The Benefits of Long Form Content
Long form content has become increasingly popular over the past few years as a powerful content marketing strategy. While short-form content like social media posts and blog snippets certainly have their place, long form content offers some unique advantages that are worth leveraging. In this article, we'll explore what exactly long form content is and the key benefits it provides.
What is Long Form Content?
Long form content refers to any content that is lengthy and comprehensive, generally defined as being over 1,000 words. This includes blog posts, essays, ebooks, guides, and even books. The length allows the author to explore a topic in an in-depth, thorough manner with more detail, research, and supporting evidence than a shorter piece could provide. Long form content is the opposite of short-form content like tweets, Facebook posts, or 250-word blog snippets.
Builds Authority and Trust
One of the main benefits of long form content is that it helps build authority and trust with readers. When someone spends the time to create and share in-depth, well-researched content, it establishes them as an expert on that topic. Readers see that the author has extensive knowledge to share, which builds credibility. This makes readers more likely to trust that person and look to them as an authoritative source to turn to again and again.
Improves SEO
Long form content tends to perform better with search engine optimization (SEO) because search engines like Google favor content that provides more depth. Things like word count, time on page, and scrolling behavior are metrics Google uses when determining content quality and relevance. The more in-depth the content, the more likely search engines will deem it valuable to readers and rank it higher in results. Higher rankings then lead to increased organic traffic.
Boosts Conversions
When it comes to driving conversions and sales, long form content is extremely effective. Lengthy content builds trust and credibility so readers feel comfortable purchasing from that company later on. It also allows the author to make a thorough, compelling case for why the reader should buy their product or service. There's more space to include case studies, product benefits, features, and persuasive language. Readers get their questions answered and concerns addressed.
Fosters Loyalty
Long form content helps foster loyal, returning readers. When a blog consistently publishes in-depth, useful content, readers come to rely on it as an ongoing educational resource. Quality long form content shows readers that the site cares about providing real value, not just hard selling. Readers appreciate when a site respects their time and intelligence. They'll keep returning to learn more and grow their knowledge on topics they care about. This loyalty also extends to more shares and links.
Allows Detail and Comprehensiveness
The length and depth of long form content permits a comprehensive, detail-oriented approach. There's ample space to explore topics from multiple angles, share research studies, include case studies, provide actionable tips, and dig deeper into subtopics related to the main focus. Short-form content must stick to quick hits of information while long form content allows for a nuanced, multifaceted look at a subject. This provides more value for the reader.
Boosts Expertise
Companies who consistently produce long form content really boost their expertise and thought leadership on topics related to their industry. They show readers just how much they know about a given subject. This expertise then builds brand authority and trust. When customers or clients have questions related to that company's niche, they'll know exactly who to turn to for knowledge and insights. It establishes the brand as an educational resource on important industry issues.
Allows Storytelling
Long form content provides the space to immerse readers in compelling stories. Through anecdotes, case studies, metaphors, and examples, the author can capture attention and imagination. Statistics and facts come alive through narrative. Stories help embed the content into readers' minds, which makes it more impactful, memorable and shareable. Savvy content marketers know the power of storytelling.
Boosts Time on Site
Long form content boosts time on site since it takes more time to consume than a short snippet or Tweet. The extended length and detail keeps readers intrigued and scrolling through the content. This signals to search engines that the content provides value, so that piece is likely to increase in rankings. More time on site also allows for more pageviews as readers explore related content. Higher dwell time is a desired analytics metric.
Allows Creativity
Long form content provides much more creative freedom than tight, constrained short-form content. There's space for things like charts, quotes, anecdotes, analogies, embedded videos/media, and different structural elements. Authors can get creative with format and style to craft an engaging, eye-catching resource. Visually appealing, well-designed content performs even better.
Improves Internal Linking
Lengthy content presents more opportunities for internal linking between pages on the same domain. These internal links signal to Google which pages are most important and help readers explore related content. This improves SEO and site navigation. Long form content essentially supercharges a site's linking structure to boost discoverability.
Boosts Shares & Links
The depth of long form content gives readers ample material to refer back to and share with others. A comprehensive resource on a topic serves as a go-to reference piece. Readers appreciate content that clearly delivers value, so they'll enthusiastically link to it and share it. More social shares and links then continue to grow the reach. This viral effect compounds the benefits.
Long form content clearly provides some major advantages. While short-form content maintains a purpose, brands should also leverage the power of long form content as a regular part of their strategy. The in-depth, detailed nature of long form content builds authority, trust, expertise and loyalty. Done right, it also captivates readers. Just be sure to make long form content skimmable with headers, short paragraphs, bullet points and bold font as needed to accommodate different reading styles. Maximize its impact.