As attention spans seem to decrease each day with the rise of short-form content that’s easy to consume on the go, content marketers may question whether to continue investing in long-form content. The short answer: yes, long-form content still plays a key role in sales enablement and for a myriad of general brand development reasons, and you cannot afford to not invest in long-form content. You can, however, channel your resources more effectively.

In this #ContentChat, Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter), a freelance content marketing writer, explains what long-form content is, when it should be gated content, and how to get the most value from your long-form content to best meet the needs of your audience.

Q1: Let’s start with a definition. What is long-form content, and what kind of long-form content are you currently creating?

Most of our community members are creating long-form content, but opinions vary on the definition of longform content.

Q1: Let’s start with a definition. What is long form content, and what kind of longform content are you currently creating? #ContentChat

— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) May 13, 2019

Anything at least 1,000 words is a safe bet for being long form, since that allows enough space to dive deep with a topic.

A1: This is one of those terms where definitions can definitely vary! I consider anything over 1,000 words longform. It’s any written content that really gives you room to go in depth and cover a topic in detail. #contentchat

— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) May 13, 2019

I agree with this definition. For me, long-form content is anything over 1,000 words that is an in-depth look at a topic. #ContentChat https://t.co/JN0USkYhCz

— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) May 13, 2019

Emphasis on the at least above. Many pros (and some research supports) that long form can be well past 1,500 words.

Why do you say 1,000 words? That seems short to me. I would have said twice as much. Not doubting you — just curious. #ContentChat

— David Simanoff (@dsimanoff) May 13, 2019

That’s the minimum, in my opinion. Often, longform is quite a bit longer. But anything under 1,000 is my cutoff. #contentchat

— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) May 13, 2019

A1: I would say that long form is 2,000+, but that it also depends #contentchat

— Kylee Grace Schmuck (@KyleeSchmuck) May 13, 2019

A1: I would define long term content as longer than 1000-1200 words. For my reference, I think of an update on Linked as short-form (up to 1200-1300 words) & anything longer would be consider more long form. Use long form on my blog or instance where I need to detail #ContentChat

— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) May 13, 2019

A1: I Googled for an “authoritative answer. Is that cheating? #contentchat https://t.co/0CbAYpQW2G

— Jennifer L. Dawson (@JLDContentQueen) May 13, 2019

Long-form content can take many forms. Blogs, e-books, whitepapers, case studies and testimonials are common assets that will be long form.

A1: My long-form content creation is often blog posts, but I do a good amount of ebooks and white papers as well. #ContentChat

— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) May 13, 2019

A1 pt. 2: Most of my clients are primarily using longform for blogging, as a way to improve SEO. Although I do sometimes work on downloadables like ebooks as well. #contentchat

— Kristen Hicks (@atxcopywriter) May 13, 2019

A1. I’m mainly into writing long-form blog posts that are actionable. Have worked on some eBooks too, though those weren’t client-related work. #ContentChat

— Masooma // Content Writer (@inkandcopy) May 13, 2019

A1: Long form content goes more “in-depth” on a chosen topic. My clients usually ask for long form content when they want to improve their SEO. I have also worked on case studies and eBooks that were meant as freebies. #contentchat

— sam stevens (@samkickboxes) May 13, 2019

A1: long-form content is exactly what it sounds like, longer (in terms of word count, pages, time, etc) and often more in-depth content. Examples include white papers, e-books, case studies & testimonials (both written and on video). We make all of these. #contentchat

— Brafton (@Brafton) May 13, 2019

A1.

For us long form content
is content that is around
1000+ words or longer.

We create long form
content at here at #BentleyU.

-research
-case studies
-newsroom articles
-Op-eds
-etc. #ContentChat

— Bentley University (@bentleyu) May 13, 2019

Long-form content isn’t exclusively digital. Print media is a valid avenue to explore, including printed booklets.

Are we including print? Admittedly, I’m so single-mindedly web focused… #contentchat https://t.co/QExMMI0Znt

— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) May 13, 2019

ALWAYS include #print. Or at least consider it.

