Brands are still struggling to make some sort of impact on social media. Fergus Stoddard, joint managing partner at content marketing agency Edge argues the key is delivering content that is visual, flexible and snackable.
Social media has proven its dominance when it comes to marketing. But with so many consumers accessing their favourite social networks via mobile devices many brands are still struggling to create an impact in this space.
The key getting mobile right is to deliver content which cuts through and resonates with consumers. Content that is visual. Content that is flexible. Content that is snackable.
Snackable content is short-form digital content which is designed for news feeds. These short, meaningful bites are designed to make it easier for audiences to consume and share content.
Before embarking on a whirlwind path to deliver content which is suitable for mobile screens, make sure you have a story that speaks to the audience you want to reach.
A strong narrative which underpins your social media content strategy will allow you to engage with consumers on a deeper level and leave them hungry for similar content in the future. How you deliver the content comes afterwards – whether that is text, video or imagery.
The power of images in social media
The adage, “a picture tells a thousand words” rings true on social media because a great image captures attention quickly. One image can tell an entire story and convey a host of emotions and the best images are shared thousands of times over.
You only need to look at BuzzFeed to understand the power of imagery and the fast growing phenomenon of snackable content designed to engage readers.
When your audience is being bombarded with information from all angles, connecting via visuals can help stop consumers skimming over your content and generate click-throughs to relevant materials such as news, reports and editorial.
Why video lives up to the hype
Video content is ideal for mobile devices. With online video accounting for 60 per cent of all mobile traffic and YouTube recognised as the second largest search engine, video is a platform that cannot be ignored.
Whether your brand is creating and posting instructional video content, product or service videos or injecting some humour via a video, this type of content is easy for mobile users to view and also easy to share with others.
When considering video content creation, the key is to keep it short. The first 15 seconds are paramount in keeping your audience’s attention so don’t bombard them with spinning logos or obtuse titles. Utilise it to tell a story that will hook your audience and build deeper engagement.
Text still has a role in snackable content
Accompanying text with imagery and video has a crucial role to play in making your content shareable. While the focus should remain on your visuals, copy should work in with your existing marketing messages and encourage your consumers to engage with your content.
Captions and supporting text can include commentary or reference to current events that will resonate with your audience. Using a URL link to a blog post, news event or an interesting article also makes it easier for readers to share with their networks.
Using hashtags
Expand the reach of your social media content and encourage your audience to share it by including hashtags in posts. As we all know, hashtags make the word/s used after the # sign a searchable link, making it easy to track online discussion about that topic.
Hashtags are used across a number of platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest. Using one or two words in your hashtag instantly adds that post to the existing conversation on that term and works well with bite-sized content.
Good content is multifaceted. Creating content for social media is not just about making your posts snackable, it is also about creating flexible content that enhances the user experience and work across multiple platforms.
