Longform or Shortform?

How to Decide on the Right

Format of Content

BASED ON AN ARTICLE THAT ORIGINALLY APPEARED ON MY WEBSITE

I'm a Content Marketing Consultant and CEO of Honigman Media.

HI!I’m Brian Honigman

MARKETERS

ALL THE TIMEARGUE

!@#$

?or

?or

BUT RECENTLY,ONE DEBATE HAS

INSPIRED STRONG VIEWS ON BOTH SIDES

?LONGFORM

SHORTFORMor

content

LONGFORM

SHORTFORMor

HOWEVER, THIS ARGUMENT

IS ALL WRONG…

BOTHYOU SHOULD BE CREATING

SHORTFORM + LONGFORM CONTENT

WHICH TYPE TO CREATE?GREAT, BUT HOW DO I DECIDE

I’VE CREATED A DECISION-MAKING

FRAMEWORK BASED ON THE

CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY

CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY?

HUH? WHAT EXACTLY IS THE

THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY

is a revised model for understanding how consumers make purchasing choices

FORGET THE FUNNEL!!

THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY IS MUCH MORE RELEVANT

INITIAL CONSIDERATION

SET

TRIGGER

LOYALTY LOOP

ACTIVE EVALUATION

MOMENT OF PURCHASE

POST-PURCHASE EXPERIENCE

Information-gathering, shopping

Ongoing Exposure

Source: McKinsey

CHOOSE CONTENT TYPE BASED ON POSITION WITHIN THIS JOURNEY

INITIAL CONSIDERATION

SET

TRIGGER

LOYALTY LOOP

ACTIVE EVALUATION

MOMENT OF PURCHASE

Information-gathering, shopping

LONGFORM

Ongoing Exposure

SHORTFORM

POST-PURCHASE EXPERIENCE

LONGFORM 40% SHORTFORM 60%

Source: McKinsey

CHOOSE CONTENT TYPE BASED ON POSITION WITHIN THIS JOURNEY

INITIAL CONSIDERATION

SET

TRIGGER

LOYALTY LOOP

ACTIVE EVALUATION

MOMENT OF PURCHASE

Information-gathering shopping

LONGFORM

Ongoing Exposure

SHORTFORM

POST-PURCHASE EXPERIENCE

LONGFORM 40% SHORTFORM 60%

IN ADDITION, CONSIDER THE

PLATFORM YOU ARE PUBLISHING ON

SOCIAL PERMANENCE SPECTRUM

TEMPORARY PERMANENT

choose content form depending on where the platform falls on the permanence spectrum*

*facebook can go either way

BOTHNOW TIME FOR AN EXAMPLE OF USING

SHORTFORM + LONGFORM CONTENT

Shortform Copy + Photo

Shortform Copy + Photo

Shortform Photo

Longform Video + Copy + Photo

BLEND OF SHORT/LONGFORMMen’s Shoe Retail Brand

NOT ONLY DO THEY VARY SHORT/LONGFORM CONTENT,EACH PIECE LINKS LOGICALLY

TO THE NEXT IN THE CHAIN

VARY LONG/SHORTFORM CONTENT TO KEEP CUSTOMERS INTERESTED

DECIDE WHICH PHASE OF THE CONSUMER DECISION JOURNEY YOU ARE TARGETING.

CHOOSE WHAT PLATFORM WOULD BEST FIT THE CONTENT TYPE AND NEED.

LINK THE CONTENT TO THE NEXT PHASE IN THE JOURNEY IN A LOGICAL PROGRESSION.

SHORTFORM OR LONGFORM?A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE

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THANKS FOR READING!KEEP IN TOUCH!