7 sensible steps and examples

If you happen to’re intimidated by writing any piece of content material longer than 1,000 phrases, don’t be.

Lengthy-form content material may be simply as easy as dashing off a 500-word piece.

It can take you barely longer to do it, however there are large advantages to reap from spending time creating long-form items.

For one factor, longer content material tends to carry out higher than brief content material. It earns extra backlinks and is almost certainly to seem on Google’s first web page. 

Plus, bloggers regularly report that longer content material codecs equivalent to guides and ebooks are only. Those who write extremely long-form posts (3,000+ phrases) are 2.5x extra possible to say their outcomes are robust vs. bloggers who write shorter posts of 1,500 phrases or much less.

In the end, writing long-form content material that will get outcomes is a talent, and when you be taught, you’ll be able to leverage it to fulfill your content material advertising and marketing goals.

What’s long-form content material? Why does it matter?

Lengthy-form content material is any piece of written content material that’s over 1,000 phrases in size. 

Some individuals will quibble in regards to the precise phrase rely, however virtually everybody agrees that short-form content material is all the time below 1,000 phrases. Meaning a very good long-form content material benchmark is 1,000 phrases or over.

That’s not the one defining issue of long-form content material, nevertheless. To be really long-form, the content material will need to have depth. It must dive deep into a subject and supply worth. It needs to be helpful and helpful to readers, giving them the data they want.

For website positioning functions, long-form content material helps you hit three linked objectives:

• Rank greater in engines like google: Complete content material outranks skinny content material. Normally (however not all the time), complete content material is long-form. 
• Have interaction leads and preserve them in your website: Lengthy-form content material needs to be chock-full of fascinating, worthwhile data focused to a particular reader. This engages them, retains them in your web page longer, and improves your bounce charge.
• Construct your fame: Prolonged guides and weblog posts display your experience in your subject and business, establishing belief. Publish many high-quality, long-form posts, and your authority will construct on itself.

Lastly, as we transfer additional into the age of multimedia content material, don’t low cost various content material sorts when discussing the long-form format.

Movies, webinars, and podcasts can have simply as a lot depth as a chunk of written content material and may help you meet your objectives, too – they usually may invite even higher engagement.

Methods to write long-form content material in 7 steps and examples

Writing long-form content material does not must be an onerous chore. If you happen to take a look at it as a giant puzzle that must be put collectively, it turns into a enjoyable problem.

The important thing to writing long-form content material is to interrupt it into manageable chunks – the person puzzle items. This is how.

1. Select the proper subject

One of many first issues to grasp about creating long-form content material is: Not all matters are appropriate for this format.

If you happen to select a subject that is incorrect for a long-form piece proper off the bat, you are setting your self as much as wrestle. You in all probability will not have sufficient to jot down about and should end up writing simply to pad out the size – a recipe for fluff and ineffective filler nobody desires to learn.

To keep away from these mistakes, take a look at your potential subject critically earlier than writing. The fitting subject for a long-form piece shall be:

• Complicated. There shall be loads of totally different elements to elucidate or stroll the reader via.
• Particular. A basic rationalization of the subject will not give your reader the sort of understanding they should grasp it totally.
• Unusual or distinctive information. Your viewers should not have a deep understanding of your subject entering into, as a result of the information is exclusive or unusual to them. This can differ relying on who you are focusing on, so ensure you perceive your viewers earlier than trying to find long-form matters.

“The Execs’ Information to Renovating Your Toilet” by Home Lovely is a superb instance of a long-form weblog sharing unusual information about issues to contemplate when renovating a rest room.

2. Research the search intent of your subject

After you have a subject that may simply bear the load of many phrases, it is time to determine precisely what number of of them you need to use.

Ought to your long-form information on planning a European trip be 1,500 phrases? 2,000? 3,000 or extra?

To search out out what searchers trying up your subject need to see (their search intent), take a look at the highest ends in Google and attempt to reply these questions:

• What sort of data is your viewers searching for once they seek for this subject? 
• How a lot data do they should perceive it?
• How a lot details about the subject is satisfying to a searcher searching for solutions?

