Your Audience Wants More! Why Long-Form Content is on the Rise.
As an online business owner, you may have read that statement and immediately wanted to bury your face underneath a pillow. Deep down you know long-form content is essential to growing your business. But if you’re honest, the mere thought of doing more, right now, feels overwhelming.
Chances are, when January 1st rolled around you were ready to take on the world. In the ever-changing world of digital marketing and content creation, the dawn of a new year sparks enthusiasm and ignites the thrill of a fresh start.
Maybe you wrote ambitious goals like:
Post blogs weekly
Start a podcast
Get more followers on Instagram
But now that we’re closing in on February, are you starting to feel a little weary when it comes to keeping up with creating long-form content?
Amid the ebb and flow, it’s long-form content that’ll keep you marching forward. When used strategically, it becomes your energizer bunny of content creation.
In this new world of AI where content, relevant or not, is being spit out at record numbers, it's more important than ever to create long-form content that catches and keeps the attention of your audience.
You're going to see this trend evolve over the next year as social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube head in this direction.
But take a deep breath. If you’re starting to spiral, wondering how in the world you’re going to keep up with these rising trends, don’t worry. You’re not alone.
I’m Jillian Cadotte, a sales page and email copywriter for female founders. In this blog, I’m unpacking how long-form content is a powerful ally within your content marketing strategy.
Why Long-Form Content Is STILL the Backbone of Your Online Business
Long-form content is content over 1000 words. Things like:
Blogs
Case Studies
Sales Pages
Its meaty content allows your audience to explore a topic more in-depth. AI has shown us that surface-level information tends to be overlooked and forgotten by your readers.
Long-form content is also called legacy content for a reason. This is because it turns your lead generation strategy from client-getting to client-attracting. In other words, it means you work smarter, not harder.
Long-form content is laced with keywords, backlinks, and click-worthy headlines to improve your SEO, to generate new leads, and drive traffic to your website.
Let’s be real though, creating long-form content is not for the faint of heart and will not give you overnight success. It's an investment in your online business and grows your online community over time. It's the part of your content marketing strategy that, once created, will work for you while you sleep.
But you can’t just go to AI and ask it to write a 1000-word blog, copy and paste it onto your website, and call it good. The rising trend of 2024 is creating authentic long-form content. Your audience doesn’t want generic fluffy content. They want the real you!
Your Audience Wants to Connect With YOU Inside Your Content
AI has saturated the online world with content across all platforms. It's like having too many options on Netflix when you don’t know what to watch and you just keep scrolling. And if you and I learned anything from COVID it’s that human beings desire genuine connection
Your audience is craving a more meaningful online experience. They want to go deep, build a relationship, and get to know you. Long-form content is the blank canvas where you can meet your audience where they’re at and develop trust. And don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be all happy little trees (a nod to Bob Ross 🙂).
The power of authenticity comes from sharing real human experiences through your:
Storytelling
Unique voice
Personality
It's about engaging your readers with content that’s relatable, entertaining, and goes beyond selling a product or service.
It doesn’t matter what type of long-form content you're creating. It’s the feeling of authenticity woven into the fabric of your content that’ll set you apart. Let your audience see the real, relatable,and imperfect side of you.
Girl, Show Us The Real You
I really struggle with expressing my true self online.
I’ve spent my whole life trying to blend in and be perceived as normal. I was born with a mild, but significant birth defect I’m able to hide – most of the time. I don’t want to stand out. Or at least I don’t want to stand out for that reason. But it’s what makes me, me. It has caused me to wonder, what do I do? How much do I reveal? I think deep down everyone is asking that question.
I’m here to tell you, girl, don’t overthink it!
You reveal only what you’re comfortable with revealing. It’s not about sharing your deepest darkest secrets. It’s about transforming your long-form content from mundane to memorable. And with attention spans becoming shorter, injecting your personality into your content can make all the difference.
Include a witty phrase you say like, “Put a little lipstick on and you’ll be just fine.” 💄
Share a touch of humor or funny story like the time you set your parent’s kitchen on fire. 😳🔥
Add a dash of creativity that makes you stand out like wearing your signature hat in your Instagram reels. 🤠
Anything that lets your personality twinkle. Always remember its progress over perfection, and often it's the imperfections that help your audience feel seen.
Long-form content allows you the space to inflect your unique personality and create a lasting impression that sets your brand apart from the crowded digital marketing landscape.
But it's not the only thing. “You want to be where everybody knows your name,” (cue the “Cheers” theme song 🎶).
OmniPresent Marketing. A Fancy Word for Being Wide-Spread With Your Content Marketing Strategy
In the saturated field of digital marketing the concept of being everywhere can feel overwhelming. But it doesn’t mean you have to be physically everywhere and on every platform. It means becoming strategic about where you are and being top of mind in those spaces.
Long-form content not only allows your audience to take a deep dive into a specific topic, but it can also be the starting point for your omnipresent marketing strategy.
Let’s say you create a blog and post it to your website. From that blog, you create an email and send it out to your subscribers. From this same blog, you also create several social media posts to stagger in the weeks to come, bringing the blog post back to the attention of your audience. And maybe from this blog post, you also create a YouTube video that’ll live on forever in YouTube land.
Just like that, what started as a blog post turned into content that’ll reach your audience across four different platforms. This is a perfect example of omnipresent marketing and why long-form content is so valuable to you as an online business owner.
Creating a widespread content marketing strategy like this allows you to connect with your audience and build greater trust. And when it comes time for them to purchase the service or product you offer, you'll be the first one they think of. I promise.😉
Navigate the 2024 Digital Marketing Trends with Ease
As a female founder, you most likely view business differently. Your heart is inside every aspect of your business, but as a woman, you know you’re not only running a business, but you’re running a household, too.
So when the predictions for 2024 digital and content marketing strategies are being put out into the universe and can be summarized as needing to do more it can feel heavy. As if you’re not already doing enough with the limited time and budget you have.
I get it. But I’m here to tell you it's not about doing more. It’s about becoming more strategic with the long-form content you’re creating. Content infused with:
Authenticity
Personality
Substance
It’s about creating engaging content and putting it in front of your audience.
If this whole big world of content and digital marketing feels a little scary or overwhelming right now, don’t worry. I’ve been there too, and I’d love to share some tips with you that I’ve learned along the way.
Learn how to improve your long-form content marketing strategy, connect with your audience, and gain trust by subscribing to my email list. Here you’ll get simple marketing strategies, copywriting hacks, and tidbits about entrepreneurship to propel your online business forward.
You’ve got this, girl.
Jillian:)