Re-purposing a eBook or whitepaper into a printed booklet that gets mailed is probably the best way to get your content noticed.. and read.
#ContentChat

— Tod Cordill (@todcordill) May 13, 2019

I’d add repurposing a presentation deck and script into a piece of long-form content is also a solid move. #ContentChat

— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) May 13, 2019

Love that you’re still thinking direct mail. I’ve had some great results with EDDM that I can’t replicate on digital. #contentchat

— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) May 13, 2019

[Read more…] about May 13, 2019 Content Chat Recap: Making The Most Of Your Long Form Content

Every marketing or content professional has faced the dreaded task of exploring a topic that they consider to be “boring.” Regardless of skill or industry experience, it is incredibly onerous to discuss something that feels so innately unimportant, and it’s easy to get caught up in negative emotions against said topic (and whichever boss or client suggested it).

The thing is, very few topics are actually boring. It’s the way that professionals approach them that makes the topic boring.

In this #ContentChat, Caitlin Kinser (@CaitlinMarie89), social media and digital content manager at the American College of Sports Medicine, discusses how you can turn any “boring” topic into something fun for your audience (and also protect your mental wellbeing in the process).

Q1: What makes for a “boring” content marketing topic?

Boring is in the eye of the beholder. Anything can be seen as boring if you don’t think your industry, product or service is entertaining. Or, you may find something boring if you’ve been in a certain role or industry for a while.

A1: Most “boring” comments come from those who feel that their industry or product/service lacks flair. These folks feel the struggle to develop content that is creative or entertaining. #ContentChat https://t.co/xswlQSgY1e

— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) April 15, 2019

I agree and I’d add on that sometimes when you’ve worked in an industry, or in the same role at a company for a long time, things can start to feel a bit stale like everything has been done before. #ContentChat https://t.co/gHHEFdPWUm

— Erika Heald | Content Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) April 15, 2019

Content can also seem “boring” if it is written for internal stakeholders and their needs/vision for a piece, instead of written for the target audience and their actual needs.

A1: Content that is clearly written for the internal audience and not the target audience – I also find that more technical material is boring but that is because I’m not the audience. #ContentChat

— Bernie Fussenegger 🐝✌️the7️⃣ (@B2the7) April 15, 2019

This is an excellent point, Bernie! Content becomes boring when it’s not directed at the correct audience! When I was working at a small agency, I was continually needing to remind business owners that they don’t have the same content interest as their customers! #ContentChat https://t.co/3IQXjB6Cnl

— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) April 15, 2019

A1 what you think people WANT to hear vs what you are in a unique position to say. #contentchat

— Paula Kiger (@biggreenpen) April 15, 2019

Other red flags include a lack of direction, examples or imagery, or if the content does not provide anything new or unique.

A1: This is a hard question! Any topic can really become boring if it’s not explained well, informed with good examples, imagery, etc. But i think most often, topics that are too narrow and not widely applicable can be a huge bore. #contentchat

— Brafton (@Brafton) April 15, 2019

A1: Irrelevancy, no insights, no takeaways, no strategy, and no direction. If the content serves virtually no purpose or doesn’t say anything new, then it’s a boring (and possibly frustrating) topic for your audience and should not be written. #ContentChat

— Patrick Delehanty (@MDigitalPatrick) April 15, 2019

A1 Is it a topic that anyone can write about? Is it “evergreen”? Then it has the *potential* to be boring. #contentchat

— Martin Lieberman (@martinlieberman) April 15, 2019

A1
Something that’s already been done, done, done with no new angle (AKA old news) #ContentChat

— IMP-SF (@IMPSFengage) April 15, 2019

A1: Agree with others, sometimes boring = overdone. Any topic can be fun – you just have to add some creative elements to it. #contentchat

— Amy Higgins (@amywhiggins) April 15, 2019

But, as we’ll explore today, almost any topic can be entertaining if approached the right way.

A1/2: Today I’m looking forward to sharing tips on how to identify the aspects of your business that will allow you to connect with your audience in a meaningful way! #ContentChat

— Caitlin Kinser (@caitlinmarie89) April 15, 2019

A1: There’s no such thing as a boring topic as long as the presenter is passionate about the subject they are writing about. Passion speaks volumes. #ContentChat

— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) April 15, 2019

A1: Any topic can be wrapped in a ‘boring’ package. A topic itself is a blank canvas that can be dressed up in as interesting a palette as we choose! Adding a unique perspective, an interesting content format, or adding design/images/etc. can spice up any topic #contentchat

— PathFactory (@pathfactory) April 15, 2019

[Read more…] about April 15, 2019 Content Chat Recap: How To Create Interesting Content On “Boring” Topics And For Conservative Industries