Regarding social media content, we often discuss format, image size or video duration. Important points regarding optimal content distribution, but two larger areas also represent the delimitation of the individual social networks and the holistic content marketing activities.
Ephemeral Content And Evergreen Content
Social Media Marketing With Evergreen Content
What is evergreen content? We produce more and more content for social networks, but only a tiny part generates long-term value. Once for the companies and once for the people who consume the content. However, evergreen content does not exist in every social network. Channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Snapchat are not designed for evergreen content. Social networks like YouTube and Pinterest, on the other hand, do. In other words, their strength and differentiation lie in evergreen content.
Evergreen Content On YouTube
YouTube consists of two pillars. Firstly, the subscribers to YouTube channels, who ideally are passionate about new content and watch and interact with current videos. The second pillar is the YouTube search or integrating YouTube videos in the Google search. In combination with the recommendations of the YouTube algorithm, evergreen content is created. Many YouTube videos generate not only views shortly after their publication (Pillar 1) but every month and over a long period.
Videos of this type are of great value to brands and companies but must also meet specific requirements. Only videos whose content offers added value over a long period are successful evergreen content. It is not enough that a video is often searched for and found but the content needs to be updated. Then one aspect of evergreen content is fulfilled, the long-term findability, but the added value is missing. This is the challenge when it comes to producing evergreen content for social media.
Evergreen Content On Pinterest
Pinterest follows a similar approach to YouTube. Published Pins appear in subscribers’ Pinterest feeds. They also spread over the long term via the Pinterest search and algorithm. In contrast to YouTube, sharing content within your network plays a more significant role on Pinterest. While YouTube videos spread outside of YouTube, Pins spread directly on Pinterest.
For example, if a recipe video is shared on Instagram, it will get most of its engagement, reach, and watch time quickly. The same video initially gets less spread on Pinterest in most cases (a few accounts are an exception). But it generates long-term distance and traffic. At this point, you will notice content adaptation and distribution’s role.
Social Media Marketing With Ephemeral Content
Ephemeral content receives significantly more attention. Due to the success of Instagram Stories and the integration of stories into almost every app, we are in a time of brief content or ephemeral marketing. What is ephemeral content? Ephemeral content is based on the FOMO principle. The limited content availability in stories creates a particular topicality and is particularly suitable for trends, current topics and new products. Anyone who does not consume the content within a specific time will no longer be able to finish it because it is no longer available.
At first glance, ephemeral content is inferior to long-lived evergreen content. This is also correct in many cases. However, brief content also has strengths that evergreen content cannot match. Stories stood for ephemeral content. However, news feed content on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter also counts as short content. While the feed content remains available, it produces results immediately after publication rather than over the long term. While evergreen content should offer long-term value, ephemeral content must work now and in this context. News, limited offers, real-time information, and reactions to trends stand for short range and are the opposite of evergreen content.
Of course, companies have both areas, and with the breakthrough of the stories format, ephemeral content has become more critical and more effective at the same time. Most of the stickers available for Instagram Stories are designed explicitly for ephemeral content. Countdowns, surveys, polls and so on. In a short time, people are confronted with current and new content. Engagement is created quickly, and the added value of the content is in the moment it is consumed. This added value will no longer exist in three months for most of the stories.
No, Either/Or
Brands and businesses need both types of content. Long-lived evergreen content that generates results every day and ephemeral content that plays over current topics. One part usually predominates depending on the goal and focus of the content and social media marketing activities.
One can say that, especially regarding evergreen content, many opportunities still need to be used or that many capacities and budgets need to be more efficient in the right content. On the other hand, some brands and companies ignore the opportunity of ephemeral content and lose visibility here and leave the field to the competitors. When we talk about content and the goals associated with it, we are talking about formats and channels. But it is also always possible and short and long-term content and which goals they should meet at what point.
Also Read: Social Media Apps And Platforms: Social Networks On The Go