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This post has nearly 900 words. No, I’m not naïve enough to think you’ll read all of them.

But by the time you click away from this page, I bet the main message will stick with you: When it comes to driving B2B conversions (i.e., leads and sales), long-form copywriting takes the crown.

First things first — let’s debunk two commonly held myths about lengthier copy.

Myth #1: Nobody has time to read it.

If it’s relevant to the reader, word count won’t matter. I’ve seen four-page direct mail letters outperform their one-page counterparts by a 3:1 response. Countless case studies have also proven that long-format landing pages regularly beat shorter, “cleaner” pages.

How? More on that in a sec.

Myth #2: Long-form copy doesn’t work in B2B.

Whether it’s B2C or B2B, the prospect on the receiving end of your message is a living, breathing human being. And every human, from the CEO to the sales manager, has a real-world challenge your brand’s product or service can solve. These discerning readers need to be convinced, and long-format copy offers the opportunity to make your brand’s strongest case in the most personal way.

So, Why Does Long-Form Copy Convert?

We get it — the idea of stacking paragraphs of copy onto today’s digitally and social media-savvy customer feels too old-school to actually work. While many writers, including yours truly, have occasionally resorted to what some might call gimmicky techniques to get the call or click, it’s not a sustainable way to earn your prospect’s trust.

But when the right message needs to meet the right customer at the right time, trust-building is long-form copy’s superpower.

  • Building trust: Effective long-form copy helps you address commonly held objections about your product or brand. Things like FAQs, debunked myths, or simple transparency about your sales process are just a few ways to earn your reader’s trust.

  • Demonstrating value: Long-form copy is an effective way to demonstrate value, too. It gives you ample real estate to address pain points, prove your expertise, and justify your value. When used effectively, long copy does more than sell — it informs, educates, and even entertains.

  • Reaping SEO benefits: One of the key advantages of long-form content is its superior SEO performance, which significantly boosts the chances of your message being discovered through organic search. By enriching your landing pages or websites with valuable content — such as detailed videos, authentic testimonials, and comprehensive FAQs — you can enhance user engagement and drive higher search engine rankings.

Tips for Writing Effective Long-Form Copy

Let’s start by stating the obvious: Not all long-form copy is effective copy. To truly raise your response rates, your message must be carefully crafted to:

Convey benefits, not features.

If you sell a data-security solution, don’t tout “multi-cloud encryption and tokenization.” Talk about how “multiple layers of protection keep sensitive company information protected, no matter where it’s stored or processed.”

Play to your reader’s emotions.

Like we said earlier, your B2B customer is human. Effective long-form copy can stoke their senses, especially when you use one of the following techniques:

  • Scarcity: This is a limited-time opportunity to protect your data at our best value.

  • Flattery: You can smell a security sales pitch coming a mile away. So we’ll cut the BS ...

  • Exclusivity: Choose the up-and-coming IT solution that’s gaining traction with more Fortune 500 companies.

  • Fear: Data breaches have increased 45% this year. Safeguard your data before the big one strikes your company.

  • Ambition: Imagine walking into the boss’s office armed with a cost-effective IT solution that could save your organization $1 million.

  • Salvation: Reduce your IT help desk traffic by 25% with this self-service solution.

Tell a story.

No matter how technical or niche your market is, there’s a story to be told. One of my most successful campaigns as a young writer was an insurance agent recruitment letter that started with this intriguing opening line:

“One of our most successful agents, who’s been selling with us for almost three years now, loves to tell the story of how one sales call that never materialized changed his life.”

Can a seven-word billboard do that?

Long Copy Doesn’t Have To Feel Like a Novel

Speaking of literature — when crafting long copy, try channeling your inner Hemmingway:

  • Write short sentences.

  • Arrange them in short paragraphs — no more than six sentences each.

  • And keep each paragraph focused on one main message.

  • Use visual aids, such as images, infographics, or videos, to break up text and maintain reader engagement.

Effective long-form copy is really just a series of small parts. By breaking it down into digestible chunks, you’ll bring your reader along for the ride one step at a time. Using formatting like subheads, indents, bullets, and lists can keep the three types of readers engaged:

  1. Skimmers scan various parts of the piece looking to see if anything grabs their attention.

  2. Jumpers skip to one section and read it in its entirety.

  3. Bookworms read every … single … word.

Well, looky here — you’re still reading.

Those readers who stick with you until the end are most likely to turn into customers down the road. Don’t worry — no hard sales pitch here. But we will make one no-pressure offer: Ready to see how long-form copy can transform your B2B marketing? Drop us a line, and let’s start to craft content that converts. And thanks for reading.