Ephemeral content and stories on Instagram and Facebook are a great way to expand your audience reach and build a rapport with your customers. The content is more engaging than print. According to research 1 in 5 organic stories from businesses gets a direct message from their audiences. The attraction stems from the fact that it taps into one of the Key concepts of all social media- content creation.

Since ephemeral content lasts for 24 hours, it may look absurd to use this kind of content to promote your brand. I mean why would anyone spend their time and resources to come up with engaging content that only disappears in a day? What’s the point, right? However ephemeral content is becoming very popular in digital marketing.

Ephemeral content only lasts for 24 hours

The unique selling proposition of Ephemeral content is that it its applicability perfectly reflects our contemporary way of living. It’s quick, restless and transient as it is created, consumed and forgotten in the blink of an eye. This makes it very popular among the young generation- whose spending power is set to surpass I trillion dollars by 2020, who are acutely aware that their online information is stored. Platforms that utilize ephemeral content offer a respite from an already considerable digital footprint.

The temporary nature of ephemeral content offers exclusivity for viewing them. This makes users keener in viewing them, trying to keep up to date lest they miss some good content. By creating interesting, funny or candid stories every day, businesses can become a part of that daily routine and develop a connection with their audiences.

We live in an engagement economy where the most valuable commodity today is attention. Getting a customer’s attention is the new Holy Grail for digital marketers. Business brands can document a day-in-the-life by posting images and videos for their users to follow. It is also a great way to advertise flash sales and new product launches. By following a brand on platforms like Facebook and Instagram, a user gets exclusive access to exclusive content, behind the scene tours and so much more. It also allows brands to reach out and engage potential customers in unique ways.

To increase your online business brand engagement, here are 3 important things you need to consider when developing effective ephemeral content for your audiences.

Tell your Story

You need to adopt a story telling approach when dealing with ephemeral content and stories. Narrate the story in a language and manner which resonates with your social media audiences by assuming their familiarity with the purpose and the medium on which the content is consumed. You can utilize the built-in filters, voice modifiers and pop culture tie-ins to make your stories more entertaining and enjoyable.

Engage influencers

It is a popular misconception that one has to seek out the most prominent influencers when looking to promote a brand on social media. This makes many businesses shy away from the idea sighting lack of the means to communicate with them effectively as the reason. This is however a wrong mindset in the digital marketing sphere. One can start incrementally when reaching out to influencers. Look for that brand or individual slightly doing better than you and ask them to acknowledge your brand in their stories.

Be concise and consistent

Since ephemeral content has a very short timeline, it’s inevitable that one gets more content to post. The best way to go about this is by developing a strategy which content can be produced quickly, easily and in masse.  Social media platforms like buffer can help you curate ephemeral content to be shared out at different time intervals throughout the day.  Creating and sharing high volumes of content on social media however poses a risk of posting irrelevant content. It is imperative that every content you post passes through the “purpose test.” What is the purpose of your online campaign? Does the new content contribute to the fulfillment of the campaign goal? The best ephemeral content strategies are those which deal with a narrow focus and a clearly defined purpose.

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