It feels like attention spans are getting shorter and shorter these days…so well done if you’ve made it to the end of this sentence! All jokes aside, short and snappy content seems in the ascendance and considering a brand doesn’t have long to grab the attention of a potential lead, everything seems a little more bite-sized.
But there is still an appetite for longer content and it should be encouraged where possible. Long-form content gives brands a good chance to tell stories, build relationships and loyalty with customers and get valuable messages across.
So, when should you ditch 10 second social edits for something more detailed:
Authority
Simply put, if you can craft long-form content on a subject then you obviously have something to say. Digging down into a topic and using your experience to add your opinion and expertise to an area means that you can build authority in an area. People can come to you for more detailed and extensive information about a subject – being a trusted authority can translate to more leads, interest and hopefully revenue, because you can provide valuable solutions.
Higher Engagement
Articles that include more than 1000 words are shown to have higher engagement rates. People might read a shorter article in less time, but they might not feel as passionately about the subject. Longer content takes the reader on more of a journey, which potentially leads them to have more thoughts, feelings and opinions about what you’ve written. If you manage to guide readers through a 5000-word article and they want to share or comment on it, then you’ve done a great job of keeping them interested.
Rankings
Google has been vocal before about how its algorithms rank long-form content favourably. The idea behind this is that long-form content will be in-depth, detailed and provide users with high-quality information about whatever subject they’re searching for. Good long-form content has the potential to receive substantial organic traffic if it’s done properly and can be a core competent in your long-term content strategy.
Storytelling
Long-form content gives you the chance to craft a better story and build a connection with customers. If you’re putting together video content, focussing on duration allows you to create more emotive marketing by including detailed messaging and including additional voices. Making your potential customer ‘feel’ something is a powerful tool and having more time to do that in with long-form content increases your chances of doing that.
Thought-provoking
It’s a privilege to grab attention, so making sure that you make the most of it when you do is important. Educational content suits long-form perfectly, because it allows you to explain subjects in-depth and give evidence, stats and information in a detailed way.
Customers will trust you more when they think you’re providing valuable insight. How-to-guides, explainers and interviews all lend themselves perfectly to long-form articles and videos. You can also enlist the help of relevant influencers who know about a subject to add weight to the subject you’re focussing on.
Get in touch with DOWO today for more info and advice.