What Is The Future Of Ephemeral Video

The world is getting smaller and smaller day by day. Even people from the two opposite ends of the world are in contact within a blink of an eye.

Yes! This is the power of social media. Today everyone is so addicted to it that it will not be surprising if in the near future a 'Sociophobia' comes out in the market.

However this phobia will not be the fear of social media, but the fear of being away from social media.

Today, everybody is literally, breathing social media. Every minute details of the life have to go up their on all the platforms.

It is almost like performing a sacred ritual. Well it may be that social media platforms are as good as sacred places specially for the marketers.

Ok, I am not saying it sarcastically. But today from posting a funny video of brushing your teeth in the morning to sleeping in cartoon pajamas at night, everything has to go on the social platforms.

This has indeed proved to be a plus point for the people looking to expand their business digitally. And well digital expansion now almost means all type of business. Because every business has now marked it's footprint in the digital world.

Atleast, I hope that, for those who have not, I no longer understand how they are surviving.

Anyways let me not be diverted from the topic. So social media is the soul of digital marketing. As long as your soul is happy you flourish.

Now when we talk about social media, every second day a new word buzzes out. Like today I gave away the word 'Sociophobia'.

But hold on, do not run your horses in the opposite direction. Today I am not talking about Sociophobia but another buzz in the town - 'Ephemeral Videos'

What is Ephemeral Video?

Ephemeral video is basically a content, videos or images that are visible only for a particular time.

Now you are getting it right. Yes, I am talking about the stories on social media that is creating the latest sensation in the market.

The concept was first introduced by Snapchat, but soon Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc are also following the trend.

Ephemeral video or the disappearing content/stories as it is commonly known can be the new weapon for digital marketers.

Before we move on, I just want you to have a look at these figures. This will make up for the runway, before we take off.

1. More than 62% of the audience are more likely to be interested in a product or brand, after seeing it's story on social platforms.
2. ? of the stories created on different social media platforms are by businesses.
3. In comparison to feeds and posts, stories are growing 15x times faster.
4. More than 200 million people are engaging in Instagram stories alone per month. Which is 50 million above Snapchat.
5. Ephemeral videos have increased the average time spent on social media from 15 to 32 minutes per day.

Hope these stats are making it clear for you that ephemeral videos are really the future of social media.

You might be wondering, that it would be stupidity to post a content that will literally disappear in 24 hours.

But you see, this is the secret.

Imagine if you came across something that is only available for 24 hours what would you do? You would probably want to see it before it vanishes. You would also like to share it as much as possible with others before it is lost in thin air.

Yes this FOMO - fear of missing out is the real reason for the success of ephemeral videos.

Let us understand…

What is the goal of ephemeral videos?

By now, you would have figured out its main goal. If not, do not worry, I will make things clear for you.

The goal of ephemeral video is to reach out to as many audience as possible.

Let us understand the word ephemeral in terms of social media. It can be in two sense.

• One is the ephemeral content that is available only for a particular time period.
• Another is the ephemeral audience that sees a content and disappear never to return again if it is not appealing or engaging.

Just like the sense there are two goals of ephemeral videos.

1. Evoke instant response: one of the major goal of ephemeral videos is to bring out immediate response from the audience. And the FOMO here is the hero, it creates the sense of urgency.

By immediate response, I mean, to provoke the user to make immediate decision to purchase the product or service.

Another immediate response can be to elicit the user to make the content viral, by sharing it as much as possible.

1. Increase user engagement: ephemeral content not only emboss it's product's or service's impression on the user but also engages him personally.

Another interesting thing about ephemeral content is, it creates user generated content (UGC).

By sharing the disappearing content and making it viral, the user directly or indirectly is acting on the brand's behalf. Hence generating UGC.

The next in the line to boost your knowledge is

What are the benefits of ephemeral content?

Now the question is, is it worth investing your precious money and time in a content that will vanish in just 24 hours?

Yes! It surely is. Let us look why…

Increases Engagement-

Like stated earlier, the fear of missing out is the guiding force behind it. It is normal human tendency to act faster before they miss out.

And when it comes to social media, nobody wants to be left out. People react faster to ephemeral content in comparison to normal posts and feeds on social platforms.

This increases the chances of your disappearing content getting viral and hence increased engagement.

Increases Authenticity -

It is not surprising that today, companies are promoting all types of polished and curated content. But it does not mirror much authenticity.

However, on the other hand ephemeral content is more authentic.

Since the content disappears in 24 hours, it is more likely to be raw and authentic.

Another thing to note is, when the audience create user generated content, audience following that brand is more likely to trust the content because it is created by the user.

This encourages the audience to stick longer and believe at what they are looking.

