Wayne Flemming, founder and CEO at Valiant, says simplicity still matters more than ever and that nothing can be truer than within our social media itself.
Content overload
We are inundated with consistent feeds, messenger platforms, emails and social content on multiple platforms. With a global trend of people decluttering their lives, it is a complex journey for brands to find simplicity in social content that cuts through the clutter to provide individuals with meaning, value and authenticity. It is about relevancy, personalised and relatable content rather than long-winded, irrelevant sales phrases. In this lies the answer for quality content rather than quantity.
Catch me if you can
Attention spans are shorter and content consumption is faster than ever. Steve Stout said that when information is cheap, attention is expensive. Ask yourself, how many times have you scrolled past a post because it did not captivate you in 1.7 seconds? A key learning triggered by social media in the fourth industrial revolution is that attention and engagement is challenging to achieve. In order to do, this brands have to find clarity, simplicity and connection with the audience through using various formats, durations and executions. It is about inviting the consumer to connect with your recognisable content before they scroll along.
Meaningful engagement
Now that your content has grabbed the attention of the consumer, it is time to capitalise on engagement. Deliver content that is snackable and intriguing, that lands the brand’s meaning upfront. Less text, less information and more visual, more video and more digestible messages.
Close the loop
Whether it is a paid-for ad unit or an organic content piece, make sure that the content map and consumer journey is fulfilled with clear, concise and simple call-to-actions. It could be a swipe-up, a retweet-to-win, a snap, a purchase now or a sign-up, but remember to keep the user journey simple with clarity on where you would like to direct them – whether a homepage, a contact form or a sales platform. Make sure that the content, the call-to-action and the place where you would like to take them to is relevant with continuity in the messaging, the brand experience and the content.
Simplicity is a choice
We believe that in finding simplicity in this complex speed-of-the-scroll world, it creates a safe space for your audience to connect and engage with your brand. This includes how you use multi-platforms and channels to tell a collective story to take the user on a content journey, and in turn make them fall in love with your brand. So, while the world redesigns itself to become simpler in practice, your approach to social media should follow.
