Customer-centric companies need to generate a steady stream of new material to promote site traffic and raise brand awareness. Also, with the shrinking attention span (5-6 seconds) of internet users, snackable content is what readers are craving these days.
Web content must be snackable for better content marketing and brand recognition. Users access a lot of information through various websites and social media on the internet. If visitors aren’t enticed enough by your content to read and share it, the content doesn’t have any business value.
Snackable content should help support the brand by giving industry facts or the company’s story, rather than promoting products. One of the primary goals of snackable content is to help you feed readers with additional bites of content.
In this article, we discuss the importance of snackable content in today’s business world. Also, we elaborate on the ways you can turn your content into small but filling bites. Then, we provide some of the best snackable content ideas.
What Is Snackable Content?
Snackable content includes short, simple, and visually appealing content that readers like to share or re-share. It refers to many types of internet content that are tiny and easy to consume. Text, videos, and images can all be considered snackable content.
It is aimed to be viewed in a matter of seconds. This means it is suitable for mobile browsing, almost anywhere, and at any time. It is an excellent marketing tactic since it is simple to consume.
Here are the main characteristics of snackable content:
- Easy to grasp
- Interesting
- Catchy
- Sharable
Snackable Content vs. Main Course Content
Snackable content is determined by the amount of time it takes to read, not necessarily by its type. While snacks can be eaten in a few minutes, the main course meal may take half an hour or longer. Similarly, snackable content may take a few seconds of a reader’s time. But, conventional ones such as blog posts can take more than five or ten minutes to be read.
Although snackable material is available throughout the Internet, it is particularly popular on social networking sites. These platforms are meant to submit frequent updates and read feeds that include such material.
So, here are some examples of snackable content vs. main course content and material:
5 Reasons Why Snackable Content Is Great for Marketing
As the preferences of internet users change throughout time, marketers need to think of innovative ways to keep them engaged. Today’s internet users are more likely to log on for a few minutes at a time, numerous times each day. Previously, they could stay online to read and browse for longer durations.
Unlike in the past decades, people are now more interested in bite-sized crispy content. They are more willing to read, share, and re-share short and appealing content.
Although Google still likes in-depth material, user preferences have changed. They’ve developed a taste for snackable content.
Let’s delve deeper to find out why snackable content is more impactful than long texts. Here are 5 main reasons for the effectiveness of snackable content in marketing:
1- Visual Snackable Content Sticks Better in Mind
Snackable content relies heavily on visual features such as infographics and photographs.
Marketers are already aware of visual content effectiveness and how it stands out in a sea of text-based articles. 90% of the transmitted data to humans’ brains is visual data. Unless the content is linked to an image, many customers will not recall it. While words are preserved in short-term memory, images are stored in long-term memory.
So, using visual content bites increases the likelihood of your messages being received by your potential readers.
2- The Shrinking Attention Spans of Users
Internet users’ attention span is very short, about 8 seconds, and it’s getting even shorter as time passes. The average Internet user abandons a web page in 10 to 20 seconds. This offers businesses a short amount of time to give customers a cause to return.
They should easily and quickly find answers to whatever queries they may have. It may be a question that popped into their mind or information on your business hours. For this purpose, catchy headlines are useful as they attract readers more quickly.
3- The Dominance of Mobile Browsing among Users
You should communicate with your customers, no matter where they are and how they prefer to reach your content. Mobile devices are used by today’s users to access social media and corporate websites. This is especially true for millennials as the target demographic of many businesses.
As can be seen in the above chart, an increasing percentage of website traffic comes from mobile devices. Mobile users read content on the go. So, reviewing a brief infographic or a series of short posts on social media is much more appealing than lengthy texts.
4- Data-driven Snackable Content Gets More Shares
Not all social media posts get an equal level of user engagement. Posts including facts and data are more likely to engage your readers. It’s because such posts provide them with proof of what they’re reading, and thus they better accept it.
