Over the last several years, more marketers have recognized the potential of long-form content.
There is no precise definition of long or short-form content, but a good rule of thumb is that long-form content is 2,000 words or more. The greater length of long-form content gives it the potential to be keyword rich and to display your brand’s expertise in ways that short-form content cannot.
Some examples of long-form content include:
- A multi-chapter e-book on a relevant business topic
- A heavily researched white paper released once a year
- A video series or online course with hours of content
- A long blog post or pillar page acting as a “definitive guide”
Long-form content takes longer to plan and develop. On the other hand, short-form content of under 2,000 words can be produced and disseminated quickly. Short-form content often forms the foundation of a brand’s early content marketing efforts, when it is essential to have enough “evergreen content.”
Some examples of short-form content include:
- Short blogs of 400-800 words
- Social media posts and updates
- Text-light quizzes and interactive content
- Infographics and other mobile-friendly content
When to Use Each Form of Content
Since marketers started to realize the search ranking power of long-form content, lots of effort has gone into understanding the best use cases for each content type. Having a mix of both content types is helpful, but it is crucial to know when and where to use them.
In general, long-form content is best when:
- You have a highly technical product or must navigate a complex B2B sales cycle
- Decision-makers need detailed information before buying a high-ticket solution
- Your products or services require a high level of time and resource commitment
- You are a new brand or are launching an all-new product or service offering
On the other hand, short-form content shines when:
- Your audience is familiar with you or your offering and requires only precise details
- You are selling relatively inexpensive or familiar services or commodity products
- You are interacting with your existing customers or with well-qualified leads
- You are writing inherently short-form content like PPC ads or email subjects
AIMG’s B2B content marketing empowers you with a mix of long- and short-form content to meet your lead generation goals. To learn more about effective industrial content marketing, contact us.