A Quick Guide To Create Highly-Engaging Long-Form Content

Do you know long-form content gets  77.2% more links than short articles? It is a good enough reason to start working on long-form content for your marketing strategy.  

Needless to say, creating long-form content can be a great way to build your brand and attract new readers. However, knowing where to start and what to include can be challenging. So, what’s the best way to create this type of content? That’s exactly what we’ll explore in this blog post, along with a few sure-shot tips. But first, let’s brush up on the basics. 

What Is Long-Form Content?

Long-form content refers to pieces of writing that are over 1,000 words in length. This type of content is generally more in-depth and informative than shorter pieces, and it often takes more time and effort to produce. 

You will find long-form content in blog posts, how-to guides, eBooks, and even white papers. While it may take more time to create longer content, it can be valuable for businesses and readers. 

Businesses can use long-form content to build trust and authority, attract new customers, and generate leads. 

Readers can benefit from longer content by gaining a deeper understanding of a topic, finding new and interesting information, and having a more enjoyable reading experience.

Why Should You Use Long-Form Content?

In content marketing, long-form content has several advantages to offer over shorter pieces.

• It allows you to go beyond the surface level and explore new topics in-depth. 
• It can help improve your content marketing results by providing more opportunities to tackle multiple topics in one piece.
• It helps increase engagement and builds trust and credibility with your audience by providing more information.
• Long-form content can also help with SEO, as it allows you to use more keywords, which can increase visibility on search engine result pages. 
• Long-form content can also be a great way to build thought leadership, as it can demonstrate to readers that you are knowledgeable and well-versed in the field. 

Additionally, longer content gives readers a reason to keep visiting your website, as it offers them more in-depth information that they typically can’t find elsewhere. 

Take a look at our blog post on content marketing statistics.

Long-Form Content Vs Short-Form Content

In general, long-form content is more comprehensive and detailed than short-form content. It is also usually more time-consuming to produce. For these reasons, longer content is typically more suited to topics that require in-depth exploration, such as investigative journalism or academic research. 

Short-form content, on the other hand, is typically quicker and easier to produce. It is also more suited to topics that can be covered in a few hundred words, such as current events or pop culture. Ultimately, the decision of which type of content to produce should be based on what will best serve the needs of the target audience and what your content marketing strategy is.

Examples Of Long-Form Content

Here are the most common examples of long-form content apart from blog posts,

• Case study – It showcases a client’s hardships and how the brand in concern offers a solution.
• White paper – It is a lengthy blog post that covers the topic in depth.
• eBook- It reserves a content page you can download easily to resolve a potential customer’s pain point. It is most often in the form of a step-by-step guide. 
• Definitive guide- This is more of a tutorial or a resource that walks you through the solution for the pain point.
• Annual year in review – This is an article or a newsletter you post at the end of the year to show the achievements and hardships faced by the business.

Apart from written content, it includes long form video content. 

How To Create Long-form Content?

Here’s how you can create long-form content step-by-step,

1. Outline your goals

Creating long-form content can be a great way to achieve various goals, from increasing website traffic to building brand awareness. But before you start cranking out articles, blog posts, or whitepapers, it’s important to take some time to outline your goals. What do you wish to achieve with your content piece? Who is your target audience? What kind of tone do you want to set? Answering these questions will give you a good starting point for creating long-form content that meets your needs.

Once you know what you want to achieve with your long-form content, you can plan further. If your goal is to increase website traffic, you’ll need to ensure your content is optimized for search engines and easy to share on social media. On the other hand, if you’re looking to build brand awareness, you’ll need to create engaging, informative content that showcases your brand in the best possible light.

2. Choose a topic

After choosing your goal, the most important thing to do is choose a topic. Ideally, you should choose a topic that is both unique and relevant to your target audience.  To narrow down your options:

• Start by brainstorming a list of potential topics.
• Consider how each topic would appeal to your target audience. Once you have a list of potential topics, it’s time to do some research.
• Use Google to see what content is already out there on your chosen topic. This will help you to determine whether your chosen topic is too broad or has already been covered in depth by others.

3. Choose gated or ungated content

After picking a topic, there are two main options in front of you: to keep the content gated or ungated. Gated content requires some form of registration to access it, while ungated content is freely available to anyone who wants to read it. So which option is right for you?

The answer depends on your goals for the content. Gated content may be a good option if you’re looking to generate leads or get people to sign up for your email list. However, if you want to increase website traffic or build brand awareness, ungated content is probably a better choice. Ultimately, weighing each option’s pros and cons and deciding what’s best for your situation is essential.

Do read our post on the benefits of content marketing.

4. Write content

As you set the goal and choose the topic, you can start planning and structuring your piece. Knowing your audience and what they’re looking for is also important. What kind of information do they need, and how can you present it in an engaging way? 

When you start writing, ensure you have enough time and a quiet space where you can focus on your work. With a little planning and some effort, you can start writing long-form content that achieves your goals and resonates with your audience.

