How to turn a 500-word blog post into a 1,500-word article (and get better results)
It’s no secret that long, in-depth blog posts get more results in terms of increased readership and sharing. To boost SEO and generate more traffic to your blog from your writing efforts, it’s important to take stock of the quality and quantity of your business’ content output.
So, how many words do you have to write to create a long-form post? Generally, short posts consist of a minimum of 500 words, while longer content can boast up to 10,000 words.
To better understand the effects of longer content, check out this analysis of 100 million Buzzsumo articles on what content gets the most shares, based on word count:
Their analysis shows that 3,000- to 10,000-word blog articles get the most shares. But when you’re just starting or your business consists of just you (wearing all the hats), creating consistent long-form posts of that length can be daunting and unrealistic. Is it possible? Yes. Is it probable? Maybe.
While 1,500 words may seem like a lot, once the words start flowing, you might find that you have much more to say that you initially thought. After all, you are the expert on your topic, so don’t hold back on all that valuable information for your readers!
Lengthy, in-depth writing takes hours (sometimes days) to create. The research alone can take up the brunt of your time, depending on your knowledge of the subject. I’ll admit that I’ve sat on my blog articles for weeks at a time. It’s easy to procrastinate on wrapping up your written content, especially when you have more pressing business matters to attend to.
But posting to your blog, Medium, LinkedIn, and Facebook is free marketing, it positions you as an expert in your field, and it’s a way to give back to your clients (and future customers).
In this article, I’m assuming that you are not currently outsourcing your writing efforts, that you are the salesperson, service provider, marketing department, and bookkeeper for your business (among other things).
These tips will provide you with a starting point towards writing blog articles for your business that are more likely to be shared and found by your preferred audience. Once you’ve mastered creating 1,500-word articles, you can challenge yourself to even more beefy content; it does get easier with time and practice.
Ready to create more long-form blog posts and increase your chances of getting noticed?
It’s much easier than you may think. This list is not exhaustive — I’m sure you’ll come up with more ways that will work with your flow and writing style.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #1: SLAP ‘EM WITH STATISTICS
One could wax on and on with descriptive imagery and similes to create “fluff” but what your readers are craving are the facts. Give them something they can grasp onto, outside of witty prose, like the graphic I posted above. Here are some more interesting stats:
Longer, more thorough blog posts generate 9 times more leads than short, brief articles.
Long-form blog posts that average 1,890 words rank higher in Google.
Long-form articles get twice the engagement of their shorter siblings.
Statistics are hard-hitting if you find the right ones. They easily add to your word count without you having to add anything of your own.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #2: WOO THEM WITH QUOTES
I am a huge fan of Neil Patel’s blog. His articles are easy to read, informative, and they give me tons of insight into what my audience might be craving in terms of content and knowledge.
He consistently writes 2,000-word posts for his two sites. In an analysis of his Quicksprout site, he found this:
1,500+ word posts receive 68% more tweets and 22% more Facebook likes than the blog posts with fewer than 1,500 words.
Using quotes from others in your industry helps boost the credibility of your article. It also shows that you do your research and you know what you’re talking about.
And, it adds to the word count without you having to come up with more of your own content.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #3: “STEAL” FROM THOSE YOU ADMIRE
Ever read “Steal Like an Artist?” In it, author Austin Kleon talks about learning from those who inspire you and transforming their messages and processes by adding your unique spin.
That doesn’t mean taking another writers’ words without giving credit (that’s plagiarism). It’s getting on the pulse of your industry, reading the articles of those you admire, and finding a new angle for the topics they are writing about.
Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination. Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings, photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations, architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds, bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you do this, your work (and theft) will be authentic. Authenticity is invaluable; originality is nonexistent.
Getting ideas from the giants in your industry is a great way to add to your content. Maybe there is a valuable point that you missed or a hole in your article. Find ways to add richness to your writing by filling in those missing ideas.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #4: ADD A PERSONAL STORY
In fact, add a few personal stories. The more authentic and honest your writing is, the more human you look, making your content more relatable to your readers.
We can all write about ourselves, just make sure it’s a story that will help your audience in some way. Perhaps it’s a lesson learned or a big win after making a change in your structure or process.
While I write mostly about business and content writing, my article that has received the most reads is this story about how much happier I became after leaving the teaching profession to make a career change and become a writer. I don’t believe it’s the best writing I have ever done, but it has gotten the most traffic, most likely because it’s personal and relatable.
People love hearing about the human experience. Especially if they can relate to it. So don’t be timid — share yours.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #5: ADD TIPS AND IDEAS
It’s tempting to write for writing’s sake, but what your readers need are actionable steps. What can they do today that will help them achieve their goals?
Even if your article isn’t a designated tutorial, you can always spin it in a way to include a short checklist or to-do list.
For example, one of my clients sells men’s wedding bands online. I wrote an article for their audience explaining the various metals available for wedding rings. It wasn’t a tutorial, it was an informative piece, but I was still able to include tips on how to choose the perfect wedding band metal to suit their lifestyle.
Presenting ideas and tips for your clients and followers is valuable and it adds to your word count in a way that doesn’t make it seem like you’re writing for the sake of writing.
LONG-FORM WRITING TIP #6: REPURPOSE OLD CONTENT
Are all of my blog posts 1500 words? Nope. I am just beginning the overhaul to create more long-form posts on my blog. But I’m not starting from scratch, because work smarter, not harder, right?
Here are the steps I’ll be taking to beef up the content on my blog:
Identify my best evergreen articles that could use some added value.
While reading through the post I’ve chosen I’ll ask myself these questions:
What can I include to add value?
What have I learned since I originally wrote the post?
What has happened since I posted it? Can I add a personal story or two?
What tips are listed? Can I add more?
Did I include statistics? Have any of them changed?
Are there any quotes from well-known experts that I could present?
Add to the articles based on the answers from the above questions.
Find a new picture and do a final edit.
Repost - on my blog (of course), and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Medium.
SO WHAT NOW?
When going through your articles, or starting from scratch, always make sure the content gives the reader something to take with them. Look at yourself as a teacher — what is the best way to engage with your audience in a way that they will learn, understand, and share with others?
Don’t write for the sake of writing. Write to give.
Take the tips above and add content to your articles that have already been published. Find new pictures to go along with them, and re-post them.
One thing to seriously begin considering is outsourcing your writing. It’s not only blog posts that need lengthy (and quality) writing, but your social media content and website copy.
If even starting a 500-word blog post seems daunting, read my article 10 Steps to Writing a Blog Post With Ease. I show you how to easily get words out on your paper when you’re staring at a blank screen and how to organize them into paragraphs and sections.
It’s also so incredibly important to ensure your content is easy to read. This means breaking up topics into smaller sections with bold subheads. It means breaking up long paragraphs into 2–3 sentences, so your readers can scan easily.
In the case of long-form writing, think quality over frequency. You don’t need to post long articles every day — you’ll run the risk of outputting content that is rushed, unorganized, and of little value.
Start with committing to posting one long-form blog article every other week, and then switch to once per week. Before you know it, you’ll be hammering out valuable, research-based content for your business like a pro.