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Meta Desc
Long-form posts are trending on X. Here’s how to write a good one.
Meta Title
How To Write A Long Form Post On X
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After the recent algorithm update, it has been made clear that long-form posts are a format to take into account for every creator who wants to make it on X.
The problem is that most Twitter/X creators are not so used to these types of posts. We are used to posting tweets and threads but not so much to a longer, more cohesive type of writing.
To solve that, we dug deep and did some research on some creators who are currently thriving with long-form posts. We’ve extracted a few keys of what makes a good long-form post from them. Here’s what they are:
What makes a good X long-form post
X users are starting to be tired of templated and canned content. Long-form posts, on the other side, are more geared to show authenticity.
You can give more context than on a single tweet and make your writing flow better than if it was a thread. Besides that, they have a structure that encourages reading. These posts are usually structured like this:
- A hook to lure readers in
- The main body
- A call to action
This is a basic but super effective structure. Let’s see it now with more specifics and examples below.
#1 - The hook & teaser
To understand why the hook matters, we must first understand how long-form posts look on the feed: Only the first 280 characters will appear.
To keep reading, people must click the “Show more” button 👇
This is key because it means that you need to treat the first 280 characters of your post (aka the first tweet) differently.
The goal is to tease the content inside and prompt people to keep reading just like you would do for a thread.
That doesn’t mean all your long-form post intro needs to be like a thread hook and be “clickbaity,” but it needs to cut at the right time to push people to keep reading.
#2 - The body
The body is where you deliver on the promise you’ve made on your hook/teaser.
There are a few things to consider to ensure that you don’t lose people after they get past your hook and when writing your long-form posts. Here’s what they are:
→ Length
I personally like to think of these long-form posts as shorter blog posts.
Some people have seen results with posts under 100 words. Others stretch it more (the limit is 25,000 characters).
The truth is that it doesn’t matter that much as long as the content is interesting for your audience.
→ Readability
The content needs to be legible. Most readers skim first and read later.
Use blank space and the different formatting options that X now allows, like bold text 👇
This will help increase your reading time and your post’s engagement.
It also helps if your writing is more sectioned, like with bullet points, but it’s not a must. Some creators have since had success with longer paragraphs.
→ Tone
Take into account that these are not your regular shorter posts. There’s no need to be succinct anymore.
That also means you have more room to play with your tone. Try to write like you talk, with a more conversational approach. Don’t be afraid to show a bit more personality!
→ Use media
One of the coolest additions to these long-form posts is that you can now add media to them 👇
These can be pictures but also gifs and videos. Once you add these, it does feel like you are reading a blog post!
#3 - Call to Action
You’ve introduced your topic. You’ve delivered the value. This is where you make your ask.
Whether it’s asking your audience to reply, like, share, or subscribe, the CTA (aka the last part of your long-form post) is where you do it. Here are a few examples of how to do it:
→ A classic CTA, separated from the content
→ A more casual approach combined with the Auto-DM feature
→ Or a CTA more focused on takeaways vs. getting your audience to perform an action, which is also a valid option
Should you double down on long-form posts on X?
And our answer is it depends. If you think your content is a good fit for the long-form format, then you definitely should. If you don’t, we would still encourage you to try it and add a few long-form posts to your schedule.
The algorithm clearly favors them, even more if you add media. Only that makes a good case for testing long-form on your strategy.
As always, there’s not a one-size-fits-all strategy that works, but listening to the changes that are happening on the platform and adapting to them will always be a smart move.