Raise your hand if you know the importance of a solid content strategy. If you get it right, it can drive the brand’s sales and credibility through the roof.
But there are a lot of misconceptions in the world of content marketing.
For instance, people think anybody can become a copywriter. The truth is, not everybody can do justice to copywriting. It is an acquired skill and one that must be sharpened regularly. After all, consumer behavior and trends are ever-evolving.
The only way to keep up is by staying updated with the latest trends and learning new techniques. You can acquire the knowledge needed by signing up for online copywriting courses or exploring interviews featuring esteemed copywriters. These interviews will give you the insight required to enhance your writing prowess and bring a flair to it.
Also, most copywriters struggle with choosing between long-form and short-form copy. If you are a copywriter, you may have been advised to craft longer content pieces at some point. On the other hand, you might have been told that long-form content performs better than short-form content.
The truth is both long-form and short-form content have their place in content marketing. If used correctly, they can be powerful tools and reap significant benefits.
Short-Form V/S Long-Form Copy
Let’s understand what they mean and their correct uses.
| Short-form | Long-form | |
| Meaning | Short-form copy is brief and direct. The content is intended for rapid reading. Typically, this type of content is easier to digest and covers a specific area of a topic, instead of going too detailed. Punchy phrases and direct calls to action are included to convey the right message to the readers. | Long-form copy dives deep into a topic and it is much more extensive and thorough. The content covers every aspect of the brand’s offerings, including the features, advantages, benefits, value propositions, endorsements, case studies, etc. Since there’s too much for the readers to digest, long-form copy is typically arranged using bullet points, subheadings, pictures and other visual cues. |
| Common formats | Evergreen pages lengthy and detailed blog posts eBooksWhitepapersSales lettersPillar pages or landing pages Tutorials and guides Webinars | Evergreen pagesLengthy and detailed blog posts eBooksWhitepapersSales lettersPillar pages or landing pages Tutorials and guides Webinars |
| Word count | 800-1000 words or less | 2000+ words |
| Goal | To get a single message across to the target audience quickly and effectively | To educate and inform those seeking answers to specific questions or wanting to learn more about a topic |
| Pros | Quickly gets across a single message Easily communicate with readers with a short attention span Less resource-intensive to product short-form content Easier to read and mobile-friendly | Ranks better on search engines Earns more backlinks than short-form copy Conversion rate is higher Helps to position brands as thought-leaders in their niche |
| Cons | Difficult to cover a topic in-depth Can easily become formulaic and put off readers Very rarely evergreen | Takes more resources and time to produce long-form copy Difficult to display the content on mobile |
How to Decide The Best Copy Length for Your Business?
Unfortunately, there’s no surefire way of saying that long-form copy will work for your business or short-form copy. There’s no official rule for the best content length. And in most situations, including long-form and short-form content in the content marketing strategy reaps benefits.
Here are some pointers to remember to find the right balance.
- How much do your customers know about your brand/business?
If you are a new business trying to establish your brand, you must include a long-form copy. This will help your target audience get all the information they need about your brand and its offerings.
If you are an established brand and your customers are already familiar with your business and offerings, you can focus more on short-form content. This will augment your conversion rate.
- What are your business goals?
Considering your business goals is the first step to developing a content marketing strategy.
For example, if the goal is to raise awareness around a new product you are about to launch, the best solution will be to reach out to your audience with direct, to-the-point emails or social media posts. Therefore, short-form content.
But if your goal is to rank on Google and drive traffic, a long-form copy will be your best bet.
Summing up, whatever you decide will depend on your business goals and audience. However, using a healthy mix of both in your content marketing strategy is the best solution. For example, you can use long-form content to offer readers detailed information about your brand and offerings.
On the other hand, short-form content can be used to talk about specific aspects of your product or discuss specific benefits. Also, since long-form content takes more time and resources to produce, publishing one each day may not be viable. On the other hand, a short-form copy can be published daily to keep search engine crawlers busy.
Additional
- Branding Strategies For Law Firms
- 12 Digital Marketing Tools You Need When Starting A Business
- The Art Of Lead Nurturing: Building Relationships With Prospects
The post Long-Form Vs. Short-Form Copy: Finding The Perfect Balance appeared first on Social Media Magazine.
