avatarBurk

Summary

The author discusses the trend of shortform content outperforming long-form content on their platform over the past two months, questioning the value of continuing to produce long-form articles.

Abstract

The website content reflects on the recent success of shortform stories by the author, which have garnered more views and higher earnings compared to long-form content. Despite the clear performance advantage of shortform, the author still sees merit in writing long-form pieces. This is due to the inadequacy of shortform for certain topics, the long-term increase in views for long-form content, and the potential for curation to boost visibility. The author acknowledges that while shortform content is quicker to produce and more straightforward for readers, there are instances where more comprehensive coverage is necessary, and long-form content continues to have lasting value.

Opinions

  • The author believes that shortform content is more efficient, both in terms of production time and reader engagement.
  • There is a recognition that shortform content may not always provide sufficient depth, leading to longer pieces despite the trend favoring brevity.
  • The author points out that long-form content has the potential for sustained growth in readership over time, unlike shortform content which may see a decline in views.
  • The absence of curation for shortform content is seen as a disadvantage by the author, as curation can contribute to a story's virality and long-term success.

Why Do I Bother With Long Stories?

Shortform has been outperforming long-form for two months straight

Woman photo created by cookie_studio — www.freepik.com

My most-read story with over 30K views? A shortform.

My most viewed stories over the past 2 months? Shortform.

My highest earning stories in the last 2 months? Shortform.

The bottom line: Shortform is now consistently outranking my long-form content on this platform.

The question

Why do I still bother with long-form then?

  1. Shortform takes less time to write. About 1/4 to 1/5 for me.
  2. Shortform is easy on the readers, saving them valuable time.
  3. Shortform gets straight to the point without blabbering.

The answer

Why do I still bother?

  1. Sometimes 150 words are really not enough. I usually end up with 500–1000 words then.
  2. In the long run, my long-form content keeps gaining views, while shortform views usually decline.
  3. No curation for shortform. Curation can help with virality later on.
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