# Should You Use Social Networks for Long-form Content?

- Link: https://chatterblast.com/blog/should-you-use-social-networks-for-long-form-content/
- Published: 2018-07-25T17:13:41-04:00
- Author: Jackie Kollar

A marketing trend that continues to grow in popularity is the use of social channels
to publish [long-format content](https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2014/05/05/longform-content).(
Translation: Using Facebook or LinkedIn to host your blog articles rather than, 
you know, a blog.)

As with anything new, there are pros and cons to this practice. We’re here to break
down the details on each.

## **Facebook Notes: What are they?**

Notes have been with us since 2006, and they originally served as an online space
for self-deprecating surveys like the classic “_25 random things about me_” note
that no one asked for, but we nonetheless received. _(Editor’s note: Additional 
shoutout to [MySpace bulletins](https://cdn.mamamia.com.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/08185058/quiz.jpg).
pc4pc.)_

Fast-forward a decade later, and the [Notes feature](https://www.facebook.com/facebookmedia/blog/tips-for-using-facebook-notes)
got a full facelift. The tool allows both individual Facebook users and business
pages to create and share long-form content. Options available to the user include
a cover image, format features and the ability to resize photos and embed content
from other sources (Twitter, YouTube, etc.) similar to other content management 
systems.

After publishing the piece, the user can to share their note with anyone based on
the level of privacy selected.

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## **How do you use Notes?**

Here’s how to access this feature from a business page:

 * Select “Settings” on your Facebook page
 * Select “Edit Page” followed by “Add a Tab”
 * Select the “Note” option
 * Go back to your page, and select “Notes” from the left-hand column
 * From there, you have the ability to create Notes using Facebook’s interface

[[

And here’s how to access this feature from a personal account:

 * Select the “More” button on your Facebook page
 * Select “Manage Sections”
 * Select the “Note” option and save
 * Go back to your page and select the “More” button again, and you’ll be able to
   select “Notes”
 * From there, you have the ability to create Notes using Facebook’s interface

## **Okay, but LinkedIn articles. 󠀁[What are _those_](https://media1.tenor.com/images/89ee11ca781408e7736385c27a003fe4/tenor.gif?itemid=11612859)󠁿?**

LinkedIn has played with their long-form content tool called [LinkedIn articles](https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/47538/creating-articles-on-linkedin?lang=en),
and similar to Facebook Notes, the feature has an easy-to-use interface. While both
tools are very similar in format, one key factor to note is that LinkedIn articles
are available exclusively to LinkedIn individual users and are _not_ an option for
LinkedIn business pages.

[[

## **The workaround?**

While there isn’t an easy workaround for businesses, there is an effective long-
term solution. Because long-form content cannot publish directly from the business
page, this information needs to be published by the way of individual LinkedIn accounts.

What better way to engage and leverage your in-house experts than by asking select
individuals to create and produce thought leadership pieces? Once those people publish
their articles, the business page can share the piece to establish company-wide 
expertise, increase exposure and demonstrate the capabilities of employees.

## **How do you create a LinkedIn article?**

LinkedIn makes it super-easy to create an article:

 * Select “Write an article” on your LinkedIn homepage
 * From there, you have the ability to create an article using LinkedIn’s interface

[[

## **Pros and cons**

We’ve reviewed the native long-form publishing tools on Facebook and LinkedIn, but
where’s the catch? Does these features replace our current blog or complement it?

### **Here are the pros: **

 * Using Facebook or LinkedIn for blogging increases your visibility on both channels
   and increases engagement on your content
 * The digital content consumption habits of users have shifted from websites to
   social networks, making blogging platforms like Facebook Notes and LinkedIn articles
   a logical addition to your content marketing
 * LinkedIn’s blogging tool allows for increased exposure and credibility and helps
   establish your brand’s expertise
 * Both Facebook Notes and LinkedIn articles have easy-to-use interfaces that allow
   for linking and embedding content

### **And the cons: **

 * These alternatives are **not **full-fledged blogging platforms, and you therefore
   cannot alter the theme of your page or categorize your posts
 * Using Facebook Notes or LinkedIn articles does not drive traffic directly to 
   your website the same way your business blog does
 * Social media advertising features cannot be applied to Facebook Notes or LinkedIn
   articles
 * You are at the mercy of the platform, meaning that if Facebook or LinkedIn remove
   their publishing features, you are at risk of losing your content

## **Final verdict**

It depends.

If the goal of your content marketing is to drive traffic to your website, then 
this tactic can complement your business blog instead of replacing it.

If your goal is to keep users engaged on your social feed—or if you simply don’t
have a website—then publishing content via Facebook Notes or LinkedIn articles is
wonderful vehicle for your content marketing.