Increases Audience Reach -

Since the content is passed on at a lightening speed before it vanishes, it reaches more audience than you can imagine.

According to the data, alone Instagram engages more than 200 million users with stories, every month.

I think now you can understand the level at which your ephemeral content can be promoted.

Think about the potential these 200 million people can have, when it comes to making an authentic content viral.

The results of audience reach can be really surprising, trust me.

Increases Content Volume -

Ephemeral content can be anything, from promotional videos to behind the scene raw footage for 30 secs. This means that the time spent in creating such content is less, since it is only for 30 seconds.

Most of the social platforms only allow videos/content for 30 seconds when it comes to stories and statuses.

So now you have all the time in the world to increase the volume of your content and what more, make it more creative and engaging.

Increases Mobile User Engagement -

Majority of the users have shifted from desktops and laptops to mobiles. I hope you know this. If not, you immediately need to brush up you knowledge.

I don't have to say anything. The numbers will speak for themselves.

77% of the adults are more active on mobiles and the number only increases as the age decreases.

The golden rule of marketing is - "Be where your audience is."

So if your audience is on mobiles, you ought to be there too. And what better way than ephemeral content to engage with you audience on mobiles.

After reading all this, I think you might be tempted to try out the ephemeral content for yourself.

Well, I was!

So let us take a look at…

Ephemeral Content Formats That Work Best

Let me make it clear before we move forward, that it is no guessing game. You have be clear about your goals and for that you need to have story to attract your audience.

One pro tip is: have everything mapped out in advance.

This may be something new and exciting, but you shouldn't forget the basics of marketing - "Know who are your customers and what they are interested in."

The ultimate motive is to tell a story because behind every brand, there is a story. And you should not be afraid to tell that.

The formats may differ according to the platforms you are using. But the most recommended is videos.

The different formats can be:

• Videos
• Memes
• Images

While scripting down your story, you need to keep a few things in mind.

• It should be connecting.
• It should be authentic at the same time creative.
• It should provide all the information required for the viewer to create UGC.
• Try to create a chain of stories. Your second story should be somehow related to you first one. Or the users will feel disengaged.
• And the most important is, do not be afraid to pour your heart out. Let your audience know everything about you.

Another pro tip: It is recommended to keep the video length between 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

I hope now most of your how's and why's are cleared about ephemeral content.

It is time to discuss about…

Platforms You Can Use for Ephemeral Content

Though Snapchat was the first to initiate this trend, many other social platforms have made it to the headlines now.

The most famous and useful platforms to post your ephemeral content are:

• Snapchat
• Facebook
• Instagram
• WhatsApp

Others in the queue are: Mashable, The Daily Mail,, MTV and Refinery29.

• 68% of the users have claimed to use Facebook, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger or Instagram at least once a week to engage in stories.
• 62% of the audience have agreed to be more interested in a product or brand after seeing it in a story on any social platform.
• 34% of the user have accepted that they have visited the store or website to inquire about a product after seeing it in a story.
• 38% of the people said that they have shared or told about the service or brand with their connection after seeing it in a story.

More or less everything is covered about ephemeral videos. So, why miss out another important thing…

Pros and cons of ephemeral content

No doubt that ephemeral content is ruling the social media, but every coin has two sides. So there are both pros and cons to this trend as well.

Let us hover over them quickly.

Pros of ephemeral content:

1. It can bring quick results that too without digging in too deep.
2. It captures immediate attention. Thanks to the fear of missing out.
3. Ephemeral content captures the attention of wider audience and has more chances of getting viral.
4. It is the best tool for startups as it can be the perfect way to spread brand awareness.
5. It builds brand credibility because chances of authenticity and loyalty with UGC is more.
6. As per human psychology, a user is likely to engage more in vertical video formats than scrolling ones. And this is exactly what ephemeral content offers - stories in vertical formats.

Cons of ephemeral content:

1. It disappears in 24 hours. Which means it is easy to be forgotten soon.
2. Creating engaging content, which can hit the brain and stay there for a longer time. That too on daily basis.
3. You need to have a long-term strategy for this because you need to publish stories on different platforms everyday for best results. This also means that you need proper resources and finances to produce daily content.

This was a guide to the hot topic in the social media world. Though the disappearing videos only stay for as long as 24 hours, but ephemeral content is surely going to be the trend for much longer than that.

If you have been experimenting with ephemeral content already, you are smart. But if you have not till now, you need to act immediately and change your social media marketing strategy to include ephemeral content in it.

Or will I have to share a story on social media about the future of ephemeral videos to get immediate response from those of you who are lacking.

Act now!

Feel free to share your ideas and feedbacks in the comment box below and stay tuned for the next article.

Thank you!