Despite the many claims and predictions of long-form content’s demise through the years, marketers, copywriters, and content creators can confirm that it’s still alive and not going away any time soon. SEO expert Nick Brogden, the founder of Earned Media, chimes in to explain why long-form content is not dead and what SMBs should do instead.

People’s attention spans are diminishing year by year. Social media users are hypnotised by hundreds of short-form videos like TikTok and Reels daily, and sometimes a few emojis are more effective than multi-sentence captions, but is long-form really dead? 

Why do people think long-form content marketing is dead? 

Many death hoaxes flood the internet, and it’s not just celebrities who fall victim. If the rumours were true, long-form content should’ve been dead at least a decade ago. However, unlike other hoaxes with no evidence, there are rational explanations for why many think long-form content is either dead or dying. 

• Compared to other video formats, short-form video content has the highest ROI. 
• Short-form video app TikTok is considered the fastest-growing social media app. 
• Other social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram have capitalised on the popularity of short-form videos by introducing Reels and Shorts. 
• The human attention span has diminished by 25% in just 15 years.
• Users often leave a webpage after only 10-20 seconds. 
• Most people consume content with their smartphones, making it easier to enjoy bite-sized content. 
• Short-form content is made for quicker conversions. 

There’s no denying it — short-form content is the preferred content type of today’s consumers. For this reason, many marketers have prioritised short-form content marketing over long-form, with some eliminating it from their strategy altogether. But this doesn’t mean that you should. 

Content marketing is still thriving; here’s why 

While it’s clear that today’s consumers prefer short-form content over long-form, the best marketers will tell you not to remove long-form from your content marketing calendar. Here’s why:

1. It can help improve your page ranking

Longer content (at least 2,000 words for articles) means you have more opportunities to insert keywords that can improve your search engine ranking. Plus, having a comprehensive piece about a topic related to your business shows Google that your page provides value to its readers, increasing your visibility and authority. 

Having long-form content on your website can also help get you more backlinks, signalling your page as a trustworthy resource, which can quickly boost your ranking.

Every business wants its website to rank high on search, as most people don’t click beyond the first page on Google. Long-form content can help your site rank better and drive topical authority when building high-quality links and creating topic clusters.

Likewise, if you are creating unique research or reports, this can also do wonders for your site’s overall authority. Take Parkhound, who recently published unique data about the skyrocketing parking costs in Australia’s CBD.

Image source: Parkhound

Parkhound’s data shows just how much it costs to park in all of Australia’s cities and how crazy some of the prices can be (e.g., Sydney and Brisbane).

2. It increases the time your audience spends on your page

Long, high-quality, and well-researched content means your audience will spend more time on your page. The longer your audience spends on your page, the higher the chance of them becoming repeat visitors and interacting with other parts of your website. This also means they are more likely to trust you and convert to customers. 

3. It adds depth to short-form

Short-form content marketing can capture your audience’s attention, but they will eventually need more information before becoming a customer. 

For example, you might’ve gotten more followers on Instagram thanks to a cool Reel about your products. But before someone decides to purchase, they may need a how-to video or demonstration to learn more. 

Image source: Featr

Digital video channel Featr uses Instagram Reels to announce the release of new long-form videos and to get more people interested in a topic. All captions encourage viewers to view the full video on YouTube. 

Without long-form to support your short-form content, your followers might remain just followers. Today’s consumers are more discerning than ever, and long-form content lets you earn their trust. 

4. Many of the top businesses still believe in it 

While it’s true that some companies have stopped producing long-form content, many have stuck to long-form as part of their content marketing strategy for good reason—it works! For example, luggage and travel brand Away still updates its blog, Here Magazine. 

Image source: Here Magazine

Popular makeup and skincare brand Glossier became the success that it is today thanks to its Founder, Emily Weiss’, blog called Into the Gloss, which is still thriving today. The blog, which regularly posts long-form interviews of industry experts, makeup reviews, and insider info, helped transform a small business into a cult-favourite brand. 

Contrary to what you may have heard

Long-form is alive and here to stay. By integrating more long-form content into your marketing strategy, you not only help boost your page rankings but also establish your brand as an authority in your niche and build trust with your customers. 

But in the era of ChatGTP mixed with Google’s recent E-E-A-T and Helpful Content algorithm updates, content needs to be high-quality and contain unique information. If the content is just another rehash of what other small businesses have written about, then both people and Google will know. 

This means that Google is less likely to reward you for it, and people are less likely to share it — that’s why long-form content still works, and the key here is that it needs to be unique, helpful, and insightful.

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