Put your business in the spotlight with ephemeral content

You may well have heard of it before: ephemeral content. These days, it’s all the rage. For businesses and organisations, it’s becoming increasingly important to incorporate ephemeral content into their strategy. But what exactly does it involve, and how can your business make use of it?

What is ephemeral content?

‘Ephemeral’ means fleeting and short-lived. Ephemeral content is therefore content with a short lifespan. It forms the basis of the well-known social platform Snapchat and is hugely popular. In the second quarter of 2019, Snapchat had 203 million daily active users; in the same quarter of 2018, this figure stood at 188 million. The number of users of the app continues to grow. On average, an active user opens the app 25 times a day, and 60 per cent of users create new content every day. With figures like these, it’s hardly surprising that other popular platforms have jumped on the bandwagon of using ephemeral content; Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp now have their own ‘Stories’ features too.

Why does it work?

That’s all well and good, but why would you invest in content that disappears after just 24 hours? Put simply: because it works. Because the content disappears after just one day, there’s a certain sense of urgency and exclusivity behind it. This urgency ensures that people constantly check the app so that consumers can be sure they’re not missing out on anything. In fact, ephemeral content is a psychological trick. You’ve probably heard of FOMO – Fear Of Missing Out. This means that people are naturally afraid of missing out on something. If others have something, you want it too. That’s just how we’re wired. Ephemeral content cleverly capitalises on this.

Consumers do not always have the time or inclination to read entire pieces of text. This is where ephemeral content offers the perfect solution. Because the content is short and punchy, consumers are presented with small bites of content that effectively convey the message. Think of it as a snack during a busy day.

The benefits of ephemeral content at a glance:

• The MediaScience Ad Attention and Engagement Study from April 2016 shows that adverts on Snapchat receive twice as much user attention as video adverts on other platforms. This is because all adverts on Snapchat are vertical full-screen videos, 75 per cent of which are played with sound.
• Ephemeral content can generate more website traffic. For example, you can add a link to your website in your story. This way, users simply need to swipe up if they want to find out more about your company.
• With every piece of content, you create a new opportunity to engage with and connect to consumers. They can react directly to your story or livestream, allowing you to communicate directly with them.
• Because content is, as it were, a flash in the pan, you needn’t worry about coming across as pushy when sharing content. Everything disappears within a short space of time, and consumers themselves can choose whether or not they want to view a message.

How do you go about it?

To ensure your short-form content grabs attention, it’s important to know how to approach the creation and sharing of ephemeral content. First and foremost, you need to know which platform your target audience uses and why they are there. Understanding why users are on a particular platform is key to conveying a message that delivers real value. Once this is clear, you need to consider which use of ephemeral content best suits your business and target audience. Do videos or images suit your business better? For products, images often make more sense, whilst videos often perform better for services. But that doesn’t mean you have to limit yourself to just one of the two. Above all, do what feels right.

The potential of ephemeral content

Ephemeral content offers a range of possibilities. As the name ‘stories’ suggests, it’s ideal for storytelling. By sharing several short updates in quick succession, you tell a story. Do you want to engage consumers more with your stories? You can do this through a competition, for example. Ask users to tag you in their stories, and then you can share the best and funniest entries with your followers.

You can make your stories interactive, for example through a Q&A or a live stream. But you can also share short how-to guides, behind-the-scenes footage or a sneak peek. Give viewers something they won’t see anywhere else – this enhances the sense of exclusivity. You can also use a story to share a unique offer. Thanks to the temporary nature of the story, the exclusivity of the offer is heightened, thereby increasing the likelihood that people will take advantage of the promotion.

Advertising with ephemeral content

Nowadays, it is possible to advertise using ephemeral content. For example, you can distribute your adverts via Instagram Stories and Snapchat Stories. The adverts play automatically amongst the regular stories, meaning users come across your advert unexpectedly. So surprise users with fun and interesting content. If you choose to create an advertising video for one of these platforms, you must ensure that your video has the correct dimensions and specifications.

Want to know more about ephemeral content?

Would you like to use ephemeral content for your business and need help with this? Then get in touch with our specialists. They’ll be happy to help you create ephemeral content!