5 excellent examples of longform content

2. The Internal Communications Manual by RELX

RELX wanted to share their collective years of internal communications wisdom while also creating a top-of-funnel resource that would demonstrate their knowledge to prospective clients. The Internal Communications Manual is a beautiful piece of content for internal comms practitioners that also serves to demonstrate their quirky tone of voice.

3 reasons this piece of longform content is so successful

1. Google (sometimes) loves a long list. RELX’s choice to compile a listicle of 50 top tips for internal communicators is strategic. The number feels meaty, but the short, snappy blurbs also make it digestible.
2. Make readers feel at home. This piece of longform content is reminiscent of a microsite. It features a clear navigation across the top of the screen to help users jump to the sections that are important to them. This structure is familiar to readers, and also helps keep them engaged by giving them a sense of control over how they read.
3. Map the reader’s journey. The graphic elements of the piece take readers on a journey. The imagery acts like a map that encourages readers to follow a path through the content, leading them to the next important tip. The writers have cleverly chosen to start their tips from #50, encouraging readers to work their way towards the #1 spot.

3. Meet the family on a mission to restore the desert ecosystem by the University of New South Wales

A research project about restoring the desert ecosystem in the outback of Sturt National Park could be a pretty dry subject. UNSW have humanised the story by focussing on the family behind the study, while integrating imagery and video to help readers understand the scale of the project and the landscape it’s being delivered in.

3 reasons this piece of longform content is so successful

1. Leverage the world’s second largest search engine. Youtube videos embedded within the piece provide more context for the story, but also allow the authors to leverage Youtube as a search engine in its own right. The larger content piece is made up of assets that can be distributed across multiple social channels, increasing the potential distribution and search engine ranking.
2. Keep readers on your site for as long as possible. This piece features multiple links to other research and articles from the UNSW website. This keeps people on the website, encouraging them to read more about the work being done by the organisation.
3. Make images work harder. Captions are used to describe the images, making them more meaningful than a visual element on their own. This approach is important for SEO, as well as making the content more accessible.