Small and medium-sized company owners sometimes struggle with determining the optimal content in digital marketing, the word limit for a piece of written content on their website or blog. The length of published postings has steadily increased over the last five years, according to data. And it appears that the transformation is occurring for a good reason.
In 2017, for example, the average post length was between 500 and 1,000 words, with fewer than 10% of bloggers engaging in long-form (2,500+ word) pieces.
Today, though, things appear to be completely different. According to an Orbit Media study, 63 per cent of bloggers create pieces that are longer than 1,000 words, with 30 per cent to 36 per cent of those who go beyond 1,500 words claiming “good outcomes.”
However, while the research reveals that long-form content outperforms short-form content in today’s digital marketing scene, we can’t assume that marketers just need to write more in 2021. On the contrary, they must understand when and how to invest in long-form content in order to get the most out of it while avoiding wasting resources on developing substandard content that does nothing but go on and on.
So, how can you make the most of your digital delivery channels by creating long-form content that both engages readers and provides results? This tutorial covers everything you need to know before incorporating long-form into your digital marketing plan.
What Exactly Is Long-Form Content?
Long-form content, like many other digital marketing concepts, does an excellent job at escaping description.
Long-form content is defined by some as any piece of written content that exceeds 750 words. Others reserve the term for pieces that exceed 2,500 or even 3,000 words.
In reality, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. It is only normal for each format to comply with distinct standards. After all, it’s impossible to compare a lengthy case study to a basic “what is” a blog article that provides readers with a quick method to obtain knowledge while simply scratching the surface of a topic.
So, before we go into how to get the most out of long-form content on your website, let’s agree not to utilise word count labels. Instead, we’ll agree right now that long-form content is any written work that does justice to a topic by paying close attention to every detail and properly answering reader inquiries.
The Advantages of Long-Form Content Publishing
Although defining long-form content might be difficult, determining its advantages is really not.
Research has repeatedly proven that well-written (and well-researched) pieces provide a plethora of benefits to those willing to put in the effort.
SEO(Search Engine Optimization)
One of the major benefits of producing long-form content on your website is that it increases your brand’s exposure on Google.
In the most basic terms, a longer article body allows for better search engine optimization, allowing you to:
Include your focal phrase (naturally) without resorting to methods like keyword stuffing.
- Make your text more keyword-friendly by including synonyms and long-tail versions.
- Increase readability by using several headers, internal and external links, and multimedia.
- Obtain the Featured Snippets position on Google.
Of course, you can accomplish all of this with short articles as well. However, research reveals that the average word count for first page Google results is 1,447 words, demonstrating that investing effort in creating long-form content pays off in terms of SEO.
Increase the Authority of Your Brand
Investing in high-quality content has been shown to be one of the most effective methods to establish your brand as an expert in your industry.
By concentrating your production efforts on in-depth content, you successfully share your thoughts and know-how with audience members seeking value.
Obtain Backlinks and Increase Social Media Shares
Long-form content beat shorter pieces in terms of backlinks and social media shares, according to the brand’s analysis.
It finds out that publications with 3,000+ words receive 77.2 per cent more backlinks than shorter content. Furthermore, the sweet spot for increasing social shares is between 1,000 and 2,000 words, demonstrating the value of investing in long-form content
Gain the Trust of Your Audience
Finally, when we explore the advantages of long-form content, keep in mind that customers like it when businesses are helpful.
According to studies, people choose to support companies that provide the greatest value, demonstrating that sharing your knowledge and unique ideas pays off in the long term.
Investing in educational content, sharing your experience, and empowering your readers is a wonderful way to approach your content development plan if you have the resources (and know-how).
How to Create Successful Long-Form Content
Now that you know what you stand to gain by rolling up your courage and getting serious about creating content, it’s time to start writing.
Here are the five stages to creating content that will catch your target audience’s attention.
1. Understand What Your Readers Want to Read
You will need to go through a basic step before you begin putting words to paper. That is why, in order to create content that stands out from the crowd, you must first conduct thorough research.
2. Don’t be afraid to go into detail
When it comes to the value that long-form publications offer, the abundance of detail they provide is what makes them significant. When creating long-form content, authors should try to provide as much fresh, useful information as possible.
The truth is that the majority of what is discovered on the internet nowadays is a remake – a recounting of material acquired elsewhere. While it is feasible to use such material to drive organic traffic and establish brand authority, the impact is nothing like that of really unique content.
3. Examine the Readability
Okay, but what if you’ve already created some long-form content and want to improve it to better serve your audience (and your business)?
An easy trick would be to examine and enhance your article’s readability score.
It is common knowledge that internet users prefer to scan rather than thoroughly read anything online. As a result, it’s only natural for authors to aim for content that is scannable, to-the-point, and effective in engaging readers.
4. Use multimedia to complement
According to studies, individuals respond considerably better to pictures than to words alone. That is why multimedia is such an important component of your long-form content.
Including the correct photographs, graphics, videos, and even audio files in your articles will help your readers get more out of them. Moreover, it may help you transmit information more efficiently and provide something unique in comparison to your competitors.
5. Experiment with Different Content Formats
Finally, while you explore ways to develop outstanding long-form content for your website, keep in mind that conventional blog postings won’t offer you the results you’re looking for.
By changing things up – especially with different content forms – you can broaden your offering and keep your audience interested, engaged, and returning for more.
6. Ensure Uniqueness
Your readers will never desire to read something they have already read somewhere else. You must know that duplicating anyone else’s content will put you in danger, as it won’t be admired by the audience and search engines as well. Uniqueness can be ensured in your content with the help of plagiarism software. A plagiarism tool scans the input texts and identifies the portions of a text that contain duplication. You must remove it from your content to avoid facing the negative consequences of plagiarism.
Making Long-Form Content Work for Your Company
The benefit of devoting time and money to creating high-quality, creative, and useful long-form material is that it has the potential for tremendous rewards.
An amazing piece of writing will not just help you wow visitors to your website or blog. You will enjoy long-term rewards for both your website and your organisation if you continuously publish quality, intelligent, and unique content.
So don’t be scared to experiment with long-form articles. Begin with one or two, preferably by addressing core subjects for your website. As you can see, getting adjusted to the longer form factor won’t take long. However, it is certain to provide results — whether you want to improve your reach, increase your sales, or simply engage with more of your followers.
