Tricks to Create Snackable Content Treats for eCommerce
The rise of snackable content began a few years ago and only seems to be getting more popular. Snackable content refers to content that can be viewed or read quickly, once small piece at a time. Thanks to our increasingly digital lives, we now literally have a shorter attention span than a goldfish, so content has to keep up.
According to a study done a few years ago on different types of TV shows for kids, kids who watched a fast-paced show (where the scene totally changed every 11 seconds) experienced a decrease in executive functioning compared to kids who watched a slower-paced show (where the scene changed every 34 seconds).
In this world of quick, digestible content, fewer users are willing to read through lengthy articles or posts with dense blocks of text. Not when they can glance at a photo or download “Subway Reads,” short stories or excerpts that are perfectly timed with their commute. Snackable content has to be fast and convenient. Another feature of snackable content is that it is often and easily shared with others. Think about how often pictures and videos are shared across the Internet. So how do you create snackable content for your business that customers will want to see?
Listicles
Popularized by sites like BuzzFeed, listicles are short articles that take the form of bulleted or numbered lists. Each list item may be explained by a sentence, small paragraph, or just a picture. These articles get the point across without daunting the reader with dense blocks of text. Adapt the listicle for your business by highlighting your products or industry. For an eCommerce site that sells shoes, for example, this list might be “Top 10 Craziest Shoes of All Time” or “The Fifteen Types of Shoes Every Woman Needs in Her Closet.”
Images and Pins
Images are the “fastest” content around because of how quickly they can be viewed. Pinterest pins are images that link back to websites, with the image representing what content the link provides. According to SHIFT, the brain processes visual information up to 60,000 times faster than text, retains 65% of visual information versus 10-20% of text or spoken information, and retains more information from visuals than text after a delay. Images are effective and easy to incorporate across your website and social media channels. In fact, according to Jeff Bullas, articles with images receive 94% more views than those without. Pinterest can be a great tool, but before creating an account, make sure to research if your audience actually uses it. Use quality visuals of your product whenever it is relevant and watch your customers be delighted.
Infographics
Infographics are a step up from images that include small amount of text and provide information about a given topic. By combining the power of visuals and text, infographics are incredibly “digestible,” providing a lot of useful information in a quick and convenient way. Infographics are also more likely to be shared than plain text. An infographic for a hardware business might describe the statistics on how many people do DIY projects and what kind, what their favorite brands are, the most frequently asked questions, etc.
Memes and GIFS
An Internet meme is a funny picture with a caption overlay that is passed around to other users. Some meme concepts have gone viral and spawned hundreds of variations, such as “Bad Luck Brian” and “Retail Robin.” A step above the meme is the GIF. For those who have been living under a rock, GIF stands for graphic interchange format and basically functions as a super-short video clip. Memes and GIFs can be used to express the humorous side of your business. For example, you might make a funny meme or GIF of a common customer pain point, then highlight how your business solves that problem.
Videos
Videos are the holy grail of eCommerce snackable content because they are popular, informative, and showcase the best features of your product in action. It is almost impossible to scroll through the Facebook Newsfeed without seeing a Tasty video, which quickly shows users how to make various recipes. These videos are a great example because they are short, engaging, and give value to the viewer. Create a short video demonstrating how to use your product, how your product fits into a customer’s life, or even a quick behind-the-scenes video of your company and employees.
For more help with creating great marketing content for your business, contact ParadoxLabs today at 717-431-3330.
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