Long-form content for B2B/B2G marketing.
You’ve created something novel, complex or high-cost; here’s how to tell the world about it with specialized, research-based content.
White Papers / In-depth Articles (Posts)
Reports / Guides / E-Books
USE LONG-FORM CONTENT to help your intended audience better understand a topic, address a challenge or make an informed decision, all while increasing leads, shares and attention for your organization.
If you are not effectively employing it to promote your work, you may be missing out on one of the most compelling marketing tools available.
The fundamental feature of the long form is, of course, its length. Lengthier content allows more ways to speak to a topic in an engaging, authoritative and highly organized way. We could say, then, that long-form content is distinguished by methodical planning, thorough research and thoughtful presentation.
The fundamental benefits are that it almost always results in better search engine performance, more social sharing within your audience’s networks and enhanced credibility.
Creating and distributing relevant, high-quality content to your target audiences allows you to connect with people anywhere in the acquisition cycle to build lasting, profitable relationships. Long form = long term.
Long-form content is ideal for anything novel, complex or high-cost, particularly if you’ve recently:
□ Debuted a new product or service
□ Created a new technology or process
□ Realized a key development in R&D
□ Completed an in-depth study or survey
□ Had a revelation about your industry or niche
To be clear, lengthier content is more challenging to produce, requires more up-front investment and takes longer to see results than its short-form brethren. So why would anyone spend time here? Because over time, it has one of the highest returns on investment of any content marketing strategy out there.
The numbers don't lie. When compared to the short form, the long form delivers more bang.
Source (L-R): Content Hacker, Curata, Nectafy, MarketSplash
SO, HOW DOES IT DO IT? Lengthier content, typically 1500+ words, supports a more in-depth analysis and discussion with additional data, data visualizations, stories, interviews, quotes and more. It affords room to consider all sides of an issue with clarity and attention to detail to help your audience fully grasp and accept your message as conclusive.
You can think of long-form products as drawing on the very best writing practices and design elements from marketing, journalism, academia, legal, grant/business proposals and storytelling, and maybe even a little wit. The specific format you choose - along with considerations for your purpose and audience - will determine how much of each is baked into the final product.
Ultimately, long-form content is about providing engaging, data-rich substance your audience craves. It is simply seen as more authoritative and, thus, more valuable. Google ranks it accordingly because its objective is to return the best match for any given search. Use it to attract more attention and create more profitable events for your organization.
There is an art to organizing facts and rendering them persuasively, and humans will always play a part. I relish the fact no machine can do that.
Early in the white paper, Long-Form Content: 7 Reasons Your Organization Should Not Ignore It, I discuss the marketing potential of the long form and its many possibilities. Here are just three:
□ Articulate your vision for your organization or industry, or some aspect of it, while directing 100% of the conversation and building immense credibility with your audience.
□ Subtly position your product or service value, foster customer loyalty or even create a whole new market with a data-rich narrative packed with valuable and substantiated information.
□ Create some vespaio – some buzz – by writing about unusual or non-standard topics in your niche to create interest and draw attention to these themes and your organization.
Finally, generative artificial intelligence, or genAI for short, has been getting a lot of attention lately. As a potential client, you will rightfully have questions about how your content is created. Here are a few of my thoughts on the subject.
So, if you’re still reading this, I hope it’s because I’ve provided you with useful and relevant content that was methodically planned, thoroughly researched and thoughtfully presented. And that you thought it was interesting enough to continue to this point.
No matter how attractive your message is, you simply cannot throw up a wall of meandering text and expect it to be absorbed, much less to completion. Today, it must be organized, accurate and engaging; it must hold the audience’s metaphorical hand and guide them through the journey.
On this front, I can help you create something unique that will resonate with your audience and move your content marketing to a whole new level.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER. I’d be delighted to discuss teaming with your organization to help produce a marketing product that can potentially drive more qualified leads to your doorstep, and much more. I can manage all aspects of the project, from leading the rhetorical discussion to concept and design to writing and editing, freeing you and your team to keep doing what you do best.
I value quality and authenticity in my work and strive to exceed all client expectations. Contact me, and we can schedule a time to discuss any of these ideas further on a call or online meeting.