Short-Form Content: Sometimes Less is More 

Marketing professionals have no shortage of options for getting their message to the desired audience, and it can feel overwhelming when determining which one is the best fit. And while any strong content marketing strategy should involve different content elements, short-form content is a great place to start. 

At Endeavor Business Media, we define short-form content as assets under 1,000 words, or roughly two to three pages in PDF layout. Short-form content typically requires less effort from your product or marketing team but still results in high-quality content that grabs your audience’s attention. Publishing short-form content on the associated EBM brand’s website — and pairing it with a lead generation campaign — packs an extra promotional punch. 

If you’re interested in learning more, here are five reasons why short-form content is an effective way to amplify your message. 

Short-form content can accomplish multiple goals. 

If you’re looking to build trust with your audience and position your company as a thought leader and industry expert, you want to get your point across quickly and concisely. Short-form content is the ideal way to convey this message efficiently before the reader turns their attention to something else. 

Or, maybe you’re hoping to inform the audience about your company, product, or service and explain your approach to solving customer pain points or larger industry problems. Using a shorter educational asset allows you to highlight the key takeaways, and you can always provide a call to action, encouraging decision-makers and prospects to contact you or visit a specific page on your website) at the end of the asset for those who want to learn more. 

Short-form content is a powerful way to grab the audience’s attention. 

At just 800-900 words — or two to three pages — a short-form asset is a minimal time investment for the audience. At EBM, we’ll connect you with a subject matter expert who understands your industry and your target audience, ensuring that we effectively highlight the key takeaways for the reader. Our expert in-house design team creates a striking, attention-grabbing PDF that can integrate your branding and imagery and, if desired, the associated EBM publication’s branding. 

Short-form content requires minimal customer involvement but offers maximum impact. 

Efficiency is a key benefit of short-form content, which can be created with less input from your marketing or product teams, yet still make a significant impact. Short-form content typically boasts a faster turnaround time — typically four to six weeks — than its long-form counterparts and comes in at a lower price point. 

If you’re looking to leverage an internal expert to build credibility or elevate their presence in the industry, a short-form asset is a great way to position that expert. Depending on the type of short-form asset you choose (more on that in a minute), your expert can answer questions or explain the benefits of your company’s product or service and how it addresses the audience’s pain points. 

Short-form content plays nicely with other content types as part of your overall content marketing strategy. 

When you’re looking at the different elements of your content marketing strategy, consider how a short-form asset can extend the life of other content assets. For example, if you have market research you’ve conducted, a shorter asset can highlight the key takeaways for your audience (and encourage them to take a deeper dive into the research report). A short-form asset also pairs well with a video or podcast series and can serve as a mechanism to push your audience to consume content. 

Short-form content can play a significant role at every stage of the buyer’s journey, from raising awareness about your brand, product or service to guiding the reader toward a purchase decision through a concise explanation of the benefits of your product or service. Short-form content is also an ideal asset type for lead generation and helps generate demand, motivating prospects to contact you to learn more.  

Endeavor Business Media offers multiple options of short-form content to meet the customer’s needs. 

We offer three short-form asset types that promise an optimal experience for the reader. Each of these options offers the opportunity to simplify a complex idea or, if paired with another asset type, identify key takeaways from a longer research report, case study, or white paper. 

• FAQ: This is a Q&A format that addresses questions about a particular topic, issue or trend to convey industry knowledge. Educational in nature, an FAQ highlights the customer’s ability to address the audience’s pain points or solve an industry problem. 
• Ask the Expert: This is also a Q&A format and is built off an interview with your expert, whether that’s a member of your executive team or a product expert. This option showcases your in-house expertise while offering readers valuable perspectives and insights. 
• Top Tips: Five to 10 brief tips or steps that help the audience better understand a topic or solve a problem. Images or graphics can support these steps to illustrate the point or showcase your solution. 

You may have noticed that this article is written in the style of “Top Tips.” Using a simple, easy-to-read concept and familiar form factor is a great way to communicate with your audience, and we’ve found that it’s quite popular with our customers! In our 2023 Marketing Benchmark Survey, 55% of respondents said they use lead generation/short-form content for marketing purposes. Now is the perfect time to consider how short-form content can enhance your content marketing strategy.