![\"fry-disco\"](\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/fry-disco.gif?resize=356%2C275\")
<\/h3>\nTo GIF or not to GIF, that is the question.<\/p>\n
In our discussions with marketers, one of the topics that comes up with increasing frequency is the role of long-form versus short-form content. What sort of mix should a marketer seek between creating long-form content (lengthy blog posts, essays and whitepapers) and short-form content (social media posts, images, charts, GIFs and quick FYIs)? What works best for the audience? And what works best for the marketer?<\/p>\n
While there should be some room in your marketing strategy for content of all sizes (I mean, we did write this all up in a blogpost, for example), we\u2019re firm believers that you should optimize your attention and spending for snackable short-form content.<\/p>\n
Here are five reasons why:<\/p>\n
Both in presentation and in consumer behavior, folks are migrating to consuming and communicating in images: on Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat and whatever else the kids are doing by the time you read this. Why use words to communicate when you can use Emoji? We\u2019ll stop somewhere short of categorically declaring that \u201cPeople hate reading,\u201d but we will also note that image posts almost always do best on Twitter and Facebook. You can fight it or you can embrace it. We recommend embracing.<\/p>\n
<\/h3>\nIf you\u2019re consuming content on your phone (and with each passing month, more and more of your audience is), then you want short, snackable content. Sure, a lot of us will read in-depth articles, even books, on our phones, but more of us are reading Twitter, BuzzFeed, ESPN sports tickers or Snapchat messages. If it\u2019s on your phone, you don\u2019t have time for loading and scrolling. And mobile isn\u2019t getting any smaller any time soon. Plan accordingly.<\/p>\n
![\"EkvDRTI\"](\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/EkvDRTI.gif?resize=500%2C219\")
<\/p>\n
Even when we\u2019re not on our phones, we see too much media in too little time. Truthfully, a lot of us are media-obsessed, leaving Twitter, Facebook and email tabs open at all times. When do any of us have the time or will power to press pause read and dig in on longer content? Not as often as we\u2019d like. (Maybe we\u2019ll save the psychology behind this for another blog post; oh, and please don\u2019t abandon this post! Not yet at least! We swear, not much more!) We could chalk it up to severe ADD, or just acknowledge it’s a natural outcome of our information-dense lives.<\/p>\n
![\"typing.gif.pagespeed.ce.I6k_gZJ0KR\"](\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/typing.gif.pagespeed.ce_.I6k_gZJ0KR.gif?resize=350%2C210\")
<\/p>\n
While smart folks at The Atlantic, Slate and Salon make efforts to churn out responses to timely issues and events with long-form content on the fly, it\u2019s not easy; the longer reactionary pieces that typically stand the test of fact-checking and additional thought are the ones that appear a day or week later. On the other hand, you can fire up a bare-bones and to-the-point tweet, image, meme or brief blog comment in minutes \u2014 and connect to what\u2019s important to your audience right now.<\/p>\n
![\"ydnZ5t7\"](\"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2019\/06\/ydnZ5t7.gif?resize=400%2C216\")
<\/p>\n
Sometimes it just comes down to simple logistics. Even if you wanted to ignore all the compelling reasons that your audience prefers short-form content, the reality is that long-form content is more expensive to produce, and extremely difficult to scale. You can shake your fist at these young kids and their short-form tweets and memes all day long, but these methods are simply easier and cheaper \u2013 and can be just as effective.<\/p>\n
(That answer: To GIF!)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To GIF or not to GIF, that is the question. In our discussions with marketers, one of the topics that comes up with increasing frequency is the role of long-form versus short-form content. What sort of mix should a marketer seek between creating long-form content (lengthy blog posts, essays and whitepapers) and short-form content (social […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1021,"featured_media":34097,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n