Ranking for longtail keywords is no different to ranking for keywords, with the exception that its generally the case that its easier to rank for longer combination of words... You need to focus on three things:
1. Include your keyword on your post/page together with semantically related ones (LSI keywords) - in otherwords do not over do it with the same keyword over and over again.... Put it in a title, header or within a paragraph...
2. Use internal linking structure i.e. silos to link back to article which you are attempting to rank for the given keyword regardless of longtail etc.
3. Use backlinks to the actual page/post that you are attempting to rank. With anchor text here you do not need to use the keyword, generic, branding or related terms will suffice... Keep in mind of G's penguin algo which will punish you for overusing commercial anchors (competitive keywords).
In order to rank higher than your competitors you will need to achieve the following:
A) Better backlinks (dofollow links) from sites which G considers authoritative.
B) Minimize your bounce rates. In otherwords also focus on writing awesome, engaging content, perhaps include videos so that users stay longer... The main thing is to ensure that you answer the questions which your users may have as otherwise they will be back at G choosing other sites within search results which impacts your site as not fulfilling the search criteria...
Hope that helps! Best of luck ;-)