Short-Form vs Long-Form: decoding the content dilemma
It goes without saying that written content will play a vital role in almost every area of your marketing strategy. But how do you know whether you should use short-form content or whether a longer piece of copy would be better?
In this article, we’ll take a look at long-form vs short-form content and the optimal times and places to use each…
First up: what is long-form content?
Long-form content is - surprise, surprise! - longer in length. As a rule of thumb, long-form content is in excess of 500 words.
This type of content provides an opportunity to explore a subject in-depth. It typically requires more of the reader’s time and attention, due to its length and detailed nature.
Key characteristics of long-form content include:
- Word count generally exceeds 1,000 words - some pieces extend to several thousand
- In-depth exploration of a topic or elaboration of ideas and points of view
- Citations and references are often required in extended research pieces
- Structure is needed to ensure content is presented logically
- Storytelling may be required to illustrate points and maintain engagement
- Offers educational value and in-depth insight
- Can be persuasive and influential
What are examples of long-form written content?
Examples of long-form content include:
- Articles in print
- Blog articles
- Whitepapers
- eBooks
- Research papers and scientific experiments
- Comprehensive guides and manuals
- Transcripts of podcasts or interviews
- Webinars and courses
- Annual reports
- Scripts
Pros - what are the benefits of long-form content?
- SEO advantages relating to higher word count which helps to improve search ranking
- Provides an opportunity to demonstrate authority and expertise
- Engages and educates your audience
- Showcases comprehensive information
Cons - what are the challenges of long-form content?
- Requires an investment of time to create
- Needs more skill to structure and generate
- Can be challenging to maintain reader engagement
- It challenges those with short attention span or lack of time
Unpacking Short-Form Content
So what is short-form content?
In contrast to longer pieces of copy, short-form content is:
- A limited length - under 500 words or often even shorter
- Intended for quick consumption
- Often involves an engaging headline
- Contains clear, simple and direct messaging without unnecessary elaboration
- Features a visual element such as images, symbols, infographics or emojis
What is considered short-form written content?
The concise and focused nature of short-form content lends itself well to:
- Social media posts
- Tweets on X (Twitter)
- Facebook status updates
- Instagram captions and posts
- LinkedIn micro articles
- Captions and clips on TikTok or Snapchat
- eNewsletters
- Photo captions
- Infographics
- Microblogs
- Promotional teasers
- Memes or GIFs
- SMS marketing
- Quick polls and surveys
- Product descriptions
- Quizzes
- Image captions
- Sponsored ads - Google Ads, Facebook Ads etc
Pros - what are the benefits of short-form content?
- Quick to consume so make it easy for sharing
- Ideal for capturing short attention spans
- Versatile across various platforms and formats
- Ideal for publicising time-sensitive content
Cons - what are the challenges of short-form content?
- Limited word count means limited detail
- Potential for oversimplification of ideas and might lack detail
- Can be difficult to write succinct copy that conveys all that it needs to
- Less opportunity for making an SEO impact
Choosing the right format for your marketing strategy
So you might be wondering whether you need to write long-form or short-form content. Here’s a few tips to help you decide:
- Define your marketing goals
- Consider whether you’re mainly looking to raise brand awareness, engage, generate leads or boost sales
- Align content strategy with overarching marketing objectives
Know your audience
- Analyse your target audience's preferences and behaviour
- Understand how they prefer to consume content
Consider the platform
- Thinking about the location of your content should help to establish whether less really is more
Strike the balance between long-form vs short-form content
- Create the right content mix for a comprehensive approach
- Devise a strategy for repurposing each piece of content across your chosen formats for enhanced efficiency
Long-Form vs Short-Form Content: when to use each format
In summary, if you need to decide on the best format for your content
- Long-form content
- When in-depth information needs to be conveyed
- If you need to be more persuasive and show expertise
- When a complex topic requires detailed explanation
- Short-form content
- When content needs to be absorbed quickly and easily
- Ideal for attention-grabbing messages like a launch, sale or promotion
- Useful for mobile optimisation - less text works better on a small screen
Content for all
This guide should help when deciding on long-form vs short-form content and which format you should use for your various comms and marketing activities.
If this sounds a bit complicated, why not consider outsourcing to an expert? Here at Vooba, our talented copywriters and social media team can craft the ideal long-form or short-form content to deliver your marketing strategy and objectives.
To find out more about our content creation services, and discuss your unique requirements, please call us on 01798 667167 or email hello@vooba.co.uk today!
