Is Ephemeral Content Right For Your Brand – What It Is, How to Use It, Where, and When

‘Ephemeral content’ is a term brought into the lexicon by Snapchat and is now perhaps most widely used on Instagram. This type of content can be highly valuable in generating leads and conversions right then and there in the moment. So what is ephemeral content?

Ephemeral content is any visual content – so it needs to be either an image or video – that is available only for a certain period of time. For example, on Instagram and Snapchat, you can communicate in photos or videos that are viewed once and then they disappear. Especially on Instagram, brands have used ephemeral content marketing to share product demonstrations, jokes, live streams, and more.

Part of the attraction to this method of content marketing on social media is that it encourages creativity. Users can enjoy the content and then, it’s gone, ideally replaced with something new. So it’s also encouraging posts and for any platform, the more posts, the more engagement. Nobody wants to be on a network nobody’s on. So for a platform like Snapchat, it opens on a camera screen encouraging the user to post. Then, their posts are set on a time limit. This is all to create an atmosphere of ongoing posts, comments, and consumption.

Because ephemeral content is temporary in nature, it may allow you to do things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to do. Especially with video, let’s say you have a YouTube video marketing strategy. The videos you release should ideally be professionally produced, with a mix of video sources, narration, and graphic designs, and made to be evergreen. An ephemeral video does not need to worry about any of that. A video doesn’t have to be professionally produced, shouldn’t be evergreen, and doesn’t need to have as many effects on it.

Getting started with this type of content, a lot of the same digital marketing rules apply. Speak with your audience, pay attention to analytics data and respond to what’s working, and if it catches fire, you can promote your Snapchat or Instagram content on other platforms. The best ephemeral content is engaged storytelling. Don’t overthink it. Brands that post in these places should produce something cohesive that instantly engages a follower and gets them hooked in three seconds or less.

If you’re not yet convinced, know that in the ephemeral world of content, you can experiment without having to keep a piece of content. This means you can try different product demos, tutorials, new product announcements, industry tips, discounts, or promotions, and these videos or photos don’t need to hang around forever. Here is some other key information to think about.

 Snapchat has nearly 200 million daily active users, while Instagram Stories has over 250 million.

 Snapchat and Instagram combined make for more than 18 billion daily video views. Audiences are ready to hear your message!

 Over half of the audience on these platforms for ephemeral content are under 34 years of age. By 2020, millennial spending power will surpass $1 trillion. If this is your market, get on board.

Ephemeral content is growing at a rapid pace. While Snapchat arguably may have plateaued, Instagram certainly hasn’t. Engagement is still massive on both platforms. Tap into a new type of content marketing and most importantly, have a little fun with it! Join us today!