The Rise Of Ephemeral Content

One thing consumers and content creators can agree on is that engaging content is crucial. I’m glad people are starting to realize that posting to your social media page is not the only way to engage with your audience. Let me add a new buzzword to your vocabulary, Ephemeral Content.

Ephemeral Content

I know, I know. What is ephemeral content? Well, did you wake up this morning and decide you wanted to post a quick story about what you ate for breakfast or how many bench presses you lifted at the gym? Congratulations, you just posted ephemeral content also known as disappearing content. Short 30 seconds videos, images, or gifs that last no longer than 24hrs then disappear. Introduced in 2011 by Snapchat, but has now been integrated into Facebook, Whatsapp, and Instagram. 

You’re probably trying to figure out why content that lasts for a short period can be good when it comes to social media marketing. Let’s take a look. 

FOMO Is Good

As a contest and sweepstakes organization, our mission is to keep users interested in being a part of the moment while it still exists.

But why is incorporating this method into your marketing plan so crucial, and how will it increase favourable reactions to keep existing and new customers interested in your product?

One of the numerous reasons why firms should consider incorporating ephemeral content into their marketing plan is the FOMO culture (fear of missing out). They entice customers by instilling a sense of urgency and exclusivity.

Apps that Deliver recently posted statistics in regards to social media FOMO culture. They discovered that 69% of social media users felt envious this year because they missed content from their favourite social media platforms for 24 hours. 60% of those users say this has prompted them to make reactive purchases to stay in the loop and keep up with their friends and trends, as well as check their stories more frequently than they did two years ago.

Swipe Up, Click, Ask or Share

Truth be told, Stories and lives are far more intriguing than IGTV and reels. You get to respond to polls, react to countdowns, and engage with tags and website links embedded into the stories. Or when companies allow us to directly ask questions—primarily on Instagram—knowing they will answer personally to us.

Not only that, it allows users to become more interactive by encouraging user-generated content. Meaning, users create content based on their product or brand and share it for their followers to see. 

In most cases, this is seen with the “Like, comment, and share this post” contest. Let’s not forget that time back in October when thousands of Canadian Instagram users thought they could potentially win and own a million-dollar house in London, ON. I sure remember that day and how my Instagram possessed the same image for 24 hours. Did I share that post as well? Of course I did! That FOMO hit me. Simply liking and commenting on the post did not guarantee you a place in the drawing. This contest’s selling point was adding it to your store. You received 10 additional entries if you posted this to your story. And just like that, we were all drawn in and ready to win, and Dream It Win It gained over 80 thousand new followers.

Embrace Authenticity

You’re probably wondering if users are only seeing content for 24 hours, is it worth it? Yes, absolutely! The benefit of sharing stories is that it allows businesses to create content that isn’t overly promotional. Don’t get me wrong, polished content is good, but authentic content with personality and grit is more relatable.

We want to be able to connect with brands on a personal level through personal stories or behind the scenes day-to-day with random members of our favourite companies. Humanizing your brand will increase the loyalty between users and brands. 

If you’re looking to boost user interaction with your product, ephemeral content is the way to go. Want to learn more about creating the perfect ephemeral content, check out Rock Content – Five ways to improve your ephemeral content to make your social media presence memorable and perfect.

 

Naa Mensah, Oakville, ON, December 2021

 

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