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Stop Writing Long-Form Content! This New Format Is King

Stop Writing Long-Form Content! This New Format Is King

Long-form content is out - short, snackable pieces are taking over. This article explains why you should stop writing lengthy blog posts and switch your focus to brief, scannable formats like tweets, quotes, lists and videos.

Writer Nerd
September 20, 2023

For years, bloggers and content marketers have been pushing long-form content as the holy grail of online publishing. Write detailed 2,000+ word blog posts, they said. Create epic guides and ebooks, they preached. But the tides have turned my friends, and a new format has risen to the top - short, snappy content is now king.

Long-form content had its time in the sun, but attention spans are shorter than ever. People simply don't have the bandwidth to dedicate 20 minutes to reading a single blog post these days. That's why short-form content like social media posts, tweets, quotes and brief listicles are taking over the world.

Average Human Attention Span Statistics

If you're still churning out those doorstopper blog posts and 30+ slide decks, you're missing the message. Your content is not optimised for the hyperfast, mobile world we live in. The sooner you adopt a short-form mindset, the better your results will be.

You might be thinking - but what about all the SEO benefits of long pages full of keywords and content? Well guess what, Google has also come around to preferring more scannable, digestible short-form content these days.

In their recent Core Web Vitals update, pages that are lightweight, easy to read and have above-the-fold content scored better in search rankings. This clearly favors shorter form-factors that don't require extensive scrolling. Face it, even Google realizes people just want information fast!

The benefits of short-form are clear

Higher engagement: Short bites of content are simply more shareable and engaging for readers with short attention spans. People are far more likely to read, interact with and share brief tweets, quotes and snippets than long-winded tomes.
Better scanning: Scannability is king in today's world of hurried screen glances. Short-form allows people to quickly scan and digest key points without extensive effort. They can better determine relevance at a glance.
Higher frequency: When content is Brief, you can produce and publish it much more frequently without burning out. Frequent, regular posts signals to search engines and readers that you're an active, relevant source of information.
Mobile friendliness: Short content loads faster on phones and is easier to consume on the go. People want to be able to digest your content anywhere, anytime - brief and scannable fits that on-the-go mindset.
More sharing: The shareability of short quotes, lists and statuses far surpasses longer form content. Use this to your advantage by creating highly shareable short content that spreads your reach far and wide.
Adaptable formats: Short content is flexible and can take many forms from tweets to images to brief videos. This allows you to experiment more and find formats that stick.

Now I know what you may be thinking - but people will still need long-form occasionally, right? Well yes, there is still a place for occasional long-form blogs and in-depth guides...IF they truly provide exceptional value.

The key is to start thinking of your long-form efforts as a new category of premium content - a reward for super engaged readers rather than your default format. Gate that premium long-form behind email opt-ins, loyalty perks or paywalls to justify the commitment.

For most general content purposes though, sticking to brief, scannable formats is the far safer bet. Churn out multiple shorter posts per week instead of a single long one. Sprinkle in visuals, quotes and lists for easy absorption.

Remember, you're competing for shrinking attention spans in a hyper fast world. The goal is to deliver maximum value in minimum time. Short-form allows you to achieve that in a more engaging, compelling way.

Here are some short-form formats to experiment with

Lists:

5 Things To Know - A quick list of 5 essential tips, facts or takeaways. Keep each point concise at 1-2 sentences.
7 Key Steps - Outline a process or guide concisely with 7 steps.
12 Best Practices - Share expert recommendations or advice in an easy-to-scan list.

Quotes & One-Liners:

Thought-provoking or inspiring quote from an expert or famous figure.
Short 1-sentence tip or fact that packs a punch.

Brief Case Studies & Examples:

- A 1 paragraph story showing how someone solved a problem.
- 3 sentence highlight of an interesting success story.

Image Quotes & Memes:

- Quote graphic with minimal text over an engaging image.
- Funny or eye-catching meme applying your topic in an shareable way.

Question & Answer:

- Pose a question readers would ask and directly answer it concisely.
- Quick Q&A format exploring different angles of a topic.

Top 10 Roundups:

Rank and describe the top 10 most important/influential things in your niche.
Countdown style reveal of the top trends to watch.

Tips & Shortcuts:

2 sentence productivity hack or shortcut.
One paragraph detailing a simple time-saving tip.

Bulleted Key Points:

Scannable skim of the essence with 3-5 dot points per slide/card.

Brief Video Clips:

Under 2 minute walkthrough of a process/technique.
30 second explainer of a core concept.

Concise Statistics:

Interesting fact or figure with context in 1 sentence.
Table or infographic presenting 3 relevant stats.

Profiles & Interviews:

250 word profile of an inspiring person in your industry.
5 question lightning-round interview format.

Staying brief but still delivering true value is the name of the short-form game. For example, instead of a 2000 word blog post, try breaking it into:

A 500 word overview
5 relevant quotes
A top 10 list
3 brief case studies
An infographic summarizing key points

By delivering the same key points across multiple brief, engaging formats - you'll reach more people, hold their attention better and spread your message much further.