Blogging, social media platforms and sending out the occasional informative emails are fundamental to your inbound marketing strategy. But have you ever considered adding long-form content to the mix?

Any type of content is great for SEO but long form posts can get you more than the occasional visitor; they can attract repeat visitors that are easier to convert into customers. Plus, with long form content you’re able to really explore your subject matter and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

Long form content can take longer to put together than a quick blog post, but it shouldn’t be a deterrent. In fact, you can repurpose your short form content into long form content. Here are some common examples of long form content that can boost your inbound marketing strategy.

eBooks

Nothing says ‘industry expert’ like writing your own ebook on a hot topic that your potential customers are interested in learning more about.  To find a topic you know your audience is interested in have a look at which blog topics receive the most views and/or engagement. If you don’t have enough data or blog articles have a look at what your audience is talking about in online – LinkedIn Groups are a great place to start. Once you know your topic, expand upon each section you covered in the blog article(s) and add in an infographic or other visuals to communicate your message.

White Papers

White papers are another great way to show you are an innovative company. Think about a problem in your industry that your amazing staff solved by thinking outside the box and then start writing about it. Beware, though: a white paper is not a product pitch; its purpose is to inform your audience and make a valuable contribution to your industry.

However, white papers are a great way to get new leads: offer them for free, but ask people who want to download them to fill in their e-mail address in exchange for receiving the white paper. It’s an effective way to build a database of qualified leads.

Case Studies

Did you do an outstanding job for one of your clients? Why not let your prospects know about it? Put a case study together: explain the context, the state of your client’s need before you took over and explain how you helped in great detail. Don’t forget to send out an e-mail blast to all your clients who may have similar needs afterwards – it will definitely help them!

Pro tip: it is ideal to collaborate on a case study with your client or at least have their approval before publishing anything.

How-To Guides

Let’s say you run a contractor business and you regularly blog about the improvements people could do to their kitchen/bathroom/bedrooms on a limited budget. Why not put together a comprehensive guide where all this information is in a single place? It would be a go-to document for people who want to gradually improve their home because they don’t have the money upfront.