For instance, googling “how you can plan a European household trip” will present you a bunch of guides on the prime with a mixture of phrase counts.

Looking via these outcomes (and taking notes) reveals a number of key particulars:

At a base stage, all the guides embody ideas for touring in Europe with households. Two guides (within the prime two spots) present further data on reserving airfare and lodging. The highest information (“European Household Trip Itinerary + Ideas” by Considerably Easy), nevertheless, went above and past and included a full itinerary for touring from London to Paris to Italy.

So, what number of phrases does your long-form information want, primarily based on all of this?

• Whenever you’re unsure what number of phrases you need to write, common the phrase rely of the highest 3 outcomes on your subject and shoot for that quantity. For the above subject, I might strive for a 2,500-3,000-word information.
  • To search out the phrase rely of any web page on the web, use a phrase counter instrument like Phrase Counter Plus.
• Take into consideration what you’ll be able to add to the subject that is helpful and hasn’t already been mentioned. How will you put your distinctive spin on it primarily based in your model experience to supply extra worth to readers?
• Do not forget to contemplate what the highest articles in Google are lacking. Are there any gaping holes you’ll be able to fill?
• At all times embody the bottom data that searchers are searching for. On this occasion, I would come with ideas for touring to Europe with households, plus methods and ideas for reserving airfare, inns, and transportation.

3. Create an overview and construction the content material

Out of your search intent analysis, you need to have already got a number of notes about what your long-form put up ought to embody. Now it is time to combine that along with your experience in regards to the subject, plus any further mandatory analysis, to create an overview.

Why? It is tremendous essential for long-form content material to be structured and arranged effectively to maximise readability and engagement. Outlining helps you construct that construction.

To that finish, all the time create a unfastened define on your long-form content material items. Since outlining offers you the skeleton construction of your put up, it is helpful for taking part in with the order and stream of your factors. Are they organized logically? Are all of them helpful and mandatory?

Your skeleton define additionally offers you key locations to incorporate headings in your completed piece. Typically, every main level and sub-point ought to have a heading hooked up to it. Together with headings organizes the put up, breaks up the textual content, makes it extra scannable, eases readability, and even helps with website positioning.

This is a rundown on headings you need to use in your long-form content material:

• H2 – Used for titles of sections and essential concepts.
• H3 – Used for factors that assist the primary thought in your H2.
• H4 – Used for added sub-points that assist an H3.

You may hardly ever use H5s, and possibly by no means use H6s, so no want to fret about these. H1s are strictly on your put up title and nothing else.

This information by MagnifyMoney on how you can stability a checkbook is well-structured and possibly began with an overview of the most important factors, which additionally function the headings.

4. Take into consideration your viewers as you write

As you analysis, construction, and write your long-form put up, your viewers needs to be top-of-mind the complete time.

What do they want to know in regards to the subject? What do they need to know?

Do you’ve gotten explicit perception on these items out of your analysis or interactions with them? Embrace these particulars in your content material.

For instance, say I am writing a put up for starting photographers. My group has had a dialog with a member of our viewers who instructed us they wrestle with understanding publicity and need assistance remembering the essential ideas. I may take that straight into my long-form put up and dedicate a complete part to demystifying publicity with professional ideas.

Your viewers analysis ought to information what you embody in your long-form content material simply as a lot as what you be taught from finding out Google and the competitors. In lots of circumstances, this can assist differentiate your content material, too.

5. Broaden in your factors and reply, ‘Why ought to I care?’

As you fill in your define and broaden on every of your factors, do not simply supply rote explanations. As an alternative, additionally reply the implied query your reader could have as they scroll via your content material:

“Why ought to I care?”

Inform them why the data is essential – why it is essential to grasp within the scheme of issues, the way it advantages them, what it is going to finally assist them do, and/or why it issues.

Nice instance – this Salesforce article, “3 Methods to Promote Environment friendly Development with Sources You Already Have,” has an evidence for every level on why the recommendation issues and why enterprise homeowners ought to care. Even higher, Salesforce supplies information on why it issues.

6. Add visuals, like photographs and movies, to interrupt up long-form content material

Greater than every other sort of content material, long-form begs for visible parts to assist break up the textual content.

