Why Long Content Trumps Short Content
We all remember a time—years ago—when the experts told us that no one reads anything on the internet. To the contrary, we were told, people just scan a page and move on.
In 2016, this is no longer the case. In fact, as mobile devices have become more and more prevalent, people are reading more content than ever. And that content is getting longer. While short content clearly has its place, long content is the way to go when it comes to content marketing
Long content is a great way to engage your target audience and tell them a story. Further, long content allows you to get your point across to readers without having to worry that their attention span will give out before you are done getting your point across.
Long content works especially well when connecting with farmers and ranchers. Farmers and ranchers are not easily swayed by short, attention-grabbing blurbs about a company’s products or services. Instead, they want to know the facts about anyone they are considering doing business with or a product they are considering purchasing.
There are other important reasons why using long content works so well for content marketing. What follows are what experts cite as the most compelling reasons to invest in long content:
- Greater Number of Leads: More than seven times more sales leads are generated with the use of long content versus short content.
- Higher SEO: Research shows that longer posts almost always appear higher on search engine result pages than shorter posts, provided it is quality content.
- Increased Engagement: Again, if you are posting quality content, people will stick around to read longer content. Studies also show that long content can keep visitors on your website up to three times longer than short content. This allows them to explore other aspects of your brand.
- Increased Reach: Long copy can reach a greater number of people because it can be repurposed in many different ways. Webinars, content series and eBooks are just a few examples.
If your current marketing strategy does not include long content, it needs to—and soon! Without long content your customers are less likely to find you online and even if they do, they are less likely to engage with you. Writing long content may take more time but it is definitely worth the effort!
