Did you know that long-form content has 77.2% more links than short articles? This is enough to make long form content a priority in your marketing strategy.
Long-form content is a great way of building your brand and attracting new readers. It can be difficult to know where to begin and what to include. What’s the best way of creating this kind of content? This blog post will cover all of these topics and offer some quick tips. Let’s start with the basics.
What Is Long-Form Content?
The term long-form content is a piece of writing with more than 1,000 words. This content is more detailed and informative than shorter pieces and takes more effort and time to create.
Long-form content can be found in blogs, white papers, guides, and how-to books. Although longer content may require more time, it can still be beneficial for readers and businesses.
Long-form content can be used by businesses to build trust, and authority, attract new customers, and generate leads.
Reading longer content can help readers gain a better understanding of a topic and find new and more interesting information. This makes it easier to enjoy reading.
Why Should You Use Long-form Content?
Content Marketing has many advantages over shorter content.
- This allows you to explore deeper than the surface and uncover new topics.
- This can improve your content marketing results as it offers more options to address multiple topics in one place.
- By providing more information, you can increase engagement and build trust with your audience.
- Long-form content is also a good option for SEO. It allows you to use more keywords which can help increase your visibility on the search engine results page.
- Long-form content is a great way to show credibility. It can show readers that you are well-versed and knowledgeable in your field.
Longer content provides readers with a reason to continue visiting your site since it gives them more detailed information than they can find elsewhere.
Comparison of Short-Form and Long-Form Content
Long-form content tends to be more detailed and comprehensive than short-form. Producing long-form content takes more time. Longer content is better suited for topics that require more in-depth exploration such as academic research or investigative journalism.
On the other hand, short-form content is usually quicker and easier to create. Short-form content is better suited for topics that can be covered in just a few hundred words. The final decision about which content type to produce should be made based on the needs of your target audience and your content marketing strategy.
Examples of Long-Form Content
These are some of the most popular examples of long-form content, other than blog posts.
- Case study – This shows the client’s difficulties and how the brand can help.
- White paper – This is a long blog post that provides detailed information on the subject.
- eBook – This page contains a list of pages that you can easily download to help a customer. Most often, it is a step–by–step guide.
- The definitive guide – This is a tutorial or resource that guides you through the problem.
- Annual Year in Review – You post this article or newsletter at the end of each year to highlight the successes and challenges faced by your business.
It includes written content as well as long-form video content.
How to Create Long-form Content
This is how long-form content can be created step by step.
1. Describe Your Goals
Long-form content is a great way of achieving many goals. This includes increasing website traffic and building brand awareness. Before you begin writing articles, whitepapers, or blog posts, it is important to define your goals. What are you trying to accomplish with your content piece Who are you targeting? What tone are you looking for? These questions can help you establish a tone for long-form content that suits your needs.
You can begin to plan once you have a clear idea of what you want from your long-form content. You will need to optimize your content for search engines and share it on social media if your goal is to increase website visitors. If you want to increase brand awareness, however, you will need to create informative, engaging content that shows your brand in its best light.
2. Select a Topic
The most important step after deciding on your goal is to choose a topic. You should select a topic that is unique and relevant to your target audience. You can narrow your choices by:
- Begin by brainstorming possible topics.
- Think about how each topic might appeal to your target audience. Now it’s time for some research.
- Google will show you what content exists on the topic. This will allow you to see if your topic is too broad, or if it has been extensively covered by others.
3. You Can Choose Between Ungated or Gated Content
You have two options after choosing a topic: keep it locked down or open it up to the public. To access gated content, you will need to register. Ungated content can be accessed by anyone who wishes to read it. Which is best for you?
It all depends on what your content goals are. If you want to generate leads and get people to sign-up for your email list, gated content might be an option. Ungated content may be a better option if you are looking to increase your website traffic and build brand awareness. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of each option and decide what works best for you.
4. Write Content
Once you have decided on the topic and set your goal, you can begin planning and structuring the piece. It is important to know your audience and what they are looking for. How can you communicate this information to them in an engaging manner?
Make sure you have enough time to write and you have a place where you can concentrate on your work. You can create long-form content with a little planning, effort, and time.
5. Create Your Content
Long-form content is more than just writing. Design is important too. Your design should not only look professional but also practical. You should place your social sharing buttons and sign-up forms for the newsletter in a way that encourages the reader to take action. Make sure the sharing buttons are easily accessible from all platforms so that the reader doesn’t have to search for them.
6. Develop a Promotion Strategy
There are many strategies that you can use to promote long-form content. Here are some ideas:
- Use hashtags and keywords to share your content on social media.
- Reach out to influencers to ask them to share your content with their followers.
- Submit your content for aggregators and directories that are focused on long-form content.
- Use platforms such as Reddit or Quora to promote your product and reach new audiences.
- Promote your content on social media platforms such as Facebook and Google by paying to advertise.
Whatever promotion strategy you choose, consistency and persistence are the keys to success. You must continue to promote your content, even if the results aren’t immediately apparent. You can reach a larger audience and get the attention that your content deserves with a little effort.
Tips to Create Long-Form Content
These are some tips to make long-form content easy.
1. Learn What Your Readers Want
It is essential to know what your readers want when creating content. This means that you need to create content that is useful, relevant, and interesting for them. This also requires understanding their preferred format. Long-form content may be the best option for some readers. They are looking for in-depth articles that cover everything. They value the effort and detail that is required to create a complete piece of content. Others prefer concise, shorter articles. They are not able to read long-form content and prefer shorter articles. It is important to know your audience before you can create content they enjoy reading. This is one of the most important content marketing tips.
2. Provide Complete Detail
The most important thing when it comes to long-form information is to give complete and detailed information. This content gives an in-depth view of a topic and should not leave any stone unturned. This means that you must cover all key points and provide supporting evidence. Clear and concise writing is essential to make sure readers understand what you are trying to convey. To avoid typos and errors, proofread all work before you publish. You can rest assured that your long-form content will be successful if you are able to do this.
3. Verify the Readability
It is important that long-form content is simple to read when writing. This means that you should break up your text using headings and subheadings. Also, use short paragraphs and simple language. Bullet points and lists are also a good idea. Visuals such as charts, graphs, and images can help improve readability. These steps will ensure that readers stick with your content to the end.
4. Add Visuals
Many people think visuals are unnecessary for long-form content. The text is what matters most, right? Wrong! Visuals are equally important for long-form content, even though text is essential.
Here’s why:
Visuals can be used to break down the text and make it easier to understand. Also, visuals can be used to increase interest and keep readers interested. Visuals are also a great way to illustrate concepts and clarify complex topics. Visuals can be used to enhance long-form content.
Remember to include visuals. These visuals could make your content more effective.
5. Use Different Content Formats
To get great results, you don’t have to rely on one blog post. Different formats are also possible. Information roundups can include a compilation of statistics, step-by-step guides, tutorials, and case studies as well as definitions and explanations of key terms and concepts. These can be used to take a break from traditional blog posts. The right combination of formats can help you engage your audience more effectively. Don’t let long-form content be boring!
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