Writing Long Form Content. How do I Grab the Readers’ Attention & Provide Good Value?

For freelance writers and bloggers, shorter (500 phrases or much less) articles have been their bread and butter for not less than a decade. But a very good freelance author is aware of when to broaden their horizons, and there’s definitely an enormous demand for longer and meatier content material.

If you wish to know the way to capitalize on this, learn on.

Why Even Write Long-Form Content?

Good query. After all, a 1,500-word piece takes a variety of effort to put in writing and proofread. Why not concentrate on shorter articles as a substitute?

There are just a few explanation why you may wish to spend money on writing long-form content material:

1. Google Panda, Google’s long-term search rating algorithm, typically prioritizes web sites with longer (1,000 phrases or more) articles.
2. On common, every internet web page on Google’s first SERP rating web page contains not less than 1,400 phrases.
3. Longer content material will increase web page authority which additionally contributes to rising SERP rankings.
4. These articles are excellent pillars for matter clusters to construct a content material technique off.
5. Skyscraper content material has been proven to draw more hyperlinks for search engine optimization functions.

There are good causes to maintain writing brief content material, however long-form content material is finally a development that can’t be ignored. It doesn’t must be the one method you select to put in writing content material, however it is going to be part of an efficient content material advertising and marketing technique.

What is Considered Long-Form Content?

This is a tough one. Although there are particular causes to put in writing long-form content material, completely different web sites have definitions of what constitutes an extended article. Some web sites may recommend long-form content material is 700 to 2000 phrases, whereas others want practically 3,000 phrases.

For instance, Quartz, a well-known enterprise weblog and information aggregator, considers something longer than 1,500 phrases to be long-form content material. This is simply sufficient so as to add a variety of element and worth however brief sufficient to learn in a single sitting.

How do I Write Long-Form Content & Grab Reader’s Attention?

If you’re involved in writing more long-form content material, beneath is a breakdown of how you might strategy this.

1. Choose a title appropriate for an extended article.
2. Conduct preliminary analysis and select your format.
3. Determine the platforms you’ll distribute your content material on.

Below, we concentrate on every stage in additional element.

Choosing a Great Simpleic for Long-Form Content

Choosing a subject in your long-form content material goes to be the MOST vital a part of grabbing the reader’s consideration. The very first thing they see is the title of your content material! This is the primary probability to draw readers, pique their curiosity and get them to click on.

Therefore, selecting a subject that summarises your content material, will get straight to the purpose, and is click-worthy comes right down to some important factors:

• How widespread is the subject? You wish to concentrate on matters that retain their relevance regardless of modifications in expertise and folks’s perceptions. Long-form content material typically makes use of evergreen matters, ones that received’t essentially lose recognition however will all the time be looked for and related. These sorts of matters can present a number of factors to put in writing about, making long-form content material even simpler.
• How particular is the subject? Your readers will keep away from articles with generic titles like ‘Tips for being a very good author‘. A a lot better resolution is to say particular ideas or theories. For an instance of a selected matter, simply have a look at the subject for this text! Having particular matters may imply you goal a long-tail key phrase which is sweet for search engine optimization.
• How compact is the subject? A compact matter might feasibly be summarised in 1,000 phrases articles. If you are attempting to put in writing an article on focusing on digital e book publishers, no variety of phrases goes to specific all the guidelines and proposals that cowl this matter, making long-form content material applicable.
• What is the content material’s objective? Long-form content material can be utilized in some ways, from weblog posts to printed books. Therefore, the precise objective of the article informs the subject you might be selecting as effectively. Is it a easy weblog publish that focuses on one single thought or an book that covers a broad topic by diving deep into its features?
• How are you able to compose the title? The matter itself will not be the one motive why readers will click on in your content material, the way in which you assemble and current the subject is vital too. Can you embody statistics? Numbers have been confirmed to draw lots of readers. Can you employ energy/emotive phrases? Triggering feelings in readers will be the kick they should click on, learn and love your content material.

This first stage might be probably the most important to find out whether or not your long-form content material can be profitable or not.

How Do I Choose a Suitable Format?

After you select your matter, it’s time to conduct some preliminary analysis and select how your article can be structured.

If, for example, you might be writing an in depth book on educational writing for college students, you may wish to write longer paragraphs. Including sections that element the important thing forms of educational assignments, recommendations on how to concentrate to the lecturers’ necessities and doing proofreading.

If, then again, you might be writing a web based information for different freelance writers (similar to this text!), shorter paragraphs and a more entertaining construction (e.g., using questions and solutions) must be a very good match. Other freelancers are busy individuals who merely wouldn’t have the time to learn one other wall of textual content and a bullet record might be a greater method to current info.

Reading different long-form content material on comparable matters ought to offer you a good suggestion of what construction you need to select. In common, using extremely particular and compact matters additionally requires using bullet factors and infographics to enhance your important dialogue. These parts will help complement in addition to present selection inside your content material that helps keep the readers and attentive to your content material.

The type and construction of what you write are important to offering good worth to your readers. How effectively is the data organized and does it current the data clearly? Are there different fascinating parts reminiscent of checklists, images, movies, or infographics?

The method you current your content material is simply as vital because the content material itself and can keep the reader’s consideration.

What Platform Should I Publish Long-Form Content On?

Again, this resolution may make or break your long-form article. This selection is primarily made between two forms of platforms.

• Gated web sites. Gated web sites are something that hides the content material behind a selected wall. It could also be a paywall or a easy login type that requires the consumer to submit their private data earlier than with the ability to learn your article. Websites requiring customers to show off their adblockers additionally qualify.
• Ungated web sites. These web sites don’t limit who can view their content material in any method.

On the one hand, gated web sites will pay more for long-form content material, particularly if these platforms have a paywall reminiscent of Medium. Websites like Medium are a superb selection for high-value, long-form content material so as to earn cash and construct a following. But, competitors on such a big platform will be excessive. However, with a robust and attention-grabbing title, your content material can thrive.

On the opposite hand, different gated web sites might have low visitors as many individuals merely go away the web page once they see a login web page as a substitute of the article they clicked on. Ungated web sites get pleasure from larger visitors however can fail to filter their viewers in any significant method. Leaving some such web sites susceptible to spam and low-value leads.

Although about 80% of B2B corporations use gated content material, ungated content material is nice if you wish to enhance SERP rankings and develop natural search visitors. However, a very good steadiness between shorter and long-form articles and gated and ungated content material will contribute to your search engine optimization rankings.

Final Thoughts

Choosing to incorporate long-form content material in your advertising and marketing technique will be very troublesome, particularly if you’re used to writing shorter items. While long-form content material will not be for everybody, we hope that the above information motivates you to put in writing longer items and select narrower and more compact matters.

Even if the concept of writing long-form content material doesn’t sound interesting proper now, writing only one or two longer articles per 30 days might considerably develop your viewers and appeal to sponsors and companions.