How to Incorporate Ephemeral content into your marketing plan

Any video content that lasts for up to 24 hours on the platform is ephemeral content. Photos, gifs, and videos are commonly used formats for video content creation for ephemeral content. As opposed to the regular content, which is evergreen, Ephemeral content has a shelf-life and will disappear. Although some platforms have features to save it forever, like Instagram Highlights.

Brands have often considered ephemeral content below their grade. However, there is no denying that it provides more engagement during the time it is there on the platform. It also provides for the most interactive form of content over any platform. Since most of the ephemeral content is still in its infancy, it is consistently upgrading, with better and cheaper advertising as compared to the traditional content.

Some of the reasons why brands are jumping up the ephemeral wagon, and you should join too, are

1. Higher Engagement: Ephemeral content creates more engagement as compared to traditional posts.

2. Quicker Turnaround: With short-term content, it isn’t about perfection as it is about communication, and thus turnaround is quicker.

3. Limited Offers Showcase: There’s no better way to showcase a limited-time offer as content that will disappear in 24 hours.

   
   
   

Tips to Create Ephemeral Content

We discussed why ephemeral content is the need of the day. Yet, you cannot post anything in the name of ephemeral content. Some of the tips to create quality ephemeral content that can boost engagement are:

Share

The idea of ephemeral content is about sharing day-to-day stories. Shipping an order? Meeting a client? Production happening? Is planning going on? Is there a product video in the making? There’s nothing that can not be shared in the stories. The only requirement is to make the content engaging. 

Tell Stories

Despite being under 15 seconds, ephemeral content often has the scope of telling the crispest stories. In the case of all stories, it is important to keep the structure right – the introduction, explanation, and conclusion. It is the classic beginning, middle, and end format of video content creation.

Interactive Content Works

Ephemeral content is also a great way to ask questions, conduct surveys, do quick polls, and create a call-to-action that would involve the followers. The idea is to interact with the audience, and not simply share posts or provide information about your product or service. Often, the user wants to share his or her view, and this is an effective way to bring them together.

Share Product Sale Posts

Most of the ephemeral content platforms allow options like ‘swipe up’, which lead the user to the link. This can be a great way to lead the audience to a link to a product, or a service – all aimed at improving the sales. Your product video can create greater traction in the story than in the feed, albeit for only 24 hours. 

Take Advantage of Tagging

Ephemeral content’s tagging can often be more effective than post tagging because of the lower competition, and also that the content gets replaced every minute, with over 24-hour content getting away. This is an immense potential area, especially with hashtags, people tag (who get notified and can share their story too), and geo-tags. 

The time is right to take advantage of video content creation. Any video that represents the brand, its ethics, its people, its values, its products, and its services, are welcome in ephemeral content. The quality, too, can be less than perfect. Only if the content is real.