Micro-content is everywhere, from emails to sections on your website. But let us not neglect where most people spend time—before, after, and during work—social media.
Social media and algorithms are forever changing. Despite changes in the “rules” to play by, social media has done one thing for the human mind that doesn’t seem to be changing anytime soon: an itch for quick, consumable content.
A Recap of Micro-Content
Micro-content lets you take big-picture ideas and deliver them in 30-60 seconds, whether in a video or text. There is no one place where micro-content lives—if it’s short and able to be consumed by somebody on the other end, it can live anywhere.
Many businesses deliver micro-content without realizing that it is what they are doing, nor its benefits. For example, websites are full of micro-content, but a rapidly approaching deadline may cause a copywriting team to rush past the words on the page without much strategy.
Social Media: Inherently Built for Micro-content
Mobile-friendliness for websites cannot be ignored. Why? Because mobile browsing is what the majority of people are doing. And as mentioned above, adequate time is spent online. Think about your own “scrolling strategy’.”—You likely aren’t moving slowly through your feed, analyzing each post you run into. We bet it’s a quick-hit. You consume; you keep moving. Rinse and repeat.
Google even provides SEO rankings based on mobile-friendliness. So although your social media content likely isn’t going to rank you on Google search pages, it will rank you on social media search engines within the app.
A study by Buffer tells us that “73% of marketers believe that their social media efforts have helped them reach their business goals.” And according to Gary Vee, your “content pyramid” isn’t complete unless you utilize social media to distribute content in smaller, digestible ways. It’s not accidental that social media platforms limit you, like Twitter, which only allows 280 characters.
They know it’s what people want.
The Well that Never Runs Dry
What if each time a well ran out of water, nature intuitively picked up on it and filled it back up? Social media does this with consumers—after every post is another intuitive suggestion. The feed never runs dry, and micro-content makes it possible.
Now, the question isn’t whether or not social media is built for the micro. Instead, it’s how to provide micro-content on these platforms best to increase visibility.
As an example rhythm to creating and deploying content, here’s what we envision:
- Big picture — Long-form content, such as articles, blog posts, or thorough videos, is a tremendous first stopping point. You either already have some in your archives or need to create some (or need help creating some). Either way, starting here will give you a first set of content to break down into smaller pieces later.
- Trickle–down — Take these longer-form pieces and organize the big ideas into smaller ones. For example, if an overarching subject is “what is email marketing?” you can list out smaller ideas that live within, like segmentation, tagging, opt-in, subject lines, etc.
- Deploy — These much smaller ideas can now be the launchpad for creating micro-content online. If you have much to say about segmentation, for example, plan a handful of posts that go into it. This is where micro-content helps your social media to never run dry.
Best of all, social media is a hotbed for “free” marketing from others. When you provide valuable content, others will be inclined to share it, spreading your message and business further than efforts on your own.
Completing the Circle
Social media is an “obvious” place for micro-content, but don’t stop there. Boosting your content strategy with social media is just one option. Now, take this content and pollinate it elsewhere.
- Email campaigns — links to your social media channels should always live within emails. You can also use the already existing micro-content posted on your feed and put it into a short email.
- Blog repurposing — Creating a small section on your website or miniature blog post (as just one example) is another place to use the content while supporting the other areas it lives.
- Texting — Whether internally focused or a subscriber list similar to email, you can also send out micro-content from social media-or anywhere—and include it in a text campaign. Link to the other places in which it lives to diversify the areas your prospects or customers “hang out.”
As our parting wisdom, keep keywords at the forefront of your focus through this process. The longer-form content keywords should align with your micro-content, boosting SEO as they work in unison.
Your Partner in Content Strategy
Red Mallard exists so you don’t have to create a content strategy alone. Contact us today so we can get to your business and your needs better, and to see how Red Mallard can come alongside you.
