There are many new techniques introduced, but long-form content still continues to be a frontrunner for content generation. There will always be a group of audiences that are more inclined to view content that has in-depth information and gives them room to explore. Long form content has also been tweaked according to the changing times. But the core of it lies in providing extensive knowledge so that audiences can truly make up their minds about signing up for a brand or not.
Most of the decision depends on the kind of content that brands or companies offer. Yes, there has to be a balance between short form and long form content, but it is always long form content that takes the lead. The reason is evident because it allows audiences to truly understand the company’s vision.
Before we discuss the uses and benefits of long-term content, let’s see what the term means!Â
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What Is Long Form Content?
Long form content has traditionally been considered as a lengthy written content. It was like that previously, but the interpretation of long form content has changed over time. Basically, this marketing and media term refers to the preference for choosing content that provides more room for writing, analysis, and feedback.
We all know that in depth content is a godsend for gaining a fair understanding of a brand or company. Long form content, much like its name suggests, also takes much longer to complete and is mostly seen as a project.
Traditionally, long form content is seen as a case study or a series that a company might choose to publish. That study can list down their aims, objectives, company practices, and what they hope to deliver over time.
Audiences can choose to read up on such content before deciding whether they wish to align with the company. After all, choosing a certain brand reflects on one’s mindset too. Hence, it has to be an informed decision. However, long form content has branched out to create long term campaigns, podcasts, and series, so its meaning has also changed.
Let’s also talk about the importance of long form content.
What Is The Importance Of Long Form Content?
Long form content is not an alien marketing tactic. It has been in the business world for decades now. The importance of long form content lies in the fact that it offers various benefits for both the company and its audience. Companies exert complete control over their narrative when it comes to choosing long form content.
They are able to tap into various areas that they could not because of the restrictions that come with short form content. Long form content provides a sense of complete creative freedom. Moreover, it also gives confirmation that audiences really understand what your company stands for.
One liners seldom perform the function of ensuring that messages are completely conveyed. Wordy posts also do not cut it anymore. Audiences need to understand a company’s vision before they sign up for it, and that can be fully conveyed only if a company chooses to work with long form content.Â
Types Of Long Form Content
Here are some types of long form content:
Video Marketing
Shooting videos has always been a better option than generating content with wordy posts. Audiences are more inclined to watch long form content made in video format because it is more engaging. They get to experience what a company reflects and what they might claim when they state that their vision does not replicate anyone else’s.
An engaging video has a better chance of reaching the target audience than any other form of marketing. People follow various accounts and only stop to see content that appeals to them visually. That shows that there is more power in video marketing as opposed to any other form of marketing.
Video marketing is a brilliant way to catch the audience’s attention if a company has chosen the long form content route. There is a lot of space to make live videos or build a narrative by merely talking about it. The impression is stronger, and a video has the ability to get imprinted on a person’s mind.
Unpacking/Tutorials
Launching products with a simple post or announcement does not cut it anymore. People wish to see the whole journey and process behind creating the product and then finally showing it to the public. Audiences have changed the way they perceive a brand. They are interested in the nitty gritty and details always matter.
Launching a product without giving it a special sneak peek is not beneficial anymore. A better way to gain more attention is by hosting a live event and unpacking the product in front of the viewers. You can tell them about the idea behind the product and what drove you to make it available in the first place.
This will help audiences understand the need for the product. Plus, a video is a more authentic experience. It is more natural, and that is why audiences connect with the product instantly. It does not matter how long the live video is.
You can state what you will be covering in the introduction so the audience knows what they are signing up for. Step by step guides and a tutorial on how to use a product can be given. Ending the video with how the product will add to the lives of the audience is always better. This will be a strong foundation for gaining their trust, too.
Podcasts Being The New Norm
Podcasts have definitely become the new normal post COVID. Every industry, regardless of its demand, has jumped on the bandwagon and chosen to launch its own podcast series. The idea of hosting a podcast has also been an extension of the influencer culture. Influencers paved the way for other companies to realize that they should branch out towards hosting podcasts based on the increased engagement rates they offer.
Podcasts have fewer restrictions and more room to justify the reasons behind building a company or launching a product. It does not matter whether a small or large company chooses to reap the benefits of hosting a podcast. A small business always has an edge for audiences to connect with their vision if they choose to do a podcast.
However, the best tactic is to choose Instagram and YouTube as platforms to host podcasts. Platforms like these offer more room for traffic based on the following a brand has. Podcasts are also a stellar choice to enhance brand awareness and set the tone for what a brand wishes to achieve.
The audience’s mindset has evolved over time, and they wish to know the entire journey of a brand before they choose to stand by it. Listening to a business’s podcast can help them understand whether it is credible or not. It is also an amazing way to create an extra income channel.
The podcast does not have to be linked to the company’s main account. Companies can create a separate account to post podcast updates and should even have a separate YouTube channel. This way, the two avenues can be dealt with differently, but money can be made from both of them.
Storytelling
The thought process of marketers has also changed over the years. That is because audience preferences have evolved. Audiences want an in-depth view of everything. They have a better reaction to campaigns that are made by telling a certain story. Storytelling is the perfect blend between factual information and creating a tailored narrative.
It is apparent that specific campaigns are imprinted on the minds of the audience because they were told in the form of a story. Building narratives is crucial for present day marketing techniques because a single successful narrative can help a business thrive for ages to come. We all have that one favorite ad that makes us feel like things were better in the past.
