Create long-form content

Long-form content is where you build depth, trust and search visibility. It lets you guide a reader through a full transformation—whether that's changing a mindset, teaching a skill or offering a repeatable method. Done right, it positions you as the go-to person in your niche.

But most long-form content gets abandoned halfway. Why? Because the writer didn’t know where it was going. Or the structure fell apart midway. Or it was written for SEO, not for actual people. This chapter is my working system for long-form content that holds attention and delivers value.

I use it for guides, email series, internal documentation and even video outlines. It all starts with knowing what change you want the reader to experience.

Map out the full transformation you want the reader to experience

Before outlining anything, ask: what should the reader be able to do, think or feel differently after reading this? That’s the transformation.

This gives your article a clear purpose. Whether you're teaching them how to build a dashboard, shift their pricing model, or rethink their hiring strategy, you need a destination. Frame it in plain terms:

• Before: confused about content planning
• After: confident running a weekly calendar that compounds results

Clarity here is everything. If you don’t know the outcome, the reader won’t either.

Break the transformation into sub-steps

Next, break that transformation into a sequence of 3 to 7 sub-steps. These are the core sections of your article, or the chapters of a guide.

Think of them as checkpoints. What has to happen first? What assumptions need clearing? Where does the reader typically get stuck?

These sub-steps also make great standalone content. If you're writing a multi-part guide or building a pillar page, each one can live on its own URL or as a chapter that ranks separately.

Example: playbook 'master your work week'

Let's take the playbook Master your work week to give you an example.

The transformation is simple: move from chaotic, reactive days to a calm Friday where the laptop closes and nothing nags at the back of your mind. The “before” is constant firefighting, forgotten tasks and creeping anxiety. The “after” is an organised calendar, focused work blocks and genuine relaxation at week’s end. Readers want that feeling of control more than they want abstract advice on time-management.

Map the transformation journey

To deliver that change you must list every step the reader needs to take and tackle them in order. For Master your work week the journey becomes five chapters that solve the problem from first principles:

1. Plan your week: This is the beginning of the transformation. Start at the beginning of solving the problem: when the week starts.
2. Prioritise tasks: the main part of the problem is not planning all tasks and/or a wrong assumption of how long thing take. Another problem is not to schedule time for mistakes or unforeseen elements. Adding that, solves the problem they might have before it occurs. Anticipating steps of the transformation is a major part of long-form content.
3. Not get distracted: the week can also be derailed by distraction from other things. The complete transformation is to have control over your weeks, this is a step in the transformation too.
4. Close the week: Finally, we get to the promise of the solution. Closing off the week and shutting that laptop with a sense of satisfaction.

Together these steps guide readers from disorder to control. Leaving out “manage focus” would break the chain: distraction is a major cause of failed plans.

Start with a skeletal heading structure

Once your sub-steps are clear, write the full outline using headings. Start with H2s for your core sections, then drop in H3s and H4s where helpful.

This structure should mirror how your reader would search for answers. If they Googled the problem, would your headings make sense? Can they skim your page and get the gist?

A solid outline lets you write faster. You’re no longer figuring out what to say—you’re filling in blanks.

Pressure test the outline before writing

Before you draft, review your outline:

• Are any steps missing?
• Does one section try to do too much?
• Are the transitions clear?

It often helps to show your outline to someone else. If they get it without extra explanation, you’re ready to write.

Meet readers where they are in the journey

Long-form content must feel like it was written for them. Use their language. Speak to their level of awareness. Reference their real-world constraints.

If your audience is early in their journey, don’t jump straight into frameworks. Start with symptoms they’re likely to feel. If they’re more advanced, skip the basics and go straight to nuance.

Clarity beats cleverness. Precision beats polish.

Anticipate objections, questions and gaps

As you write, pause at each section and ask: what would the sceptical reader push back on? What examples do they need to believe this? What tools or templates help them apply it?

You can weave these answers into the main flow or drop them into pull-quotes, notes or inline FAQs. The more friction you remove, the more trust you build.

Format for clarity, SEO and scan-ability

Structure is your friend. Even brilliant ideas get skipped if they look dense on the page.

Use:

• Short paragraphs (2–3 lines max)
• Clear subheadings every few scrolls
• Bolding for key points (used sparingly)
• Lists for steps, tools, frameworks
• Internal links to related content

Optimise for humans first, Google second. But when you get the hierarchy right (H2 > H3 > H4), you serve both.

Turn each sub-section into standalone content

Every H2 in your long-form content can become a LinkedIn post. Every H3 can be the basis of an email. Every well-written list can be a carousel or short video.

Once your article is live, build a repurposing loop:

• LinkedIn post per insight
• Weekly email that reuses one point, expands on it or adds commentary
• Slide for a webinar or internal training

One good article can fuel your content machine for a month.

Use pull-quotes, summaries and diagrams

Scan your content for standout lines, data points or mini frameworks. These make excellent shareable snippets.

If a paragraph packs a punch, pull it out and repost it as a graphic. If a step-by-step section works well, turn it into a checklist or visual template.

Think like a media team: how many formats can this one idea live in?

Build a repurposing workflow

To make this sustainable, you need a system. I tag all long-form content in Notion by topic, format and performance.

This lets me:

• Search old articles for content angles I can reuse
• Build swipe files of frameworks, visuals and quotes
• Track what’s been reused, where and when

Over time, you create a self-reinforcing loop: one article becomes ten assets. Those assets bring traffic back to the original. You compound the value with every reuse.

Writing long-form content isn’t about filling space. It’s about delivering a transformation the reader actually wants.

Start by defining that transformation clearly. Break it into logical steps. Outline it fully before drafting. Then write with clarity, answer real objections, and design for readability.

Once it’s live, don’t let it sit there. Repurpose it into formats your audience already consumes. The goal is not just to inform, but to multiply impact.

One strong article, written well and reused smartly, beats ten forgettable ones. Every time.