In the world of content marketing, there is a great debate over whether it is better to have short-form content in your marketing strategy or to stick with long-form content. You have probably heard that having at least 2,000 words worth of content is the optimal way to increase traffic to your site and encourage positive interactions with your target audience. However, does that rule still hold its weight in today’s society? Is shorter content poised to dethrone the rich history of higher word counts?
Currently, the debate is still at its height, and there is no clear winner. Both high and low word counts can both still have their rightful places in a diverse and successful marketing strategy. But the question here is, does short-form content work? Let’s dive in to answer that question.
What is Short-Form Content?
Short-form content consists of 1,200 words or fewer, though some marketing agencies will classify it as having more than 1,000 words. It is a short blurb that readers can quickly and easily understand. Because there is such a small word count in short-form content, it is typically centralized around a singular topic or idea. A few short-term content examples may be:
- A news article
- An email
- A short blog
- A social media post
- A press release
- New product launch
Although shorter content examples have less word count, they can be a very effective way of marketing your brand or organization. Though it typically is not too difficult to consume or create, pint-sized content can be used in very successful ways to reach your audience.
While shorter content is often a term used for other media, it should generally only be used when talking about written content.
Short-Form vs. Long-Form Content
As the reigning champion of content marketing, long-form content also has a dignified place at the table of content creation. In fact, Semrush.com released a study saying that content with over 3,000 words gets 3X times more traffic and 4X more shares than articles that only have 900-1,200 words.
However, long-form content takes longer to create and consume. It contains more information and is more thoroughly exhaustive. This means that more effort and strategy must be employed when creating long-form content. Savvy marketers know that weighing ROI is crucial for maximizing budgets, especially in the “do more with less” era.
Does Your Content Length Matter?
So, does the length of your content matter? Of course. But just because a piece of content is longer does not mean it is necessarily better. Running both shorter and longer content are both viable strategies in a successful marketing campaign. But note that long-form content and shorter-length content are not necessarily intended for the same purpose. While you may require a long-form of content to explore a topic thoroughly, a piece of quick prose might be better suited for a light synopsis of information.
The answer to the original question is yes. Shorter content can be a useful tool for publishing successful content. Will short-form content topple the tower of long-form content? Not anytime soon.
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