Social Media Marketing: What is ephemeral content?
Ephemeral content is content that lasts for 24 hours or less. Facebook and Instagram have all adopted ‘stories’ since Snapchats boom over the last few years. Taking inspiration from the Snapchat trend, stories are often 30-second long video/image content that disappears 24 hours later. It may seem pointless to create content that will soon be gone forever, but studies have shown that ephemeral content produces the most engagement. Ultimately ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) will drive your audience to view your ephemeral content, so creating exciting content that is reflective of your brand and online identity is key is establishing a loyal audience base that keeps coming back for more.
Often, a strategic and polished marketing campaign can feel little….well, impersonal. Millennials respond less to overworked strategies but prefer more accessible and relatable content. Ephemeral content helps to create exciting quick content that can be consumed in under a minute. Instagram also offers links to ‘click to shop’ straight from the story itself. Stories also offer the chance to humanise your brand, show what is behind the scenes and solidify your authenticity. This kind of content creates excitement and makes your social media easier to engage with. It offers a closeness that larger marketing campaigns do not. It is not to say that marketing campaigns are not good, because they are; they are often large and distant from the consumer. Bringing semi-live short video content that is exciting and engaging helps to personalise your campaign while keeping your brand presence in the hands of the consumer… literally, you’re right there in their hands!
Tips for ephemeral content
Step 1: choose your ‘type’ of content. Images are usually more effective for physical products you can by, and direct links from your story can drive viewers to buy the products shown. Video is more useful for ‘services’ or ‘events, to show behind the scenes or videos of you explaining or talking about what you can offer. Don’t feel like you have to limit yourself to one or the other, but pinpointing what you feel is most appropriate for your site is key in creating tailored effective content.
Step 2: Post regularly to keep your audiences coming back for me and don’t be afraid to create funny or shocking content; it’s what keep driving people back to your profile.
Step 3: Be authentic, relatable and original. People don’t want to watch videos that are impersonal and just about making sales, convince your audience you are the person for their needs by being likeable and relatable!
Step 4: (unofficial step) Have Fun with it!
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