The short-form vs. long-form article debate has been ongoing for decades. In 2023, marketers are finally putting an end to the battle and admitting that both types of content are extremely beneficial in their own way.
In this blog, we’ll help you understand which type of article is better for your brand based on the topic and industry. Keep reading.
1. When Should I Opt for Short-Form Articles?
Short-form articles are better for your brand if you write listicle-style content on a basic to medium-level topic. Simpler topics don’t require a longer word count. If you write over 400–500 words, your audience will lose interest. If the knowledge you’re sharing is straightforward, not complex, opt for short-form articles.
2. When Should I Opt for Long-Form Articles?
Long-form articles are ideal for complex topics that require more detail. Certain industries like healthcare, law, and technology require more nuanced, comprehensive, and dense content. If you try to summarise everything within 400–500 words, you’ll leave a lot of valuable content out and fail to provide sufficient knowledge to your audience.
In these cases, increasing the word count to 1–3k words is recommended. Avoid exceeding 3k words unless the topic cannot be covered in a smaller word count. 3k+ word articles are considered way too long for the average reader. While such content is acceptable for B2B businesses, it should be avoided by B2C brands.
Keep the jargon simple, break long-form content down into bite-sized paragraphs, and keep the overall content engaging, not boring. Even if you’re presenting complex ideas and commentary, you can still make the article interesting and engaging.
Recommended Read: What Is Thought Leadership Content & How Can You Use It?
3. What’s the Right Balance?
The type of content you select ultimately depends on the industry and topic. However, generally speaking, choose the 3:5 ratio for short-form to long-form content.
Most of your content should be short-form, digestible, and quick content that doesn’t consume much of people’s time and energy. However, reserve long-form articles for niche topics that require industry expertise. These should be written in moderation. If you write too many long-form blogs, people will get tired of the complexity.
The right ratio of short-form to long-form content will help you maximise audience engagement, boost conversions, and strengthen your brand identity. Optimise both types of content to improve your SERP rankings. We recommend supplementing short-form and long-form articles with high-quality images, infographics, videos, and illustrations.
Finally, proofread the content to ensure that it meets the mark. All done? It’s all systems go!
Recommended Read: An Advanced Content Marketing Strategy for Better ROI
Are you looking for content marketing experts for your brand? At TocToc, we provide content marketing services to clients across Canberra and Sydney. Whether you want to equip your content arsenal with new articles, blogs, eBooks, or web copy, we’ll write engaging content that resonates with your audience and helps you maximise leads.
Ready to get started? Contact our team today! We also specialise in digital marketing, search engine optimisation (SEO), social media marketing, web design and development, app development, and email marketing. As an experienced SEO company, we go the extra mile to meet your expectations, with no exceptions. Let’s begin!
