Consider micro-content the teaser–or appetizer–to long-form content. It conveys digestible information from a more extensive content piece, such as a blog, long video, eBook, social media post, or newspaper articles. Sometimes readers have the time to sit and absorb your longer article, but not always. As marketing professionals, we should cater to both. We should give consumers what they need without asking them to trade a large portion of their time and provide the option for them to go deeper in a more extensive piece.
What is micro-content?
Micro-content is full of informational teasers. It’s big-picture ideas, broken down into 30-second snippets, whether text or video. Great micro-content walks your prospects through the sales funnel, encouraging them to continue engaging and eventually resulting in a closed deal and long-term customer.
Sure, micro-content is “small”, but it is a large umbrella that houses various mediums and possibilities. Infographics, short videos, memes and GIFs, webpage titles, and graphs are only a few examples.
Micro content should not be underestimated. Remember, people are constantly being lured to the next piece of information in a sea of endless advertising. Mobile devices and television create a lot of “noise” in our world. Instead of asking customers to go against their nature and spend hours learning about your product or business, meet them where they are. Give them something to think about in 30 seconds or less.
If your going to make it, make it good
“I know a 40-year-old woman has a different mindset when she’s on Facebook versus when she’s on Pinterest. That is what I keep in mind when I try to tell her a story, because I know I’m on Pinterest.” – Gary Vaynerchuk.
We think he’s onto something. Instead of haphazardly putting together a 30-second video–with no strategy–and calling it good content, respect the process. Micro-content is a beast, and there are ways to take it from good to exceptional.
Remember, people are constantly being lured to the next piece of information in a sea of endless advertising. Mobile devices and television create a lot of “noise” in our world. Instead of asking customers to go against their nature and spend hours learning about your product or business, meet them where they are. Give them something to think about in 30 seconds or less.
- Consider your audience: When putting together your content, think about who will engage with it and in what setting. Your creative process should consider the person on the receiving end. You’ll write differently if your intended audience is a stay-at-home parent instead of a full-time business professional.
- Kick fluff to the curb: You’ve lost sight of making it micro if there are unnecessary words or ideas. Show your audience that you respect their time by conveying your message in as little time as possible.
- Make it stackable: Not everyone exclusively spends time on Instagram, or other platforms, making it essential to diversify the mediums you’re uploading content on. Take your primary content and support it by producing micro-content on various platforms, such as YouTube, email, social media spaces, etc. A bonus is that you can add external links in each of these places, which improves SEO.
Deploying micro-content in 5 simple steps
Here are five steps to guide you through deploying your micro-content across various platforms and how they support each other. Pull up your longer piece of content and get ready to work.
- Post with a purpose: First, make sure your original blog post is doing some heavy lifting for you. Do you have keywords pollinated throughout? A stellar meta description? In- and external links? Polish your original content before moving on.
- Ready, set, email: Within the email body should be a sneak peek into your blog. Something catchy, leaving the reader wanting more. Micro-content within an email can be copy, an infographic, or even a short video. Regardless of what you choose, it should be focused but short.
- LinkedIn: Spread your content like wildfire. Like other social platforms, the essence of LinkedIn is sharing what you have to offer, and others endorsing you by sharing it on their own feeds. Include a captivating introduction summarizing your copy, a link at the end, and 2-3 hashtags.
- Facebook: Share the link on Facebook with an embedded photo or video and a clear invitation at the end asking people to come “take a closer look.”
- Instagram: Pictures draw people in, and since Instagram can’t function without them, this is an ideal place to captivate somebody and share your micro-content. Instagram diversifies the experience on one platform, meaning you can share via picture to your feed, Instagram reel, or stories. Tell readers where they can find a link to learn more and offer ten or so hashtags.
Each of these should be substantive enough that they can stand alone and offer something valuable to whoever stumbles upon it, but interesting enough that people want to continue engaging with you.
You have plenty to say, but when you don’t, we can help
Just when you think you’ve run out of content ideas, think again. If you have even a few pieces of long-form content, you can immediately begin creating micro-content. The good news is: creating brief pieces of content from bigger portions will fill your content calendar for months to come.
The better news? You don’t have to do it alone. Red Mallard loves helping people build brand credibility and establish trust with customers by creating content that resonates. Contact Red Mallard today to learn more about creating together.
