Somewhere in the year 2015, an alarming statistic caught fire online...

The average human attention span is only 8.25 seconds! Less than a goldfish!

To this day, a quick Google query about average attention span will show this figure at the top of your rankings. This makes sense, as the metric was proliferated by vessels like New York Times think pieces.

The problem? The original publisher of this “fact” was a website chiefly built for SEO optimization, and the “research” the site purported to derive this number from was nowhere to be found.

Still, it makes sense why 8.25 seconds was so widely accepted as the new benchmark of focus. Look no further than social media platforms like TikTok to see that high-performing content often power-packs entertainment or knowledge in the most bite-sized pieces.

Additionally, we are so inundated by information overload that we are Pavlovian doglike, immediately shifting and salivating when our smartphone overlords bing and ping to call our attention.

With “short and snappy” being the order of the day with our decreasing focus, it leaves many professionals wondering…

Is there any place left for long-form content if I hope to build my personal brand?”

In short, absolutely. There are a variety of reasons why — from discoverability to authority building to product ideation — you should still prioritize a regular cadence of some long-form content.

Why long-form still matters in terms of discoverability 

Search engines, such as Google, often favor comprehensive content that provides thorough answers to user queries. Long-form content can cover a wide range of related keywords and topics within a single piece, improving your chances of ranking higher in search results. This visibility is essential for attracting organic traffic to your website or blog.

This is also the case with videos. Since Google owns YouTube, videos hosted on the platform are given considerable weight in search engine results. Long-form videos, in particular, tend to engage viewers for extended periods, signaling to Google that the content is valuable and worth ranking highly. Additionally, long-form videos provide more opportunities to include relevant keywords in the title, description, and tags, improving SEO performance. Furthermore, these videos often encourage more in-depth discussion in the comments section, which can boost user interaction signals.

Long-form will help with audience nurturing

Simply stated, an audience member who spends more time with your content is an audience member more likely to purchase. This is why your email subscribers will always be some of your personal brand’s most valuable assets. Not only did these folks actively subscribe, but they are typically reading lengthier email newsletters and articles published by you. Their willingness to spend time absorbing this content signals that they are invested in solving their problem.

As a result, longer-form videos and articles can help “speed up” the sales process and nurture these individuals. You no longer need to spend an hour or two on Zoom with them (unless you’re selling a super high-ticket item), when they’ve already spent multiple hours with you via your longer-form content.

Long-form boosts authority

Lifestyle influencers may not need to focus on long-form content. Their role is typically to sell tangible products (makeup, power tools, cookware, etc.). These types of products don’t need long-form content to sell them. You don’t need 1,000 words to buy a non-stick pot; what you need is to see a thousand five-star reviews and awards to provide assurance that this is a category leader and credible product.

However, if you’re aiming to be an industry thought leader, you need to have some type of long-form content (i.e., articles, podcasts, YouTube videos). This is because YOU are the product at the end of the day, and long-form content allows you to dive deep into subjects, showcasing your knowledge and expertise. This depth is crucial for establishing yourself or your brand as an authority in your field.

Sure, Adam Grant can write pithy statuses across social media, but his books and insightful, lengthier lectures underpin his credibility.

Long-form even serves as great product ideation and audience validation

Atomic Habits is an NYT bestselling chart-topper that started as a blog. Julie and Julia is a bestselling memoir-turned-movie that started as a blog. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a bestselling "anti-self-help" book penned by a blogger. 

Why do I say this? Because long-form content is often the best place to validate “thesis” ideas and term them into products. How do I know this? Because I've had a newsletter and long-form blog for 5 + years, and I've been asked over 10 times by lit agents, publishers, etc., to write a book. (At this season of my life, I choose not to.)

But you better believe that when I am ready to do the TED talk or publish the book, I already know what the compelling idea will be because of the interest I’ve received on the topic via my newsletter. I’ll also have publishers and partners at the ready who have been following my work for a while.

Long-form serves as the backbone for a consistent content strategy

Whether you’re a disciple of Gary Vee’s “Content Pyramid Model” or Justin Welsh’s “Hub and Spoke” the largest personal brands in the world can publish content so consistently because they have a rich trove of long-form content to pull from.

Indeed, this article you’re reading now will be split into at least 5-6 posts I can repurpose to build my brand. In that way, long-form allows you to work smarter, not harder and keeps your brand consistent and valuable.

The Recap

In today’s world of 30-second clips, it's easy to think that there’s no place for long-form content in your personal brand strategy. Conversely, long-form content can be the pillar to build your credibility and consistency as a thought leader, which is why I’ll always prioritize it for my brand.