Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less

As the title of the chapter suggests, the authors apply the principles of smart brevity to social media. They assert that since one has only a few seconds to make an impact on the audience, there is an even greater need to pack a punch and be selective in how one presents their information. The authors add that for the big three social media platforms, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, there are subtle differences in strategy. Twitter posts should be concise and catchy; though Instagram posts used to need clear and crisp images with minimal text, the authors suggest that there is more flexibility now; and Facebook posts are where one can put a spin on their idea and be provocative. The last part of the chapter highlights bad, followed by good, examples of social media posts, with the good posts following the structural models elucidated in the first part of the chapter.

This brief chapter applies the core components of smart brevity to the use of visual images and graphics. The authors use the term “elegant efficiency” to describe their approach to the design and layout principles.