The question of long vs short-form content has been debated for years. It’s a difficult choice to make, but it’s important to figure out which is better for your business.
In this blog post, I’ll go through the advantages and disadvantages of both types of content so you can decide whether or not long-form content is right for you.
The Long & The Short Of It
Long-form content is content, generally text or video, which takes more than a few seconds to read. While long-form content usually refers to purely text content, it could also mean videos or podcasts as well. As with all content, there are many different opinions on what constitutes long forms, with different internet marketers seeing different forms of content differently.
However, the crux of the matter is that the majority of internet marketers would define long-form content in terms of being informative and having no other purpose other than to serve as a distraction for readers while they hunt down the content they need. This is different from traditional web content which, because of its short content and formal style, has the sole purpose of informing the reader and having them move on to take an action.
Long & Short Content Go Well Together
Long-form articles should be part of your content strategy but that doesn’t have to be at the exclusion of shorter content. Quality content that provides the user with relevant information works. The emphasis here needs to be on high-quality content, which applies to both long-form and short-form content. Both long-form posts and short-form posts will provide a decent conversion rate for your website if they are quality posts.
Short-form and long-form content each has its own role to play in a successful content strategy. Social media posts tend to be shorter than in-depth, lengthy blog posts but that doesn’t make them any less important. Social posts are a very effective form of content. The content format here tends to be shorter posts that may well link back to lengthier posts, giving readers the option to dig deeper if they wish to.
Advantages of Long Form Content
The first advantage that is often discussed when it comes to long-form content is the fact you can include more detail. This means if your product or service requires detailed instruction, a long-form blog post could be just what you need.
This also gives you more opportunities to cover relevant keywords and keyword phrases that will lead to an increase in organic traffic. Valuable content for business owners is anything that helps them achieve their content marketing goals, that is more eyes looking at the services or products that they offer.
One other advantage to longer posts is the increased opportunity for engagement with the reader and potential customer base. That’s because people are willing to spend more time reading through an article if there are images mixed in with text as well as videos embedded into articles. If they have questions, they’ll feel comfortable reaching out via email or social media platforms which give them access to live help from experts who specialize in whatever subject matter was being covered by the writer within their piece of content.
The great thing about long-form content is that it’s not just all words and numbers, as you’d often come across in traditional web content. Indeed, long-form content is often written in simple, clear, and concise language, with bullet points and plain black text on a white background. That way, it doesn’t take up a lot of reading time and could actually be kept down by shorter reading sessions.
Bullet points are another effective content creation technique and a great way to keep long-form content down to size. They provide a quick, easy reference for users who want to find out more about a particular topic, and are not too confusing for those who need just the bare essentials. Moreover, as bullet points are written in a list-style format, they’re easy to scan for meaning, and only need to be read partway through before the next point in the list is revealed.
Long-form material is also a good idea when it comes to marketing, as it creates a lasting impression that can help you retain readers’ attention spans. Most people can easily become jaded by a constant flow of new information that’s presented in the same way, so giving them something fresh to chew on each time they visit your page will keep them interested. A key strategy is to use long-form content in moderation, as there’s a fine line between attracting attention and actually turning them away.
Tailor Your Content To Your Audience
To make sure that your content retains its audience’s interest, experiment with the different types of content production that you use, and see which types of formats work best. By doing this, you’ll ensure that you create content that attracts the kind of attention spans that lead to successful marketing campaigns.
You don’t actually need to create every single type of content for your website; all you really need is to do the right type of content for the right audience and you’ll be fine. That’s right: target your audience first and then find the great example blogs on the Internet that fit those demographics. If you target the wrong audience, you’ll be wasting your time.
Don’t Forget To Check Out Checklists
Checklists can help you do a few things: create the perfect blog posts, create the perfect podcast, and reach the right audience. That’s right if you’re marketing a podcast or a blog post, making sure you target the right audience is extremely important and will definitely pay off for you. Checklists are the absolute best way to go about Internet marketing and if you don’t have one, I strongly suggest you get one because they are awesome tools for effectively marketing yourself and your website or blog post.
How content marketers use content is an important part of a successful content marketing strategy. There are many different ways to use content to your advantage in search engine rankings. The most common way to use content is to write articles and publish them on the web. Publishing content that appeals to your audience could mean shorter blog posts over comprehensive content. There is no right or wrong.
In conclusion, there is no rule that applies to all when it comes to long-form or short-form content. Take the time to know your audience and make sure you tailor the content type to fit and remember that you should also mix things up.
