Providing accurate and engaging information to your customers is an important part of digital marketing. After all, it’s what drives sales, generates leads, and establishes your position as an industry expert. The format that your content is designed in and the type of media you use can vary. In other words, the information that forms a part of your content marketing strategy can either be published as short-form or long-form content.
While short-form content is used to introduce the audience to a subject and offer crisp, clear takeaways, long-form content is used to dive into the nuances of the subject and explore all possible facets. While short-form content finds many takers as it makes for a quick read, long-form content is of great value too, especially if you’re wondering how to get traffic on a website.
This is because long-form content is information-heavy and is often replete with quotes, statistics and other insights. Since search engine algorithms are designed to identify content that fully satisfies a need, long-form content performs better and results in significant traffic and website hits. It also offers better keyword optimisation, making it to top search results more easily.
Now that you know why it’s important to publish research-driven content, here is a detailed breakdown of the different types of long-form content that you can employ to drive traffic to your website.
An informative white paper
Ranging from 1,500 to 5,000 words, white papers are a purely informative type of long-form content. They are created to address an audience who understands the basics, and is interested in getting specific, more detailed information. The 4 major types of white papers are:
- Factual
- Comparative
- Industry expert accredited
- Solution-centric
White papers are especially useful in generating business-to-business leads as the information is of immense value and can form lasting bonds. Make them a part of your content marketing strategy to build thought leadership content and establish your credibility. Even if a reader absorbs only a portion of your white paper, they’re likely to revisit the resource at a later date to get the information they seek.
An evergreen e-book
E-books are a form of content that packs in lots of information and usually covers a topic in its entirety. They require more time and effort to create, but are relatively easier to distribute. In fact, in most content marketing strategies they serve as list-building catalysts. Offering an e-book in exchange for details such as a name and e-mail ID gives audiences great value without incurring any expense. An e-book is also likely to boost traffic and generate leads through the subtle advertising that it contains.
A well-researched case study
A case study is an in-depth examination of a problem and offers the audience a resolution at the end. The information contained in a case study is driven by facts and figures and incites action. Furthermore, this long-form content format deeply analyses the subject matter and involves expert opinions and advice. Therefore, you can use case studies to cement your position as an expert and create shareable content at the same time.
You can see how these 3 long-form content formats are an invaluable part of your digital content marketing activities. To ensure that the investment you make in white papers, e-books and case studies offers results that are commensurate, rely on the skills of an expert. Grow your brand with Edisol to make the most of these digital marketing formats.
