Ephemeral content is any content including videos, images, or GIFs that lasts for 24 hours online, before disappearing. It includes pictures, videos, live streams videos, product demos, or GIFs that are shorter in length and unlike evergreen content that stays on your profiles forever, it cannot be seen after 24 hours. Popular platforms endorsing this type of content include Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook stories, etc. It has gained massive popularity over the past few years and everyone has switched to one social media platform or the other to get their hands on this trending content type.
The two major things to be taken care of in terms of ephemeral content are to be very creative with your ideas and to have a high-speed reliable internet connection. The reason for these two things specifically is that you get a very short period to display your content.
So make sure that your ideas grab the attention of viewers quickly and in terms of internet speed; as we have discussed that ephemeral content contains a lot of short videos stories and live streams so nobody wants to see constant loading signs or wait for minutes to get their stories posted. To avoid such situations get your hands on a fast internet connection like AT&T internet that provides you super-fast upload and download speeds.
Here are some good reasons why ephemeral content gained so much popularity and is considered as the content of the future:
It’s more interactive
Ephemeral content is more interactive and engaging with the audience as compared to any previous types of content being out. Previously people need to comment or direct messages to interact or give a response to the other person. But with the concept of engaging stories introduced by ephemeral media people can get responses or opinions from their audience only through a click on their story.
You can create short surveys or Q&As and ask people to participate in them only by viewing them or clicking an option out. For example, you can put multiple restaurant options on a survey in your story and ask people which one is a better place to visit, you’ll get a lot of responses from your audience or viewers in no time and your content will be way more engaging and fun for people.
Live streaming videos are another super fun way to interact with your audience. Many celebrities and influencers host live sessions where they engage with their viewers, answer their questions, and set a core message to these sessions which they want to deliver. It could be a brand endorsement or their upcoming project’s publicity. Either way ephemeral content serves the purpose.
Shows authenticity
If anything ephemeral content delivers the best is, the authenticity of a person or brand. People trust it more because it shows what the thing is as it is. It gives the audience an insider view of what is actually happening behind the screens. Many popular brands use the ephemeral content medium as a marketing technique as it shows their audience a different and tries the side of the brand.
It is important to make your audience or customers feel included so they add a personal touch to these stories and show them the work happening in real life to make that product worth having. From having a new product coming in line or a new member joining the team, ephemeral content is a great way to show your authentic side to your customers and to build loyalty and trust with them. Another reason why ephemeral content is considered more authentic is that it’s usually planned right away and not scripted or made up. It shows the candid side that people don’t usually get to see too often.
Elicit immediate responses from audiences
Another reason why ephemeral content is ever trending is the ease to respond right away that it comes with. All media platforms that display ephemeral content provide an option to react immediately to the stories. The fear of missing out on anything is there too in people because the content is likely to disappear in a short span of time.
So the audience stays more active online for it, reacts, and responds quickly to the stories and bands also use this as a marketing technique to keep their audience hooked.
Promote sales
The most obvious benefit of using ephemeral content is that it allows immediate responses from viewers which prompts them to make quick decisions to sign up, install or purchase an item. This way ephemeral content promotes sales as brands and companies are also using it to show a more authentic side of their work to their audience. The trust they gain by showing a unique side out in the world boost brand loyalty thus resulting in higher sales.
As much as a fun way to display your content ephemeral media is, it has also become one of the trending and most used marketing strategies. You take a photo or video, add relative tags to it, cross-post it on your major social platforms and its temporary nature makes desperation, filled by the dread of passing up a great opportunity; an incredible inspiration of human conduct of ephemeral content resulting in quick orders and purchase making it an easy advertisement and revenue-generating tool.
Wrapping it up:
Popular social media platforms like Snapchat and Instagram have encouraged the rise of ephemeral content. Other major reasons for its popularity are clearly the immediate responses, sense of urgency, authenticity, and privacy that comes with it. We have highlighted a few reasons why ephemeral content trends and continue to grow in the coming years.
