The Ins and Outs of Writing Long-Form Content

Let’s talk about the content.

Especially long form content.

Not only that, but also why it’s a good idea to have it on your website.

Suppose you are looking for a resource for how to start an online business. You want a complete overview, specific information and actionable tips that will help you to start a successful company. You will probably want a long resource that is valuable, right?

This is the glory of long form writing. It gives you the opportunity to offer highly motivated readers a lot of value and context. Long form content generally has a word count of more than 1,000 words – so it is not the shortest reading.

This does not mean that short form content is not useful for your website. You should have both to serve different purposes. Let’s take a minute to see how.

Long form content

At first glance, long-form content doesn’t sound like it’s ideal for user interaction. It may not seem intuitive to give your audience more to read to keep them on your website longer. But it’s true, and I’ll go into the why below.

However, I am here to debunk this myth. Let’s first add a definition to the term.

The purpose of long-form content is to provide the reader with valuable information. By writing long-form articles and ensuring that these articles are useful to your audience, you can add more time and value to your readers.

You can also improve lead generation by optimizing your website for search engines and inserting calls for action in the text of your article. Your articles are more likely to appear on the first page of SERPs, and you can lead readers to offers related to the subject of your work.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it?

But wait – if there is content that has a long form, there must be a short version, right? It is important to understand the difference between the two so that you know how best to serve your audience.

Long form content vs. Short form content

Short form content can be extremely helpful for readers who want a quick answer to their questions. For example, you can offer short form content Provide a simple definition or Explain a product in small portions. Short-form content gives your readers the information quickly so that their attention does not wane.

This type of shorter writing is generally less than 1,000 words. It provides a general overview and saves readers time. In contrast, long-form content goes deeper into the topics.

Long-form content not only deals with topics in more detail, but can also help to be of high importance in search engines and to strengthen the reputation of your website.

For example, In this article, you will learn how to write a blog posthas earned thousands of views. In addition, the average time spent on the page is about four minutes. Based on these metrics, we can guess that this 17-minute reading with well over 1,000 words has added value to the reader.

This doesn’t mean that you should fill your blog with 17-minute reads. However, it can be helpful to think about how effective long-form content can be for your audience. How can you write abundantly that is feasible for readers?

By creating an archive of long-form content that is valuable to readers, you can create a reputation as a source that people first look for to help them solve their questions. It’s like ordering a product online. You are more likely to order from a website that you have used many times. This has proven to be serious instead of trying a brand new e-commerce option.

Let’s look at another reason why long, valuable writing is successful: page rank on Google. Backlinko found that websites with a high “on-site time” are more important for search engine results pages (SERPs).

When a search query is entered into Google, the search engine searches websites for content that helps solve that user’s search query. Websites that spend longer on the website than others advise Google that browsers thought this information was important enough to stay on this page.

As a result, Google is more likely to suggest this page to others. (Don’t forget that one side optimized for SEO is also a huge boost to rank improvement).

So now you know why it is important to have long content on your website: They offer readers values, they can earn you a serious reputation and they bring more eyes to your website. But what do successful long-form content look like? Let’s look at some examples.

Examples of long-form content

Before we start writing long-form content, let’s look at some effective examples. These examples show how long-form content can be optimized for the understanding of the reader.

1. Hayley Williams is no longer afraid of Rolling Stone

This long profile about the solo artist Hayley Wiliams, written by Brittany Spanos to the Rolling Stone, does an excellent job of performing other content produced or similar by Rolling Stone.

Within the profile, other works that were previously made by Williams or their rock band Paramore are presented and linked to earlier ones RS Articles that are applicable. For example, the word “Paramore” was linked to an internal tag of the same name, which shows all the previous ones RS Posts that the band mentioned.

A particularly fascinating mention of earlier works on the Williams topic can be found in the sidebar of the feature. There you will find earlier music reviews of the publications of the singer / songwriter. This is a visual way to promote previous content, and one that gets readers’ attention.

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If you want to include other works in your long form content that relate to the article, consider a similar approach. They give the reader a break from reading the play to queue similar posts for later. In addition, you add more value to the article by offering supportive ideas.

2nd Get started with Google Remarketing Ads from Mailchimp

Mailchimp is a marketing software platform. This post is a guide to navigating when setting up Google remarketing ads. Full instructions on a topic related to your industry are a wonderful example of elongated content that you can add to your blog.

The special thing about this article is that it contains a table of contents, different languages ​​for reading and options for sharing on social networks.

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Adding a table of contents makes it easier for the reader to navigate through a longer piece if he is only interested in one section. And international readers can read in their mother tongue and translate the text.

3rd Delivering emails with litmus from litmus

This long form of content is a transcription of a podcast episode embedded in the post. I understand: Even when software is available, it is difficult to create a transcription. Even this short, 18-minute episode was not easy to transpose.

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However, when you create YouTube videos or podcasts, transcription can make your audio / video content accessible to hearing-impaired viewers.

If for some reason the embedding of the audio file does not work or a quotation does not come through clearly, the non-hearing impaired listeners can identify what has been said without having to mentally fill in the gaps. I would find a transcription helpful if I write an article and want to get a quote, or if I want instructions on how to use software and don’t want to rewind.

