Doing research into methods of improving content marketing might lead one to ponder: Is the length of content a crucial factor? The explanation is easy: This becomes pertinent only when you are working towards achieving success.
Millions of blogs are being posted daily. In November 2021, WordPress saw an unbelievable high of 84,656,562 articles posted to its platform.
It is understandable that you would want to do what you can to ensure that your content marketing strategy produces a large return on investment. In 2022, the majority of businesses in the B2B industry are predicted to up their expenditure on content marketing. The figure stands at an impressive 66%.
How exactly does long-form content contribute to brand success? And what classifies as long-form in the first place?
This post looks into six compelling reasons why it’s important to begin distributing long-form content on your chosen platforms. Additionally, it provides you with some advice on how to use long-form posts for your benefit, along with several impressive examples that will motivate you to begin investing in posts beyond what customers anticipate.
What is long-form content?
There are many ways to define long-form content.
Some sources refer to it as journalistic articles that surpass 4,000 words in length. Others set the mark considerably lower, at 1,200 words.
Rather than emphasizing the amount of words, the optimal way to handle extended pieces of content should be considered based on the value and potential knowledge available.
This kind of post should be comprehensive and supply readers with insights on the subject, along with a variety of facts. It should be of excellent standard in order to teach and interest readers.
There are several types of long-form content, including (but not limited to):
- Evergreen web pages like FAQs, testimonials, and term glossaries
- Detailed blog posts
- Topic guides, how-to posts, tutorials, and other forms of educational resources (including webinars as an example of long-form video content)
- E-books, white papers, case studies
- Data roundups and reviews
It’s clear that there is no exact formula for determining what is considered to be long-form content. Rather than attempting to define long-form writing, it is simpler to state that any written work that surpasses the customary length of a blog post (which is 700 words) and provides an informative and thorough exploration of a subject can be classified as long-form.
What advantages do marketers experience by taking the time and spending resources to compose and distribute long-form content? Well, there are several benefits they can expect.
1. Long-form content is great for SEO
One of the most helpful features of using content that is lengthy is that it assists marketers in attaining a high ranking in search engine result pages.
A collaborative study by Ahrefs and Backlinko found that the average length of a webpage on the first page of Google is 1,447 words.
A plausible reason could be that a lengthy piece of work allows writers to reach their desired keyword densities. You have more room to include a certain keyword when you write a piece that has 1,500 or 2,000 words compared to one that is only around 500 words.
In addition, longer posts are able to cater to a wider range of search terms than shorter ones. This can be particularly useful for developing affinity for numerous sources of web traffic. And it can satisfy what the user is searching for, which is the fundamental aspect of any successful content.
The other advantage of content that is more extended is that it is easier to gain backlinks and have more content shared.
In 2019, Backlinko collaborated with BuzzSumo to analyze over nine hundred and twelve million blog entries. The research indicated that articles longer than 3,000 words tend to attract 77.2% more links to the source. Research showed that content of between 1,000 and 2,000 words were shared over half again as much on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and Pinterest than shorter articles.
Realizing that it takes more words to get the top spot on Google, it is likely that you would be tempted to start jotting down ideas in order to create a post with an impressive amount of words.
Although it can make your piece appear amazing, a web visitor will notice soon that it’s a lot of unimportant material that does not give anything fresh. If there is a speedy rebound, you won’t be fortunate, since the time spent on a page is one of the determinants Google utilizes to evaluate web pages.
2. You can (subtly) position your product’s value
It is preferable for SEO purposes to create longer pieces of content rather than shorter articles. Long-form has an advantage over shorter versions, but this isn’t the only way in which it surpasses them.
Long-form content is an invaluable asset due to the fact that it is suitable to demonstrate the advantages of a product to its intended viewers. They can get a good sense of all the advantages they would receive by buying something or signing up for a service.
3. You foster customer loyalty
It is significantly more difficult to operate a business in 2022 compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic began. That is, in part, attributable to the fluctuating loyalty of customers. A study conducted by McKinsey found that almost half of American Millennials have tried a new company, and nearly an equal amount have switched to a different store due to the Coronavirus situation.
It is not solely an American occurrence where people have become less supportive. In Southeast Asia, customer retention can be particularly difficult for brands. About 80% of shoppers have changed brands, depending on if the product was easily accessible, provided good value, or was convenient.
Might you be questioning what a connection might be between long-form content and customer loyalty based on this information?
It looks like if you release posts that are packed with details, it could potentially be a good way to teach your current customers how to gain added value from their purchases.
This way, you’re not just offering them immediate value. You’re establishing a connection for the foreseeable future that is based on the desirable living standards and income generated by the commodities and services you provide.
