Brands large and small have at least one thing in common: they must reach, persuade, entertain and otherwise satisfy their target audiences. There are many ways in which to do this, but ultimately, brands must be visible to their audiences if they want the content to generate any value. Debate over which broader methods should be pursued to achieve this still rage on to this day.

In terms of content depth and frequency, there are two main schools of thought. The first revolves around “going deep” (publishing detailed, long-form content on a less frequent basis) and the second revolves around “going wide” (publishing shorter-form content more frequently).

Which strategy is right for you? Let’s take a look at the two strategies and answer that question for your brand specifically.

Benefits of Long-Form Content (Going Deep)

Increasingly, long-form content has become more popular for a variety of reasons. First and perhaps most notable is the fact that there is a correlation between word count and rankings in search engine results pages. People who are pinging URLs with the intent of ranking high in SERPs understand that longer generally means better – but it is by no means a guarantee. Content quality still matters even when dealing with long-form content, so be sure to focus on that even if you’re doubling the size of your content.

Another benefit of long-form content is the fact that producing more detailed and in-depth pieces can reduce the overall number of topics, posts and content creations you have to supply your audience. By covering more ground in each post, you’re more adequately supplying information relevant to your audience in each piece created. This can help reduce the feeling of being in a content rat-race with your competitors.

Ultimately, long-form content is often a great choice for well-established brands with loyal followings that don’t have to worry as much about attracting first-time visitors with each effort.

Benefits of Shorter-form Content (Going Wide)

Bringing to the table the idea of short-form content is common, as it is used in many forms of content marketing by default. From social media posts to various landing pages, shorter-form content definitely serves a purpose. However, when adopting a strategy for a broader approach that involves web pages and blog posts, it’s important to understand the benefits in these parameters specifically.

First of all, short-form content is easier to create. If something takes half as long to write, then you can finish it in half the time (or use that time savings to double your output). Short-form content is also useful for brands that are heavily reliant upon social media; when you need to make multiple posts on social media pages every day, short-form content can be perfect at filling in the gaps and ensuring a steady flow of content.

Brands that are just getting started may benefit from a short-form content strategy, as will those that use social media heavily.

Regardless of where you’re pinging URLs or who you’re targeting, there is room for both shorter and longer forms of content. Ultimately, most brands find embracing one broader strategy or the other to be to their benefit. With this information in mind and benefits outlined, you’ll hopefully be better prepared to decide which strategy works best for your brand.