Much of it is because of the story it weaves for us. Storytelling was prominent because it paired well with nostalgia marketing. Marketers spend so much time thinking about how they can successfully convey their message. Supporting campaigns with facts and figures is important, but there needs to be space for fiction as well. If done correctly, that can create an unwavering image for the brand.
Millennials and Gen Z are the driving forces behind the success of any campaign these days. Companies must keep that in mind and try to make content based on stories that matter. Touching on social issues and pop culture is a good way to start. This can help them connect with audiences from all backgrounds.
Publishing Case Studies
Some well known companies often do long term research projects. The hypothesis and the results are often compiled in the form of a case study. Yes, everyone does not have time to go through a ten thousand word document, but it is important for companies to publish case studies on their official websites in order to prove their solidity.
Case studies being present on official websites makes it easier for new customers to know what the company stands for. Audience members that are inclined towards reading do not mind going through a case study that intrigues them.
Case studies need to be genuine so that the audiences choosing to read them can connect with the company’s struggle and get context for its existence. It may come as a surprise, but case studies have immense potential to boost customer loyalty by showing a clear picture regarding the tasks done by the company.Â
Benefits of Long Form Content
It is essential to know about the benefits of long form content, so here they are!
Being Perceived As An Expert
A superb plus of publishing or posting long form content is that it gives a company more control over the impression they wish to give to their audiences. For starters, long form content will have fewer gaps because almost every topic will be commented on. One cannot support their findings if they are restricted to short form content. Long form content allows companies to reference them in the right way to deem them experts in their field.
Every point can be justified because there are no limitations in terms of word count or length. Moreover, companies can also choose whether they wish to go digital with the format or stick to the written format. Both formats offer a wide range of options to help companies become more authoritative in the marketplace.
Long Form Content Is Better For SEO Ranking
Companies and their marketing teams have one goal when it comes to establishing a position in the marketplace. That is their content to rank higher in the search engine. A fun fact is that long form content has a better chance of getting ranked higher.
Articles and lengthy pieces of content automatically have more hyperlinks and keywords included in them. And obviously, they are placed because they bear relevance to the topic being written on. That is the perfect combination for your article or blog post to automatically rank higher when SEO is running.
The key is to fill the article with links and data that support its solidity. Content that is supported by links has the ability to get more shares and views. That is the perfect way to rank higher and get more visibility online, too.
Longer Articles Get The Biggest Chunk Of Traffic
Techniques revolving around long form content are often misinterpreted. Companies believe that articles and videos that exceed the traditionally set limit will not get the required attention. The reality is quite the opposite. In actuality, articles that exceed twenty-five hundred words receive more traffic.
The best way is to publish articles on a company’s official website. The main aim for a company to launch its website is to increase visits, which defines whether they are successful in satisfying their audiences. Marketers must research well in what topics bring in more traffic so they know where to start.
Increased Amount Of Engagement
Every form of content is created with the need to boost engagement levels. It does not matter whether it is a detailed video, a podcast, different episodes regarding a topic, or a case study. The vision of generating all the aforementioned types of content is to get better reach on a global scale.
An evident benefit of choosing long form content is that it automatically provides ample space for discussion. Companies must always keep the comments section open to tap into customer preferences. Viewers that find long term content interesting will never shy away from sharing their perspective on the topic too.
Discussions can be conducted in the comments section. There is no such thing as too many comments. Audience members get to connect with like minded people, and that helps companies gain insights about their mindset. They can use the information to create more promising content in the future. That will instantly resonate with existing and new audience members and lead to better reach in the years to come.Â
Successful Examples Of Long Form ContentÂ
Here are some successful long form content examples!Â
Penguin Books
Long form content has the potential to start a revolution if the correct initiative is taken. A brilliant example is how Penguin Books published a report on making English literature inclusive as a subject. The idea was to highlight the importance of including every race’s history so that representation was equal.
Every culture must witness their presence in every discourse, and it was Penguin’s efforts that made that a reality. Yes, they could’ve done it by only publishing a mere report. But they chose to also post a compelling video on their official platforms in order to convey the message more clearly.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet is one of the most recognized auto-mobile brands in the world. People would think that it might not need any sort of marketing technique to support its relevance. But, Chevrolet also resorted to long form content, and shockingly, it had nothing to do with their cars. That is also a superb example of long form content. Companies that are already known can use long form content to show what else they stand for.
That makes their audience realize that their efforts go beyond just gaining attention for their services. Chevrolet chose to write about icons that have been a part of American history. This long form article witnessed many reads and resulted in Chevrolet fanatics being super proud to be associated with a company that celebrates culture.
QualComm
A telecommunications company must leverage all forms of content to gain the trust of its consumer base. QualComm is one of the best examples to show that they used all types of long form content to attract consumers to their new services and products. They did not leave any stone unturned. It is definitely not a shock that visual content strikes the right chords with a viewer.
They begin to emotionally attach to a narrative if they find it appealing. Moreover, it is important to tap into all mediums because audiences have varying interests when it comes to long form content. Offering content in all forms is a better way to reach audiences. Companies should follow QualComm’s approach and generate content through audio, text, and videos so that there is a separate channel for engagement everywhere.
Will Long For Content Withstand The Test Of Time?
One thing is a given, long form content is not going anywhere. Brands and companies will always resort to long form content when they wish to offer details. It is important to understand that long form content is not limited to video based content. Several other forms are gaining momentum. That only shows that long form content will keep reinventing itself so that companies can express their vision better and audiences take less time to connect to it.Â
