Long Form Vs Short Form Video Content - Which Is Best?

In this article, I will be discussing my interview with influencer Gwen Lane, who has built a successful online business through long-form content and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. During our conversation, Gwen shared her journey in the online business world, including her successes and failures, as well as the systems she has put in place to generate revenue. We also discussed her transition from blogging to Instagram and her advice for those starting their own online business.

Key Takeaways:

• Long-form content and social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can be used to build a successful online business.
• Systems are essential for growth and revenue generation in an online business.
• Transitioning from blogging to social media requires a shift in strategy and focus.

Chat with Gwen Lane

Before I started my online business, I worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years in Los Angeles. I started as a content creator, doing travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl. I started working with brand sponsors like Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks. I had a good system for my blog at that time, with a blog post every week and posting it on social media. Many content creators and influencers were asking me how I got these brand sponsors, how I negotiated, and how much I charged. I kept answering the same questions over and over again, and I got tired and repetitive. As someone who's always been a teacher, I thought about how I could create something that people could have access to, while not having access to my time. That's when I found out about the online business world, where people have online courses and memberships. I started following other people in the space and learning from them. I started on Kajabi, which was easier than a WordPress site or starting from scratch. The LA Girl was my travel and lifestyle brand that taught me how to do all the things that I did and got that to six figures. When I moved from LA to Minnesota, I was able to sell that brand and transitioned into focusing on the teaching business.

My blog consisted of long-form copy, and I would think about what people were asking me. I grew up in Los Angeles, and many people I met would ask me about the things to do in LA. I found that the generic things to do in LA from these larger publications were not enough, so I created content that was more specific to what people were asking me.

Gwen's Journey in Online Business

Before starting my online business, I worked in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for over 10 years. As influencer marketing and social media started to become more prevalent in the industry, I transitioned into the influencer content creator space. I started as a content creator, doing travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl. I worked with various brand sponsors, such as Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks.

As I gained more success, other content creators and influencers started asking me how I got brand sponsors, how I negotiated, and how much I charged. I loved answering their questions, but it became repetitive and time-consuming. As someone who has always been passionate about teaching and coaching, I started thinking about creating something that people could access without needing my time.

That's when I discovered the online business world and started following other people in the space to learn from them. I started on Kajabi, which made it easy to set everything up. I created online courses and memberships to share my knowledge about influencer marketing and digital marketing.

My blog, The LA Girl, was a written content blog that focused on travel and lifestyle. I wrote long-form copy that answered specific questions that people had about Los Angeles. As a visual person, I transitioned to Instagram when it launched, and it became a natural platform for travel influencers and creators to share their photos. I grew my following to around 200,000 followers on Instagram and then transitioned to TikTok.

In conclusion, I learned that building systems is crucial to growing an online business. It may not be the most exciting part of the process, but it's essential to have systems in place to combat the overwhelm that comes with running an online business. I hope my journey and experiences can help others who are looking to start or have already started their online business.

Transition from Blogging to Instagram

I started my online business through long-form blog post content, which generated six figures in income. However, I transitioned to Instagram, where I now have around 200,000 followers. I also recently joined TikTok.

When it comes to building an online business, it's important to have systems in place. These systems may not seem fun or sexy, but they make all the difference in achieving revenue growth.

Before starting my online business, I worked in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles for over 10 years. I then got into the influencer content creator space, creating travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl. I worked with brands such as Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks.

My blog was initially a written content platform, consisting of long-form copy. I would think about what people were asking me, especially those who were new to Los Angeles and wanted to know what to do. My content was different from generic publications as it was tailored to my audience.

When Instagram launched, it became a natural platform for travel influencers and creators to share their photos. I moved to Instagram, where I shared my outdoor adventures and landscape photos.

Blogging is still essential for ranking in Google and YouTube, but Instagram is also a valuable platform to build a following and grow an online business.

Building an Online Business

As someone who has built a successful online business, I can attest to the importance of having systems in place. It may not be the most exciting part of running an online business, but it's essential for growth and success.

When it comes to creating content for your online business, the question of whether to focus on long-form or short-form content is a common one. As an influencer who has generated six figures in income through long-form blog posts, I can say that there is definitely value in this approach.

But it's not just about the type of content you create. It's also about having a system in place for creating and promoting that content. For me, this meant having a blog post every week and promoting it on social media platforms like Instagram.

As my business grew, I started getting a lot of questions from other content creators and influencers about how I landed brand sponsorships and negotiated deals. This is when I realized the potential for creating an online course that could teach others what I had learned.

Creating an online course or membership program can be a great way to scale your business and share your expertise with others. Platforms like Kajabi make it easy to set up and manage your course, without having to spend all your time answering the same questions over and over again.