Moreover, other content writers and professionals share or mention your content pieces to add credibility to their writing. When numerous high-quality sites link to your piece, Google’s algorithms are more likely to consider it as important material.
Hence, this raises the likelihood that potential customers will come across your online posts. It can also increase the number of visitors who seek out additional information about the items or services you’re selling.
5- Snackable Content Allows for More Consistency
It’s challenging for businesses to write 700-1,000 word pieces of content regularly. That makes the online platforms that brands use to communicate with their audience get stalled. A smart marketing strategy is to maintain constant communication by sourcing more short-form material.
Snackable content enables easily accessible information while maintaining search engine presence. When text material is supplied with informative data and includes graphics, it is far more likely to reach readers. Also, it boosts the likelihood of the content to get more shares and even go viral.
Consistency in content provision offers customers frequent reminders of a brand’s existence. As repeated exposure to a brand increases message effectiveness, customers recall your product or service regularly.
That’s why writing snackable content is a great marketing approach. Simply releasing a meme, gif, infographic, or shareable social media post can create significant results. So, it can be more beneficial than waiting for your marketing team to compile a lengthy article.
How to Write Snackable Content: 6 Tips
Now that you know the key role of snackable content in marketing, it’s time to discuss how to create one. Here’s how:
1- Begin with Small Bites
Bullet points, subheadings, lists, brief paragraphs, graphics, and skimmable statistics are great to start with. Snackable content is information that can be quickly scanned amid constant interruptions and daily tasks.
It’s not only about how you show your content visually; it’s also about the words you use. So, write as if you’re speaking to your audience, using natural language that’s easy to understand. Through language and design, bite-sized content makes your information easier and more appealing to absorb.
2- Keep the Small Bites Filling
Nobody enjoys being on a diet or feeling confined by what is available. And just because your reader is preoccupied doesn’t mean they don’t want a piece of the pie. For SEO and offering actual value to your clients, long-form content is better.
The length of snackable material isn’t as important as you may think. It all comes down to scalability.
So, keep writing those longer 1,500-word blog entries, but split them up even further into bite-sized chunks of brilliance. Just make sure they are ready to be consumed whenever and on whatever device your readers want.
3- Inform Readers about their Choices
Let’s imagine you’re in a restaurant, reviewing the menu. You’re drawn to a specific dish because a word like velvet piques your interest. But, what you get on your plate isn’t as expected. Nobody likes being tricked about what they’re going to ingest.
Consider your title to be similar to a menu option. It sets the tone for what your reader will envision, select to click on, and experience.
Thus, your headline has two purposes:
1. To correctly represent what the reader should expect
2. To be catchy enough to make them interested in your content
If you succeed in both of these aspects, you’ll be one step closer to keeping your readers happy.
4- Don’t Make them Wait Long
When you are hungry you hate to wait for food, and so do busy individuals craving to read their material. As a result, you should write a brief and to-the-point first paragraph. Why? To allow your readers to know what they should expect from your blog article. Your reader wants to be able to see the value it will provide right away.
Logically, they should be aware of the benefits of devoting a piece of their busy schedule to your work. That’s why you should be able to address the “why” of your blog post as quickly as possible. Let them know why they should stop checking other tabs or posts, and spend time reading your blog post. It’s simpler to catch and hold your reader’s imagination and attention if you get to the “why” quickly.
5- Share the Good Bites
The good bites are the excellent stuff that binds everything together and gives your material depth. They are necessary for adding genuine value to the words you write. For example, include valuable links from reliable sources, detailing practical advice, and formulating important takeaways.
If you don’t include enough of them, your material will be unappealing, uninspired, and boring. So, try re-reading your posts once you’ve finished writing them. Then, search for any boring spots where you can add a bit more of the interesting bites. For example, a little more creativity, a fresh thought, or a supporting stat.
6- Introduce them to New Flavors
When you consume even the best food in the world over and over again, it gets tedious. Similarly, feeding your readers with the same type of content, even if it’s the best quality, is tiresome. And it’s a perfect opportunity to shake things up and give your readers something fresh and enjoyable. For example, if your material has always been textual, experiment with videos or infographics and pictures.