This contains headings, however extra importantly, you want related photographs or movies in there, too. In any other case, your engagement shall be a lot decrease than when you did not embody these parts.

In any case, you don’t need your weblog to appear like this:

You need it to be readable, scannable, and visually partaking. For that purpose, together with sensible structuring and formatting, a very good rule of thumb is to incorporate one related picture or video each 200 phrases.

As an illustration, on this newbie’s pictures information by Professional Pictures, the textual content is punctuated with colourful customized diagrams and pictures that illustrate key ideas of pictures.

7. Take into account making a desk of contents

Are you taking the plunge and writing a really epic long-form information? In case your put up is longer than 2,500-3,000 phrases, take into account including a desk of contents to the highest of the put up.

This helps floor your reader within the face of an awesome quantity of content material. You may present them a transparent overview of what is inside your put up, giving them the lay of the land earlier than they head out on the path you’ve got laid for them via the subject.

It is immensely useful for any sort of reader, irrespective of the business. This is a very good instance from a weblog I discussed earlier by MagnifyMoney, which incorporates “key takeaways” on the prime adopted by a desk of contents:

Different sorts of long-form content material to contemplate

Lastly, remember in regards to the different sorts of long-form content material on the market which can be not written – movies, webinars, and podcasts.

These content material sorts will take simply as a lot planning and analysis as written long-form content material however may be simply as efficient for constructing authority and belief along with your viewers.

Webinars

In response to a survey by Demand Gen, B2B consumers want webinars over every other content material sort (tied with ebooks, one other long-form hero, at 57%).

Webinars are merely reside presentation occasions broadcast over the web to a choose group of individuals. Members can stream the presentation and take part just about.

Manufacturers produce academic webinars for a similar causes that you simply publish long-form content material – to construct belief along with your viewers and to develop your model authority. Plus, webinars may be recorded and printed as standalone long-form movies (“replays”) that anybody who could not attend reside can watch later.

A terrific instance of a webinar is that this free occasion hosted by UX Testing, “24 Hours of UX.”

The webinar featured a number of audio system who talked about UX matters for a complete of 24 hours. Over 7,000 individuals worldwide signed as much as watch.

Lengthy-form movies

Usually, long-form movies are round quarter-hour to a full hour in size and dive into a subject in the identical vein as written long-form content material, besides with a visible or storytelling focus. 

One instance of a model with a strong library of video content material (each lengthy and short-form) is Lush, a cosmetics firm. Usually, their long-form movies give attention to skincare and haircare guides, equivalent to their guides to henna hair dye and refreshing your hair routine.

Podcasts

Within the final decade, podcasts have risen in reputation. 78% of People are accustomed to podcasting, and over 50% have listened to 1.

It is sensible: They’re simple to hearken to within the automotive or on public transport whereas doing chores or cooking dinner. They’re simple to obtain or stream out of your cell system. And there are limitless decisions for matters.

Podcasts are additionally an ideal selection for long-form content material creation. Your model can inform tales and share worthwhile data with minimal funding, and you may reap the identical advantages as publishing long-form content material.

A great instance is the Pricey Headspace podcast, from the individuals behind the Headspace app.

Within the podcast, meditation specialists reply listener questions and supply conscious recommendation on all the things from loss to studying new abilities to coping with negativity within the information.

Decide to writing long-form content material and beef up your content material technique

There isn’t any query that writing long-form content material takes dedication. And, if you do not know what you are doing, it might look like a monumentally tough job.

It takes extra time, effort, and sources to create than its short-form sibling, however finally, long-form will deliver extra and higher outcomes.

That is as a result of long-form content material is extra complete. It goals to discover a subject totally, display the breadth of your model experience, supply worthwhile insights, and educate your viewers one thing they do not know.

Achieved proper, complete content material ranks higher. It retains your readers in your web page longer. Final however not least, it builds belief higher than short-form content material.

The time you spend studying to jot down long-form content material will not be wasted. It is a highly-valuable talent that may assist your content material advertising and marketing deliver in additional ROI, and one you’ll use time and again to create worthwhile content material that wins with readers and engines like google.