Marketing strategies and best practices are constantly changing, with new insights, tips, and tricks coming up all the time. One of the most persistent topics that people have questions about is content marketing - more specifically, the choice between long form and short form content.
The History of Content Marketing Strategies
Way back when blogging first became popular, marketers were inundating the internet with short form, keyword-heavy blogging content. At that time, the focus was not on the quality of the content, but rather it’s ability to rank. On top of that, search engines were not as sophisticated as they are today, meaning they could not filter out the low-quality, spam-like content. It was a dark time for content marketing and for consumers.
Eventually though, consumers lost patience for this low quality content. Audiences began to appreciate long-form, high-quality content that actually provided value and worked to answer questions, entertain, educate, or address relevant pain points and concerns. Long-form became a vital part of most inbound efforts and marketing strategies as a whole. To a large extent, this is still the case: most blogs today are long form, with the average 2016 blog post being 1054 words long, up 19% from 2015. Even more striking? These long-form blog posts generate 9x more leads than short form blog posts.
So yes, long-form content is still extremely valuable, and it still vastly out-performs short form blog content. However, marketers have to fit this content into a much larger, more multi-faceted content marketing strategy if they are to find long-standing marketing success in the new year.
Current Thoughts
In order for a marketing strategy to be effective, it has to contain a combination of tactics. Different audiences respond to different forms of content, and now there are more than ever to choose from - sometimes an infographic will work best, other times it’ll be a video, or maybe even a GIF. On top of that, certain platforms are more conducive to a certain type of content. Is your audience spending all of their time on LinkedIn? Then maybe they are looking for long-form, educational content on a certain topic.
On top of that, there is an ever-increasing content fatigue that the marketing world is facing. There’s just too much content out there, and audiences simply don’t have the time or energy to get through it all. A recent Contently infographic shows that in just one minute:
How then, with so much out there, are marketers to stand out and create something that will actually be found, read, and shared?
Tips to a Successful 2017 Strategy
Target Your Blog Content
This is nothing new, but it cannot be emphasized enough - you have to give the people what they want. If you have content that is uninteresting or untargeted, there is no way that it will get the conversions, traffic, and shares that you need. Make sure that you have a clear, comprehensive, accurate understanding of your buyer personas and target audience, and then make sure that your content speaks directly to them.
Does it use the language they would use? Does the topic answer a question or address an interest that’s on their mind? Is it specific, helpful, new, and unique? Your content has to accomplish all of these goals if it has any chance of being read.
Not sure if you’re on the right track? Look at your data and metrics: the content that is getting the most likes, traffic, and conversions is the content that is really getting through to your audience. Find out what is working and expand upon that strategy for continued success.
Switch It Up
You can’t be a one-trick pony in today’s marketing world. While long-form content can and should be a prominent part of many marketing strategies, it can’t be the only component. Switch it up and include other kinds of content.
SEE ALSO: Multimedia Technology: How to Incorporate Multimedia Into Content
Where to start? Well, here are some interesting facts to keep in mind:
- According to the Content Marketing Institute, 75% of marketers are planning to increase their use of interactive content in the coming year.
- Visual is huge: The YouTube app appears on 59.4% of all smartphones, Instagram on 38.4%, and Pinterest on 25%. That means that over half of the 2 billion mobile users out there are utilizing video and photo apps. The numbers speak for themselves.
- The demand for infographics has increased a full 800% in the past year, and infographics are liked and shared on social media 3x more than any other type of content.
- 71% of companies surveyed by Ascend2 report that their video marketing budget is increasing.
Before you make any decisions here, remember to keep your audience in mind. Where are they going? What are they interested in? What form of content are they able to digest? Get this information and start strategizing.
Make It Scannable
The average reader only spends 37 seconds reading an article or blog post. So yes, they want long-form, high-quality, informative content - but that doesn’t mean they’re going to read the whole thing. Make the most out of those precious seconds by using pop-out quotes, bolding, italics, and bullet points to make sure that your strongest, most compelling points are seen and heard. You have their attention for less than a minute. Make that minute worthwhile.
While you’re at it, make sure that your content is mobile-responsive. According to eMarketer, mobile will account for a full 72% of US digital ad spend by 2019. Even more striking? Over 70% of consumers will delete emails immediately that don’t render well on a mobile device. In other words, consumers on their phones expect your content to be compatible.
The digital marketing world is constantly evolving, with new best practices and strategies appearing every month. Enter 2017 with the strongest strategy possible by targeting your personas, creating high-quality long-form content, and using all of the visual marketing tools that you have at your disposal.
Questions? Schedule a call with us today to discuss your marketing strategy.
