Written by Kirsten Goode at Encompass Marketing and referencing information from Hubspot

2020 was an unprecedented year and one that we won’t forget for a long time. Whether you have had a good year or bad there is one thing that you have probably done more of than any year to date. You have, more than likely, spent a lot of time on your devices, social media in particular.

But, our increased connection to social media isn’t at all bad. With some parts of the country in lockdown for weeks if not months, and our inability to travel too far from home, social media has become a way for many people to touch base with work, family and friends. In fact in March 2020, as countries around the world implemented stay-at-home orders due to Covid-19, Statista reported a 21% uptick in monthly social media usage.

I am sure many of you can recall an occasion or two where you’ve poured yourself a drink, quickly checked your appearance in the mirror and placed your mobile at the perfect angle to show off your best side before connecting to your work colleagues, your family or your friends via videochat on WhatsApp, Zoom, HouseParty, Messenger or countless other video chat apps. And, according to Hubspot, as the world hits 3.6 billion social media users and continues to deal with the pandemic, brands aren’t just wondering how they’ll engage huge social media audiences this year. They’re also asking, “What social media trends should I expect in this constantly changing landscape?”

One of the top social media trends that has been big last year and will continue to be in 2021 is snackable content.

While creating snackable content can be easier to produce than long-form content, it’s creation comes with a host of its own challenges and strategies. It’s a different game with different rules, and its potential payoffs can be more immediate and wider-reaching than long-form content. i.e. it can go viral!

The objective of creating snackable content is to offer immediate entertainment, capture interest, prompt social sharing, and attract new leads.

Certain content mediums perform particularly well as snackable content. Here are four of the easiest, most straightforward snackable content formats that can lead to meaningful and beneficial outcomes if done right.

1. Quote Graphics

An inspiring quote can capture attention in itself, add some captivating visuals and you have a new additional dimension to the interest it can generate. Think of your quote as your car’s engine. Let’s picture a Tesla (because that’s the kind of greenie girl I am!)

The Tesla engine is the centerpiece of the car, it doesn’t work without it, but the cars body, design and accessories take it to another level. That’s the fundamental principle behind quote graphics. The engaging backdrop, distinctive font, and other captivating visual elements accessorise the car and turn it from very large matchbox toy into a useful, eye catching, game changing automobile.

If you can find or create quote-oriented content relevant to your business, you can command and retain the attention of potential customers. Here’s an example of a snackable quote graphic for my SEO service.

Now, this graphic uses the video to enhance the message. It draws your attention to the image and should, ideally, make the quote more meaningful and thought provoking. It’s a good example of an original quote graphic, specific to the nature of SEO.

If there are quotes you find particularly inspirational or that are in keeping with your messaging, use them and provide attribution. Here’s a couple of examples of a graphic centered around quotes that captured what I think will inspire businesses in the coming year.

Image Source: Canva

If a quote like that speaks to you or compliments your marketing message, use it, support it with eye-catching graphics, and cite your sources. Quotes are inherently compelling, but visual support makes them engagingly snackable.

Or, if you think you have an inspiring quote of your own that you want to share, create one your own.

Image Source: Canva

Just remember, to gain the most out of your snackable content and to ensure people associate your business with these images, ensure you brand them and use your brand personality when creating them. That way if they do go viral, you brand is right there, front and centre.

2. Memes

Nothing represents the essence of Social Media quite like a meme!

A meme is defined by Merrian_Webster as an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media.

Memes perfectly encapsulate snackable content as a concept. They’re immediate, specifically-tailored to be entertaining, are designed to be easily scrolled through and shared.

Here’s an example of a meme I found that has two very popular elements. 1. humour and 2. cats:

Source: Canva

2020 was, understandably, a very popular topic for memes. The calamity of the situation caused by covid-19 provided plenty of fodder for humourous memes. Memes gave people an outlet to create a more upbeat version of the bleakness of 2020. Here is one of the tops Memes for 2020 according to Esquire Magazine

Creating memes is a fine art. You need to be very careful when using memes to support your marketing efforts. Corporations have been known to adopt different meme formats and overuse them to the point where they produce a negative rather than a positive response. So, when using a well known meme, make sure you check its history to ensure it won’t take away from what you are trying to achieve.

Source: Star wars

That being said, if you can consistently use tasteful and entertaining memes without upsetting your audience — you can end up with a plethora of delightfully snackable content with the added bonus of having fun in the process.

3.Infographics

The infographic, is a great way to relay information in a short, sharp and practical way. It can be fun and engaging as well as relay pertinent information to interest your audience. It also has a dynamic range of applications like this step by step from the getting started section of Encompass Marketing’s website

Other applications can show data to promote the successful of your campaigns or programs like this example below.

Image Source: Encompass Marketing

Infographics can also be used to convey general, interesting facts or statistics, like this example again from our website.

Or provide your audience with tips or information that may have nothing to do with your business, but are useful to your audience and therefore leave a positive impression of your business.

Source: Xero

Infographics are more accessible and dynamic than conventional written text. Its easier to read and understand within seconds rather than the minutes it take to read the same information — and this quality is the essence of snackable content. They’re meant to be straightforward, quick while still being enriching. Though there will always be information that’s too serious or technical to summarize and set against pretty pictures, infographics is definitely the best way to relay valuable information in a snack worthy package.

4. Gifs

Gifs are another addictively shareable form of snackable content with huge potential to go viral. Gifs are very versatile as a format because they can be used to show quick videos silently or captivating images on loop, and can perfectly capture the essence of a specific emotion or reaction.

Some gifs are almost purely for the sake of entertainment. This one is a favorite of mine:

Image Source: GIPHY

But humour is not their only function. They can be a fantastically useful marketing tool as well. Here’s a promotional gif supporting the release of Terminator: Dark Fate:

Image Source: Contently

It’s a striking image and a perfect example of a company using a high-quality, snackable gif to best advantage. It’s visually compelling and worth sharing just for that fact, alone.

The gif format also works well for quick product demonstrations or how-to videos, or even to animate your brands logo.

Original gifs and original memes have viral sharing potential, but be warned! They also have just as much potential to be ineffective or even detrimental to your brand. If you plan to create and share gifs over social media or other digital channels, do your research, put thought and effort, and a delicate touch into them. And always have a few people check them before you post them.

A dynamic and engaging web presence is essential to the success of any company’s marketing strategy. Your customers have experienced many of the amazing things that the web has to offer and, as a result, have extremely high standards. If you populate your digital presence with entertaining and informative snackable content, you will be in a commanding position to expand your reach, engage your audience and hopefully gain some sales along the way. You want your audience to share your content, so give them something easy to share.

Article Sources:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/snackable-content

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meme

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/a30613359/best-memes-2020/

https://giphy.com/explore/2020