At a top level, consistently showing up with ephemeral content can help increase brand awareness by creating a regular touchpoint with your audience and keep you top of mind.
And if your brand is top of mind with your target audiences, you are more likely to achieve your goals.
What is ephemeral content?
Ephemeral content refers to posts that disappear after 24 hours.
The format was first introduced by Snapchat in 2013 and has since been incorporated by Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
In this piece, I’ll be focusing on Instagram Stories.
A study by HubSpot found that around 43% of social media users watch Stories more than other types of video content on Instagram.
Think about when you log onto Instagram… where do you head? Straight for the Stories, or do you start scrolling the feed? It’s clear that video is a great way to connect with customers on social media.
Five reasons why your business should use ephemeral content
- Stories are a great way to boost engagement through the use of polls, questions and stickers, in what is a low-pressure environment (a simple click that disappears after 24 hours).
- Ephemeral content allows you to show the human side of your business through more authentic, less produced content.
- Whether it’s to a product page for sales, an event sign up, or an email list – you can use Stories to drive your audience to a destination for you to convert.
- You can directly interact with users on a one-to-one basis through Stories, and are able to generate an immediate response or action, if required. Think product feedback.
- Not everyone wants to consume feed posts every time they’re on Instagram. We’re in a world where people love short form content, and that’s exactly what ephemeral content is. Give your audience what they want.
All of that will help you create FOMO (fear of missing out) with your audience and build a community around your brand, which is social media gold.
Are you taking advantage of Instagram Stories? Make an enquiry to add ephemeral content to your social media strategy.
Why you should add ephemeral content to your strategy
- Increase engagement with your audience
- Show the human side of your brand
- Drive conversions
- Get immediate feedback from your community
- Diversify your social media strategy with short-form content
Ephemeral social media content: FAQs
What is ephemeral content?
Ephemeral content refers to posts (usually photos or short videos) that disappear after 24 hours. Instagram Stories, Snapchat and Facebook Stories are the most well-known formats.
Why should businesses use ephemeral content?
Ephemeral content is ideal for showing the human, behind-the-scenes side of a business. It drives engagement through polls and questions, creates a sense of urgency, and keeps your brand in front of your audience daily.
How often should a business post Instagram Stories?
Aiming for a few Stories per week is a good starting point. Consistency matters more than volume – regular touchpoints help keep your brand top of mind with your audience.