4. Higher Ranking in Search Results
Do you want to show up in somebody’s search results when they are looking for a product you offer or data concerning an issue that relates to your field of knowledge? If you want to find the answer, creating a detailed piece of content could assist.
serpIQ did an examination of the average size of the material in the top 10 results of lookups. It was discovered by the business that the most popular posts tended to be more than 2,000 words in length.
Brian Dean’s more up to date research backs up the same stats – articles that are longer tend to be more successful than those that are shorter.
Your guide is likely to be longer than 2,000 words, but each page should be approximately that size. Be sure that each page of your guide yields its own individual benefit, so that you will get the desired outcome when somebody is looking for something.
5. Increased Time on Site
What does more comprehensive content mean? If the content is of high quality and genuinely useful, visitors will stay on the website for a longer period of time. In addition, having several sections in a guide is likely to result in more page views. People will be less likely to bounce.
What implications does this have for you as a content manager or marketer? More time spent in the gaze of potential and current customers. More time = more trust.
For instance, one page from our guide had a considerable growth compared to other pages on our website. Visitors to the page spent 40% more time there than they would on the regular page, and they viewed 25% extra pages than the regular visitor.
6. A Position of Authority
Creating long-form content illustrates that you are an expert in the subject matter. Help Scout has employed this method to become an authority in customer service. They have comprehensive manuals about customer service, which make them authoritative and equipped to teach others.
It’s understandable why people pick a help desk program when the time comes to make a selection. Creating an entire virtual book about your area of expertise establishes faith in your work.
How to Create Long-form Content
Outline Your Goals
The project’s success depends on how your objectives are established and implemented, as well as you being held responsible for reaching them.
Decide:
- Who the content is for
- Why you are writing it
- What you will consider a success and how you will measure it
Decide on Gated vs. UnGated
Gated content requires someone to provide their email or other data in order to get your book, whereas ungated content is accessible to anyone without any extra information.
Choose a Topic Carefully
If you’re having difficulty formulating an idea for an extended writing assignment, reevaluate your objectives. Do not simply state that all sales personnel lack connections because you imagine so; do not write about sales groups for that reason only. Make sure you have a reason. Goal comes before topic.
Which subjects will be of interest to your audience and induce the response and conduct that you are hoping for?
Think about:
- Keywords and search queries (What are people looking for?)
- Existing analytics (What content do you already have, maybe on your blog, that’s performing well?)
- Target audience (Who are you going after? What makes them tick? What do you know about them?)
- Competition (What else is out there? Can you beat it?)
Do It Yourself or Hire Great Writers
And now the best part – writing! No matter if you have someone in your organisation create your content, or contract a freelancer, having it be of high quality will make a difference. You might have to pay a lot for excellent writing, but readable, professional material will make the difference between an article that is successful and one that fails.
If you’re going to engage the services of a freelancer, be sure to give them a detailed description of the task. Inform them about your ambitions, and familiarize them with your target audience. I have obtained favorable results when I have provided self-employed workers with exhaustive descriptions of the contents each section should contain. If you don’t have much experience in editing, you may be inclined to give more freedom to the author.
Decide:
- Are you going to write the content yourself or hire a freelancer?
- Budget. How much are you willing to pay? Good writers are expensive, so be prepared.
- Are you going to provide a freelancer with an extensive outline or let them run with it?
Design for Appearance and Practicality
The best guides aren’t just expertly written. They’re also expertly designed.
But these designs don’t just look pretty. They’re also practical. When designing and creating content, considerations are made regarding registration forms, the structure of the material, and social media options to share it.
Things to consider:
- Email sign-up buttons (Make it easy for people to get more of your content.)
- Links to other content (If this particular piece of long-form content doesn’t fit the reader, you might have something else that works better. Make that easy to find.)
- The next step (Make signing up for a newsletter, reading another piece of content, or sharing the piece on social obvious and easy.)
- Buttons to share on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. (On every page, make it super easy to share the content.)
You can create your own design or hire an independent contractor to assist you. Either way, be prepared to pay for top quality.
Create a Promotion Strategy
How many times have you posted a blog entry with the hope that it will be widely shared?
It is essential that you have a thorough, innovative plan for advancing your hard work and effort when it comes to long-form content.
This could include blending external plans (paid promotions) with email notifications, showcasing on your firm’s main page, and a postal mail drive. You could also accompany the extensive content with a happening, game, or freebie. Don’t forget, drawing in the attention of people who have sway (and incorporating them into the guide) is a trusted approach that yields success. You will need everyone’s help to ensure your guide has tremendous success, no matter what you are attempting.
Get Going
Now that you have a firm grasp on why and how you should produce lengthy posts, start right away! It’s not over after you promote the guide. It is likely you will need to spend some time before any results can be seen.