5. Design your content

Long-form content pieces are about more than just writing. Design matters too. Apart from making the content look presentable, your design should have practicality in it. Your social sharing buttons and newsletter signup forms should be in the right place so that it drives the reader to take action. Ensure the sharing buttons for all the platforms are right there, and the reader doesn’t have to do extra work to find them.

6. Build a promotion strategy

If you’re looking to promote your long-form content, there are a number of strategies you can use to get the word out. Here are a few ideas:

• Share your content on social media, using hashtags and relevant keywords to help people find it.
• Get in touch with influencers and request them to share your content so that it reaches their followers.
• Submit your content to directories and aggregators that focus on long-form content.
• Get creative with your promotion, using platforms like Reddit and Quora to reach new audiences.
• Pay to promote your content on platforms like Facebook and Google.

No matter what promotion strategy you use, the key is consistency and persistence. Keep promoting your content and keep going even if you don’t see results immediately. With a little effort, you can reach a wider audience and get the attention your content deserves.

You can check out the top content promotion strategies.

Tips To Create Long-Form Content

Here are a few tips to help you create long-form content easily, 

1. Understand what your readers want

When creating content, it’s essential to understand what your readers want. That means creating content that is relevant, interesting, and useful to them. It also means understanding what format they prefer. For some readers, long-form content is the way to go. They want in-depth articles that cover all the bases. They appreciate the detail and effort that goes into creating a comprehensive piece of content. Other readers prefer shorter, more concise articles. They don’t have the time or patience for long-form content, and they prefer to get their information in smaller chunks. Knowing your audience is key to creating content that they will want to read. This is one of the best content marketing tips you’ll get. 

2. Provide complete detail

When it comes to long-form content, the most important thing is to provide complete, detailed information. This type of content provides an in-depth look at a particular topic, and as such, it should leave no stone unturned. That means covering all the key points and providing supporting evidence for each one. It also means being clear and concise so that readers can easily understand what you’re trying to say. Finally, it is essential to proofread your work carefully before publishing, to ensure no errors or typos. If you can do all of that, you can be sure that your long-form content will succeed.

3. Check the readability

When writing long-form content, it’s important to ensure that it is easy to read. That means breaking up your text with headings and subheadings, using short paragraphs, and using simple language. It also helps to use bullet points or lists whenever possible. You can also improve the readability of your text by including visuals, such as images, charts, and graphs. By taking these steps, you can ensure that your readers will stick with your content until the very end.

4. Add visuals

Many people believe that visuals are unnecessary when it comes to long-form content. After all, the text is the most important part, right? Wrong! While the text is undoubtedly essential, visuals can be equally important in long-form content. 

Here’s why:

Visuals help to break up the text and make the content more digestible. They also help to add interest and keep readers engaged. In addition, visuals can help illustrate points and explain complex topics further. In other words, visuals are a powerful tool for enhancing long-form content.

So, remember to add visuals. They could be the key to making your content more successful.

5. Use different content formats

You need not rely on the typical blog post to get great results. You can use different formats as well. Try information roundups such as a collection of statistics, step-by-step guides, tutorials, case studies, and definitions of essential terms and concepts. You can work on all of these to provide a detour from the conventional blog posts. You can engage your target audience better with the right mix of formats. Remember that long-form content need not be boring. 

Read about different types of content marketing formats.

6. Keep the introduction engaging

When it comes to writing long-form content, one of the most important things to keep in mind is the need to engage your reader from the very beginning. After all, if you can’t keep your reader’s attention for the first few paragraphs, there’s a good chance they won’t stick around for the rest of the article. That’s why it’s essential to make sure your introduction is interesting and informative. It should give the reader a taste of what’s to come while providing some context for the rest of the article. If you can do that, then you’re well on your way to writing successful long-form content.

7. Create sections of the main ideas

Creating sections of the main ideas is an effective way to organize long-form content. By breaking the content into smaller sections, readers can more easily digest the information and find the most relevant sections.

Additionally, sections can help to break up the monotony of a long piece of writing and make it look more appealing.

Finally, sections can make it easier for writers to plan and logically structure their content. By creating sections, writers can ensure that their content is clear and easy to read.

8. Maintain a conversational tone throughout

When writing long-form content, it’s important to maintain a conversational tone throughout. This helps to keep readers engaged and makes the content more enjoyable to read. It also helps to build trust with the reader. They feel like they are conversing with the author instead of being preached to. To maintain a conversational tone:

• Avoid using technical jargon and write as if you are talking to a friend.
• Use short, simple sentences and stay away from formal language.
• Be genuine, honest and open with your readers, and they will be more likely to connect with you and your message.

Read all about content marketing. 

Start Crafting Long-Form Content To Engage Readers Better!

Creating compelling long-form content can be a great way to engage readers and provide them with valuable insights as a content marketer.

As you saw, longer content creation can help you build trust, attract new customers, and increase visibility in search engines. With its many benefits, you have every valid reason to incorporate long-form content into your content strategy.

By following the steps to create long-form content and following the tips outlined above, you can successfully craft content that is informative and engaging. 

If you start seeing results, don’t forget to thank us!

Do read our content marketing guide.

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