5 excellent examples of longform content

Looking for more great feature story examples? Check out our article, 7 examples of engaging feature stories.

4. The Cafe Racer Revolution by Honda

Honda have recognised the opportunity for longform content creation to work as a promotional piece that feels like a magazine excerpt.

3 reasons this piece of longform content is so successful

1. Combine commerce and content. This longform content piece recognises the audience: Honda superfans and influencers who are likely to go deep on the history of the motorbike. This piece allows them to tell a story about the product, integrating customer experience, imagery, history, and more. The display ads that feature throughout the page feel like a part of the editorial without being jarring.
2. Showcase subject matter experts. More than just a typical product page, this piece highlights the author as a subject matter expert by demonstrating his experience and expertise. Readers feel connected to him and trust his recommendations, sharing in his excitement about Honda and the bikes they create.
3. Encourage readers to get their hands dirty. The page features fun, interactive content elements to keep the user engaged. Bikes that rotate, allowing readers to inspect them from all angles, are a great way to encourage users to move from passive consumption to active engagement of this longer content.

5. Enduring: Restoring the heart of Te Urewera by Stuff

Stuff NZ’s feature editorial on the people of Te Urewera in New Zealand couldn’t have been told with just words on a page. Imagery, video, sound, and interactive elements make this story immersive and are critical to evoking an emotional connection with the reader.

3 reasons this piece of longform content is so successful

1. Leverage social proof. The authors have added the Shorthand ‘Finalist – Best Editorial Story’ badge to the story, using social proof to demonstrate the quality of the piece.
2. Consumer’s choice: listen, read or watch. Adding the option for users to listen to the story as a podcast lets readers consume the content in a way that suits them.
3. Educate, but do it subtly. Interactive elements are used throughout the piece to keep readers engaged while maintaining the integrity of the story in the way it was told to the authors. This piece features in-article translations, allowing the authors to educate readers in a way that maintains the flow of the reading experience.