With the constant rise of social media on mobile devices such as iPhone and Android, people are becoming more attracted to Snapchat’s format of 24 hour ephemeral content also known as “stories.”
While this may not be a brand new approach to social media, it has surely left an impact on social media content creation and is expected to continue doing so in years to come.
Why is this content so popular? What exactly is the draw? There are actually quite a few reasons why social media users prefer ephemeral content as opposed to regular posting. Here are the big three:
-Authenticity
-Traffic
-An unclogged feed
As one would probably assume, no one wants to see fake, unrealistic content 24/7 when they open their social media. In fact, according to a 2017 global study, about 57% of social media users and consumers claim that authenticity is key in creating and maintaining a successful brand.
Brands that utilize social media have also benefited greatly from the use of ephemeral content. It was proven that 62% of users become more intrigued by a brand and/or product if they see it advertised on stories.
One of the less complex benefits of ephemeral social media content is the simple fact that it provides enjoyable content without the worry of clogging one’s feed. Many influencers and brands have a very particular aesthetic that they wish to maintain for their main feed causing them to limit what they post in order to maintain this aesthetic. Stories help rid them of this concern.
Regardless of why one chooses to utilize story features on their social media, there is no doubt that they are in some way benefitting from it, and this is only the beginning.