Snackable content may be created and shared on Instagram and other social media platforms. For visual content, the same criteria apply: get to the point quickly, give genuine value, and meet your readers’ expectations. You should try constantly going above their expectations in terms of creativity and uniqueness.
What Are the Best Snackable Content Ideas?
Here are the best snackable content ideas you can apply to your content marketing strategy:
- Instagram Stories
As one of the most successful social media, Instagram has 1 billion MAU (monthly active users). You can easily use Instagram stories as snackable and engaging content. Even if it’s only to repost the most recent material from your feed, you’re connecting with your audience. Using entertaining templates is one of the greatest ways to get started with engaging Instagram stories.
You can add polls to your Instagram stories as a popular way to boost engagement. Also, creating event announcements, question stickers, and user answers are other good ideas for snackable content.
- Instagram Posts
Instagram posts are the most familiar type of content format on this platform for users. That’s why many Instagram blogs post regularly to attract new followers and increase engagement. Easily digestible Instagram posts are a form of creating small bites of good content. Moreover, you can make series of informative posts and categorize them as Instagram guides. It not only provides your users with fruitful information but also strengthens their connection with your brand.
- IGTV
Video content is one of the most popular media forms with the potential to convey complex ideas effectively. It can benefit your entire content marketing strategy. However, there is an intriguing change in users’ video content consumption in recent years. Rather than wanting shorter content, Instagram users seem to prefer a balancing diet of shorter and longer films.
Instagram launched the IGTV feature in late 2018 in response to the rising demand for longer-form video. This great feature allows content producers to leave material on their Instagram feeds for up to an hour. Though, it’s better to split longer videos into IGTV snippets. It’s a working way to create steady snackable content.
- Tweets
Twitter is another beneficial social platform for posting snackable content. The most engaging tweets are those between 71 and 100 characters. Because it allows some space for potential retweets for additional comments. Hashtags are also important for tweet engagement. Although it’s good to include hashtags in your tweets, using more than two hashtags is not recommended.
- Infographics
Similar to videos, infographics help internet users grasp long and probably tedious content at a glance. They are visual representations of concepts and data created with the intent of a clear and quick presentation of information. That’s why infographics count as yummy snacks for many readers who are too busy (or lazy?) to read paragraphs.
- Quotes
Another great form of snackable content is quotations from well-known people and industry leaders. Individuals prefer to purchase from other people rather than big companies or faceless organizations. Transforming your favorite quotes into unique graphics is one of the simplest ways to add credibility to your business.
There are several free phone applications and online tools available to help you generate quote graphics. Canva, Phonto, and Pablo by Buffer are some examples of such tools. Try a few and then choose your favorite app. Using designs that match your brand standards, you may take a fantastic industry quotation to the next level.
- Quick Tips
Similar to quotes, tips and takeaways are small yet powerful words on a specific topic. These types of snackable content allow readers to digest complex concepts conveniently. For bloggers, it’s best to include the key takeaways of each section of their articles. This way, you provide an option for readers to choose whether to read a whole paragraph or have a snack.
Final Thoughts
Creating content in small but filling bites is an art. Although it’s a bit challenging to compact large information packs into small bites, it’s helpful for readers if done right.
Throughout this article, we elaborated on the definition and characteristics of snackable content and outlined its benefits for marketing.
Moreover, we introduced some ideas on writing these useful content types that you can apply to your content marketing strategy. And the good news is that you can use this strategy on your current digital marketing channels. Instagram stories, posts, IGTV, tweets, infographics, quotes, and quick tips are some examples of snackable content on various platforms.
So, if you have established digital marketing channels, pick up relevant ideas and apply them to your channel. If not, and you’ve just started the work, check which idea fits into your business and customer personas best.
Author Bio
Shirin Esfandi is an enthusiastic blogger with a special interest in online business and entrepreneurship. She is currently writing on digital marketing tips and tools for Watch Them Live.