There’s a pervasive misconception that online buyers aren’t interested in reading long pieces of text. While video is by far the most engaging form of content, the next most popular types are articles, blogs, and other text-only formats. Business buyers aren’t looking for short listicles and condensed versions of news they already have — they want juicy, 500-word-plus content that they can consume and share with their peers.

You can leverage that need by creating insightful thought leadership pieces that position you as an authority in your market — while simultaneously increasing engagement with your brand.

What Constitutes Long-Form Content?

Long-form content means an in-depth piece of writing that goes into a topic at least beyond the surface level. Ideally, it should be at least 500 words long and possibly up to 3000 words or more.

The best long-form content for B2B marketing is evergreen. That means it will still create value for the reader in a few months or even years. Of course, not all content can be evergreen. If you’re going into detail about a product launch, much of that information will be time-sensitive. However, you could include guides, tips, and techniques that will still be applicable weeks down the line.

The Benefits of Longer Blogs and Articles

So, why are the most successful B2B marketers still including long-form content as part of their strategy? Here are just a few key reasons.

Engage Buyers Genuinely Looking for Something to Read

It’s important to remember that you’re not forcing your content on anyone. You’re trying to engage company decision-makers and leaders who are passionate about doing business better. If you produce in-depth content that helps them do exactly that, you’ll gain a long-term readership.

Create Content You Can Repurpose

One long article or whitepaper can become a hundred pieces of other content. Repurpose your long-form content into:

• Social media snippets

• Infographics

• Shorter blogs for different platforms or guest blogs for partner sites

• Videos based on the article content

• Captions for images across various platforms

Make sure each new piece of content links back to the original or to related resources such as your product pages, FAQs, or tutorial videos.

Climb the SERPS

While Google and other search engine algorithms change constantly, digital marketing experts generally agree that content on the first search engine result page (SERP) is longer than average and answers multiple questions.

The more relevant content you can fit into a post, the more likely you are to make that all-important first page of Google.

An important disclaimer is that you can’t just write anything to fill the blank space. Fluffy, useless content that just regurgitates what’s already out there won’t cut it. You have to get right to the point, explain what readers want to know, and where possible, offer practical advice.

Final Word

Long-form content should be one aspect of any effective omnichannel marketing strategy. Work with experts who can help you nail down your content marketing strategy, combining long- and short-form content to the best effect. Book your free 15-minute introductory call with Arch Collective to discover more ways to expand your potential audience.

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