Digital Marketing Trends 2024: The Return of Long-Form YouTube Videos and Blogs

For the past 5 years, short-form content has dominated the digital marketing landscape.

We’ve all witnessed the explosion of reels, TikToks, and YouTube shorts, all crafted to capture attention instantly and hold it for mere seconds. 

The prevailing message has been clear: keep it brief, don’t take up too much space, let the people scroll (!)

But as is the way with trends, they tend to flow in cycles, and lots of folks are growing weary of the relentless pace and intensity of short-form content (🙋‍♀️)

Even Millennials are starting to realise that slowing down and engaging with more substantial content can be more satisfying and stimulating in a good way. 

More people are turning back to long-form YouTube videos and blogs, reflecting a desire for deeper, more meaningful engagement​ (Social Media Trends).

Why the Shift?

1. Consumer Fatigue: There’s a growing fatigue with the overwhelming noise of short-form content. People are craving a more leisurely approach to content consumption, think sipping a cup of tea while reading a juicy blog​, maybe even with a notepad at your side!
2. Educational Value: Long-form content provides the opportunity to delve deeper into topics, offering high-value information and insights that short-form content simply can’t match​ (Long Form Trending!)​.
3. SEO Benefits: From an SEO perspective, long-form content is highly effective. It tends to rank better in search engines, keeps readers on your site longer, and is more likely to generate backlinks​.

My Admission

For me, creating short-form content feels like a race, sometimes even a popularity contest!

It triggers a sense of urgency to do more-more-more (which for an over-achieving, people-pleasing creative is Not Good!).

Even during a ‘fun tik tok scroll session’, I find myself gripping my phone, heart beating faster as I quick-scroll, my brain working over-time to consume huge volumes of information in a matter of minutes (sorry to my already over-loaded brains!! 🧠)

While these quick bursts of content can be entertaining and clever, they often leave me feeling drained and distracted.

And it’s time to admit that Instagram triggers me for the same reason. 

I love creating and watching reels, but often they’re actually quite value-less, hugely distracting, and when I create them I fall into regular-stats-check that eats time away from things that really matter.

Strategic Shift

So it’s time for me to make a conscious and strategic shift back toward my beloved YouTube Channel.

I started my channel back in 2015 just after my mum died. It was the creative outlet I needed at the time and I quickly fell head-over-heels in love with creating videos.

And I still get my monthly pay-cheque from Google for videos I created right at the start! This longevity is something short-form content simply can’t offer (we’re talking content that gets seen for YEARS, not seconds or minutes!).

Join Me

So, are you a Short-Form Fan or a Long-Form Lover?

Will you be making any changes to your Main Traffic Source? Perhaps incorporating Podcasting, YouTubing or Blogging???

I for one am A Million Percent Ready to get out of the short-form-content rat race and embrace a slower pace of life, attracting the kind of women who value sitting down with a cuppa and a notepad!

Either way, I’d love to hear your thoughts and see if you’ll join me on my YouTube journey as I return to creating in-depth, valuable content designed to connect, inspire and inform.

I’m gonna be sharing my thoughts on business, mindset, life (and our imminent move to Spain!!) and I’d love to welcome you to my channel!

The trend towards long-form content is not just a passing fad – it’s a return to quality and depth that so many of us have been yearning for!

Are you ready for it??? (hint hint…long-form content should most definitely feature in your traffic system going forward!!)

Lotsa Luv,

Sally (Slowing Shiz Down) Oddy xx

P.S. Stay tuned for more updates and don’t forget to check out my YouTube Channel as my first batch of videos will dive into ‘The Meaning in My Miscarriage’ ‘My Journey Through Grief’ and ‘My Business Journey To Spain’! Let’s embrace this shift together and create a space where we can all learn and grow at a more thoughtful, deliberate pace. Are you with me?