Best Practices for Publishing Long-Form Content

Long-form content has become a staple in the world of content marketing. There are several opportunities to publish, from in-depth blog posts to e-books, whitepapers, case studies, etc.

However, publishing long-form content is not as simple as writing many words. Even visual mediums like webinars can count as long-form content.

To make the most of your investment, you need to consider the best practices for crafting, designing, and publishing content that will capture the attention of your target audience and keep them engaged from start to finish.

Is Long-form Content Better than Short-form Content?

Both long-form and short-form content can be effective, but they serve different purposes.

Long-form content allows for a more in-depth exploration of a topic, providing a comprehensive look at the subject and helping to establish your website as an authoritative source.

Short-form content is quick and easy to read, making it well-suited for delivering quick and simple information. Ultimately, the best choice between long-form and short-form content depends on the goals of the content, the target audience, and the message being conveyed.

However, long-form content offers some unique benefits over short-form content, as highlighted below:

• Increased Dwell Time: Long-form content typically holds the reader’s attention longer, resulting in better user engagement.

• More social shares: Long-form content is more likely to be shared on social media platforms due to its in-depth and comprehensive nature, which can help drive additional traffic to your site and increase brand visibility.

• Trust-building and authoritativeness: Publishing long-form content that provides in-depth information and insights on a particular subject can help establish your business or personal brand as an authority in the field, building trust and credibility with the audience.

• Link-building opportunities: By linking to other relevant pages on the same site or other authoritative sources, search engines can see that the content is well-researched and relevant, boosting its rankings. Ascertain the performance of your link-building efforts through the Eye10 Backlink Monitor and make amends where necessary.

• Content repurposing: You can easily repurpose long-form content into smaller content, such as blog posts, infographics, and social media updates. Then, you can derive maximum value and online visibility because your content reaches different audiences.

The Best Practices 

Publishing long-form content requires a strategic approach to creating engaging, readable, and effective posts. By following these best practices, you can ensure that your long-form content is well-received by readers and effectively delivers the intended message.

1. Add an Interesting Hook to the Introduction

The introduction is one of the most important parts of any content and should grab the reader’s attention and encourage them to continue reading. If you fail to write an engaging introduction, readers won’t bother with the rest of your post.

An interesting hook can be a quote, a question, or a surprising statistic relevant to the topic. The hook should be attention-grabbing and set the tone for the rest of the content.

2. Format Paragraphs Meaningfully

Readability and user experience remain paramount. A meaningful paragraph should contain a single thoughtful idea and be no more than 5-7 sentences.

Short paragraphs with subheadings make it easier for readers to scan and digest information. Additionally, using bold or italicized text within paragraphs can help to emphasize key points.

3. Section the Post and Use Header Tags Correctly

Do you want your content to be user-friendly and easily digestible? Then you should break the content into clear sections.

In the backend, header tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) should be used to create a hierarchy of information and break the content into meaningful sections.

H1 should be used for the main title, and H2 and H3 for subheadings and sub-subheadings. This structure makes the content more readable and helps search engines understand your content correctly.

If you don’t use header tags appropriately, the Eye10 On-Page SEO tool will flag it as an issue to be resolved when you audit the webpage.

4. Include Storytelling to Enhance Engagement

Stories are an effective way to engage readers and hold their attention. In long-form content, incorporating a story or personal anecdote can help to keep readers interested and connected to the content.

It’s important to choose stories relevant to the topic to support the presented information.

5. Add Media Elements to Encourage Interest

Media elements such as images, videos, infographics, and audio can add depth and interest to any form of written content, particularly long-form ones. They also help break up the text and make the content visually appealing.

When selecting media, it’s important to choose elements relevant to the content that serve as good illustrations for the concepts you are trying to explain.

6. Use a Well-Designed Visual Structure

The visual structure of long-form content is important in keeping the reader engaged. A well-designed visual structure should be clean, clear, and easy to navigate.

This can be achieved through ample white space and cohesive colors. A well-designed visual structure can also help to highlight key information and make the content more memorable.

7. Promote and Repurpose for Other Mediums

The strength of a piece of long-form content is not just in the immediate post but in its potential to be broken down and shared in various other formats. So, it would be best if you considered this in your content promotion strategy.

This includes sharing the content on social media, creating infographics or videos based on the content, and republishing the content on other platforms.

Conclusion

Despite the concerns about people having shorter attention spans now, long-form content still has its place in the digital world and can be more impactful than shorter pieces. When done correctly, long-form content can be educational and entertaining, leading to increased engagement and overall performance.

If you’re ready to take your long-form content to the next level, consider using Eye10 SEO tools to optimize your content for search engines and increase its reach. Click here to learn more about the Eye10 suite of SEO tools and how it can help you create and publish long-form content that resonates with your audience.