In summary, building an online business requires both long-term vision and attention to detail. By focusing on creating quality content and implementing systems for growth and scalability, you can build a successful online business that will stand the test of time.

Revenue Generation and Systems

In my experience, building out long-form content is a great way to generate revenue for your online business. However, it's important to have systems in place to ensure growth and success. Systems may not be the most exciting part of running an online business, but they make all the difference when it comes to reaching those 10K, 50K, or even 100K months.

When I started my online business, I worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years in Los Angeles. As a content creator, I did travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl, and worked with brands like Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks. I had a good system for my blog, with a new blog post every week and social media promotion on Instagram.

As I started to gain more traction, other content creators and influencers asked me how I got brand sponsors, negotiated deals, and set my rates. While I loved answering these questions, I realized I didn't have the time to keep answering the same questions over and over again. That's when I started to think about creating something that people could access without taking up my time.

I found out about online courses and memberships and started following other people in the space to learn from them. I started on Kajabi, which was easy to use and set up. Having systems in place for my online business was essential to combatting the overwhelm and keeping up with growth.

Transitioning to Teaching Business

Before transitioning to teaching business, I worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years in Los Angeles. I was a content creator, producing travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl. I worked with brands like Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks. I had a good system for my blog, posting a blog post every week and sharing it on social media platforms like Instagram.

As I gained popularity, other content creators and influencers started asking me questions about how to get brand sponsors, negotiate, and charge. I loved answering their questions, but it was becoming repetitive and time-consuming. That's when I started thinking about creating something that people could have access to, even when I'm traveling or working with brands.

I found out about the online business world, where people have online courses and memberships, and started following other people in the space to learn from them. I started on Kajabi, which was easy to use and set up.

Transitioning to teaching business wasn't easy, but it was necessary. I realized that systems make all the difference in growing an online business. It's not just about being creative and growing on social media; it's about having something in place to combat overwhelm and achieve those 10K, 50K, or 100K months.

Advice for Starting an Online Business

As someone who has built a successful online business, I can attest that having systems in place is crucial for growth. While it may not be the most exciting part, setting up these systems is necessary for achieving those 10K, 50K, or even 100K months.

If you're just starting out, my advice would be to focus on creating long-form content, such as blog posts, to establish yourself as an expert in your niche. This will also help with ranking on search engines like Google and YouTube. However, don't neglect shorter-form content like Instagram and TikTok, as these platforms can also be powerful tools for growing your business.

When it comes to building systems, I highly recommend investing in an online course or membership program. This will allow you to create a product that people can access without taking up all of your time answering the same questions over and over again. Platforms like Kajabi make it easy to set up and manage your course or membership program.

Remember, building a successful online business takes time and effort, but with the right systems in place and consistent long-term strategy, you can achieve your goals.

Gwen's Successes and Failures

Before starting my online business, I worked in the entertainment industry for over 10 years in Los Angeles. I started as a content creator, doing travel and lifestyle content on my blog, The LA Girl. I then started working with brand sponsors like Disney, The Four Seasons, American Airlines, Target, and Starbucks. I had a good system for my blog, with a blog post every single week and posting it out on social media. Many other content creators and influencers were asking me how I got these brand sponsors, how I negotiated, and how much I charged. As someone who's always been a teacher, I started to think about how I could create something that people can have access to while not having access to my time. That's when I found out about the online business world, about people having online courses and memberships. I started following other people in the space and learning from them. I started on Kajabi, which was really easy to set everything up in there because it's drag and drop and a lot easier than a WordPress site or starting from scratch.

My successes include generating six figures in income from long-form blog post content and building up my Instagram following to around 200,000 followers. I also successfully sold my travel and lifestyle brand, The LA Girl, and transitioned into focusing on my teaching business.

My failures include not putting systems in place earlier in my business, which caused me to experience overwhelm. I also had to learn the hard way that it's important to charge what I'm worth and not undervalue myself.

Overall, I believe that having systems in place is crucial for business growth and success. It may not be the most fun part, but it's necessary for achieving those 10K, 50K, and 100K months.

Conclusion

In this interview with influencer Gwen Lane, we learned about the importance of having systems in place for online business success. Gwen's background in the entertainment industry led her to become a content creator and influencer, working with brands like Disney, American Airlines, and Target. She started with a long-form blog on WordPress and Twitter before transitioning to Instagram, where she grew her following to over 200,000.

Gwen emphasized the importance of having a system for managing brand sponsorships and answering frequently asked questions. This led her to create online courses and memberships, using platforms like Kajabi for easy setup. While the beginning stages of building an online business may not be glamorous, having systems in place can make all the difference in achieving revenue growth and success.