Whether you like it or not, ephemeral video content is a trend that isn’t going anywhere. In this article, Hugh Beaulac, Content Strategist, talks about how ephemeral video content can help you to boost engagement.
When Snapchat created ‘Stories’ format in October 2013, marketers didn’t believe in the power of disappearing content. With a short lifespan of 24 hours, it seemed that creating ephemeral videos was a waste of time.
However, the popularity of vertical video is on the riseOpens a new window . Today, stories grow 15x faster than feeds and it’s hard to believe that the idea of using short-form video hasn’t always been popular.
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Want to know the best part? These days, there’s no better way to boost engagement than creating ephemeral video content. Here are five compelling reasons why this video format keeps your audience hooked and engaged:
1. Users Have a Short Attention Span
Living in the digital era, when information bombards users from all sides, it’s no wonder that the human attention span is constantly decreasing. Modern users have an attention span of eight seconds which means it takes time and effort for marketers to create content that hooks target audiences and keeps them engaged.
Luckily, ephemeral videos are limited to 15 seconds, so it’s easier for humans to consume short-form content. Any proof needed? WhatsApp Status, Instagram Stories, and Facebook Stories have 500 million users each. For marketers, it gives an opportunity to engage potential customers, no matter what social media platform you use for business promotion.
2. The Fear of Missing Out Affects Viewers
The idea of posting ephemeral video content that disappears within 24 hours can turn many marketers off. Although most marketers believe that short-form contentOpens a new window doesn’t allow them to reach their customers within the time limit, the numbers speak for themselves. Since stories grow faster than feeds, it’s clear that ephemeral content creates a fear of missing out (FOMO) effect that encourages users to watch your video content unless it disappears. As a result, ephemeral content attracts more viewers than evergreen videos. Why? People are just afraid of missing out on something important, so they hasten to take action faster.
3. Ephemeral Video Content Feels Authentic
Here’s something we all can agree on: There’s no need to put much time or effort into creating video content that disappears in the following 24 hours. For most marketers, it’s enough to have a smartphone with a video camera to produce and publish ephemeral content. As a result, this type of video content isn’t so polished and professional, so it feels more authentic than branded content. Since modern users crave authenticity, ephemeral content helps to put a human face on your brand and it engages customers into conversation.
4. People Retain Video Information Better than Texts
Consumers want to see more brand videos from companies they support. Not only does video content keep your audience engaged, but it also helps viewers to retain 95% of the message. When users understand your product or company’s values from A to Z, it improves customer experience which matters a lot for companies of all sizes and niches.
Why? As specified in one report by GetVoIPOpens a new window , good customer experience makes people 5x more likely to recommend your company to friends and family and 3.5 more likely to make additional purchases. Simply put, customers are happy to engage with brands that offer good customer experience.
5. Short-Form Content Helps to Stand Out from the Crowd
Not only do ephemeral videos disappear fast, but they are also limited to 15 seconds in length and most social media networks allow users to publish up to 100 stories within 24 hours. This means brands produce a great number of ephemeral videos to hook the attention of their potential customers and interact with them.
However, short-form video content gives you an opportunity to unleash your creativityOpens a new window and make up different stories that engage your audience. What is more, you can create eye-catching animated videos that make you any different from your competitors who also crave for the attention of your target audience.
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In a Word
With love for videos and disappearing content, it’s no wonder that ephemeral videos have become the future of video marketingOpens a new window . If you want to boost engagement and make your audience want to visit your business profile daily, it’s important to incorporate ephemeral video content into your marketing strategyOpens a new window .