogging approach would be ideal. It takes intellect and energy, but as Nielsen demonstrates, it adds tremendous value to a messaging effort, and boosts brand equity.