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 TIME ARGUE
!@#$

?or

?or

BUT RECENTLY, ONE DEBATE HAS
INSPIRED STRONG VIEWS ON BOTH SIDES

?LONGFORM
SHORTFORM
or
content

LONGFORM SHORTFORM or HOWEVER, THIS
ARGUMENT IS ALL WRONG…

BOTH YOU 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

BOTH NOW TIME FOR AN
EXAMPLE OF USING SHORTFORM + LONGFORM CONTENT

Shortform Copy + Photo Shortform
Copy + Photo Shortform Photo Longform Video + Copy + Photo BLEND OF SHORT/LONGFORM Men’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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READING! KEEP IN TOUCH!