4th 77 HubSpot’s Basic Social Media Marketing Statistics for 2020

Data is a great material for a long-form post like this from HubSpot. This post is classified as long read. However, since the included statistics are formatted in a short and understandable format, readers can read the article without any problems.

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If you separate statistics like “General Marketing Statistics for Social Media” and “Facebook Statistics”, readers can jump to the section they’re looking for more easily. In addition, the words for the organization are separated.

After seeing a few examples, you’re probably excited to start writing your long-form content. Before you do this, read the tips below to ensure that your work is workable, comprehensive, and accessible.

How to write content in long form

Outside of specific grammar rules such as subjects and predicates, there is no “right” or “wrong” spelling. That is, there are Ways to create content that is digestible and useful to readers. I will reference with HubSpot, but I am happy to use similar software to format your post.

1. Form your paragraphs in understandable sections.

Note the paragraph structure when you sit down to write your long form. Keep the paragraphs short to optimize the readability of your article. Ideally, paragraphs should not be longer than three sentences unless it makes sense to add more.

Let’s talk about this exception. For example, if you write a paragraph that best describes the effects in rhetorical questions, it may be better to keep those questions in the same section.

Does the paragraph affect the reader? Are you communicating your point of view effectively? How will you use paragraphs to make content digestible? Do you attract the reader with your formatting?

In some cases, it’s okay to ignore the three-sentence rule when each sentence flows together as above. Adding a new paragraph just to answer this additional question does not have the same effect and does little to format it.

2. Cut off your main ideas.

Headings are your friends. H2s, H3s and H4s are included in almost all writing tools, e.g. B. in Docs, Word, WordPress, HubSpot and other software programs. Headings help you guide the reader through the main ideas of your play by dividing your content into sections.

For example, in this article, the main idea of ​​this section is “How to Write Long Content”, so I made it the H2 that is commonly used for titles and main ideas. The list elements under this section are formatted in H3s that support this main idea. If I were to add subsections under one of these list items, it would be H4s.

Headings split long sections of your text and help with organization. If this piece were missing these items, it would be quite difficult to navigate. When I outline a long-form post, planning headers helps me write effective content in advance. I can imagine what I have to add to make each part effective.

3. Make sure your thoughts are organized.

It is crucial that long-term content makes sense. So before you click “Publish”, read your piece on organization. Ask yourself if your play has a beginning, a middle and an end that readers can follow.

Your sections should be in a logical format. For example, in this article, I would not have gone over to providing steps to write content in long form without first explaining the definition. Think about whether Cinderella started the royal wedding and then returned to Cinderella to clean the house – that wouldn’t make much sense.

Readers may be confused if your work is not logically organized. Therefore, pay attention to the formatting.

4. Describe the “so what?” each section.

Long-form content has an additional difficulty in keeping readers busy throughout the play. To counteract this, every paragraph must count. This does two things: Avoid unnecessary extra length and keep the reader forced.

If you are writing a longer piece, you do not need to add any additional information that is not for the purpose of the post. This can lead to tangled, complicated paragraphs or sections that make little sense.

To get readers interested, get to the point. End the sections with the reason why readers should care. This ensures that they get the most out of your item.

5. Keep a conversation tone on throughout the track.

This tip returns to get viewers’ attention. Instead of adopting an extremely formal tone, it’s okay to lighten up a bit. When I read academic textbooks in college, it was difficult to keep my focus. The high-tech language could not keep my interest.

Unless your article is an academic journal, you don’t need to use a complicated language to appear as an expert on your subject. If you give good, researched, thoughtful and actionable content, readers will find your contribution useful. Trying to sound “too” formal could have a negative impact and make your readers feel like they don’t have takeaways.

6. Hook the reader up with an engaging introduction.

Depending on the platform on which you publish your long form article, the reader will be informed of the estimated reading time. For example, when you click an article on the HubSpot blog, the reading time is displayed under the title.

Some people may see this reading time and feel compelled to skim immediately, especially when it’s around 18 minutes. To engage the reader, make your introduction something that catches your eye.

One of my colleagues is great in it – He will present an anecdote at the beginning of the piece and will continue to use that anecdote to illustrate points in the rest of the article. It leads to gripping contributions. I am sad that I am finished.

If you can’t think of a story or life experience to address the reader with, please provide relevant statistics in the Information about the fold. What you present about the fold will make this reader think: “Oh I to have go on, keep going! “

7. Add graphics to split long sections of text.

Eye-catching graphics are not only a division of long sections with short paragraphs and headings, but also another way of breaking open long sections and keeping the reader busy. When I personally scan an article and see a picture or graphic, I am immediately drawn back into the piece.

You don’t always have to use pictures or videos. Block quotes and anchor text are also amazing tools. Block quotes are the big quotes that are highlighted in articles, and anchor text guides your reader back to sections that you refer to earlier in the article.

Generally, you will find these tools in the software you use. In HubSpot, block quotes can be added by going to the Header tab, and anchor text can be found by opening the “Insert” category.

Remember to have fun with your long form content. Writing is a creative process, and readers can see when something was likely to be written (likely to be read).

Long-form writing has its own advantages over short-form content, even if the latter is the fastest way to improve your archive. It is so valuable to have longer pieces on your website and readers will definitely find them useful.