Here is a breakdown of the differences between a blog post and an article:

In recent years, the line between blog post and article has gotten a bit fuzzy. Some companies call a 1,000-word piece of content that involves extensive research and two interviews a "blog post," while others may call a 600-word piece of content with only high-level information an "article." There are also occasions where a piece of blog content is more than a traditional 600-word blog post but not as in-depth as an article. I define this type of content as a "long-form article." A long-form article is typically 800-1,100 words, SEO optimized, requires light-moderate research, and primarily delivers high-level information.

Millions of blog posts, articles, and other types of written content are published every day. In the past, short "fluff" pieces would suffice as good content and worked well for SEO. However, in recent years Google has set the bar much higher when it comes to content. Google expects website content to be useful and informative, credible, high-quality, engaging, and "more valuable and useful than other sites."

It isn't only Google that expects websites to provide high-quality content. Audiences expect to find engaging, high-quality information on your website and other marketing channels. Audiences also expect to find content that demonstrates thought leadership and establishes your company as an authority in your industry.

Traditional short blog posts and longer length high-level blog articles work well for news, company announcements, and providing general information about a product or topic. However, well-researched long-form content is often the best choice if your company wants to create content that demonstrates thought leadership, establishes industry authority, and attracts target audiences.

Long-form content can also be repurposed as a nicely designed e-book, series of blog posts, infographic, and other forms of content.

A traditional white paper is a complex piece of content that involves extensive research, includes an executive summary, often requires purchasing research reports, and is very time consuming to do. It's sometimes referred to as an analyst white paper.

While many enterprises still include traditional white papers as part of their content marketing strategy, most organizations are moving away from traditional white papers.

I'm often approached by companies interested in creating a white paper. However, in nearly every case, companies are looking for an in-depth article that they plan on repurposing as a white paper.

Today the term white paper often means a repurposed in-depth article and not the old-school, traditional type of white paper used by many well-established enterprises.

For in-depth content such as articles and case studies, I'll provide a general outline for the client to review or the client may provide an outline. Once we've finalized the outline, I'll start writing the first content draft. Once the client has reviewed the draft, I'll update the draft based on their feedback. Short blog posts and blog articles typically don't require any interviews or an outline.

The outline and content draft are submitted via Google Docs unless otherwise specified by the client.

I'm capable of writing content for a wide range of audiences. However, I tend to write in an academic style and semi-formal tone. Much of my work targets post-graduate, tech-savvy, professional audiences. If you prefer content to be written in a casual business style and conversational tone, let me know ahead of time.