Best practices for bite-sized content
As the average attention span continues to shrink, businesses and marketers have sought new ways to interact with consumers and refine how content is presented to the masses. Thanks to developments in content creation and the explosion of popular social networks like TikTok, what once may have taken an entire blog article or web page to communicate can now be distributed in a smaller, more digestible format. This opens the door for new opportunities — and new challenges — for marketers seeking to effectively engage with users.
Balancing the desire to inform and to engage with consumers, “bite-sized” content has emerged as a favored method to reach users in an entertaining fashion. This can include short-form text, gifs, videos, or infographics; all of which can be created and transformed to disseminate information in a short period of time. While this content continues to trend upwards, marketers must leverage the basics of best practices as their foundation, and evolve their content approach to fit the mold of this fast-paced and micro version of content.
Build from the ground up
If a brand is ready to embark on a bite-sized content journey, the good news is that marketers will not need to reinvent the wheel to get started. Just like all other forms of content, bite-sized material should adhere to the same tone and messaging as the rest of the content portfolio. This ensures consistency and brand recognition across all content. Specifically, there should be no change in the brand’s chosen fonts, colors, or terminology — instead, the focus should be on how the messaging can be transformed into a smaller and easier-to-consume format.
The next step is to identify the purpose of the content and the goal the brand is aiming to achieve. Is the content designed for awareness or is intended to drive traffic to a specific account or website? Is it educational or is the goal to provide entertainment? Answering questions like this will not only help to curate details such as calls to action and formatting, but will also help brands identify what type of value the content can provide. Understanding why a user wants to engage with bite-sized content is just as important as deciding what goes in it.
Keep your content “snackable”
When creating bite-sized content, the most important thing marketers should keep in mind is that the message should remain clear and concise. Bite-sized content is meant to be consumed in what is known as a “snackable” format; this means that brands have a limited time to deliver their message before the user’s attention shifts elsewhere. Using easy-to-digest language helps to avoid confusion and can help keep the target audience from feeling overwhelmed or distracted.
For visual cues, the advice is much the same. Imagery and video content should have clear direction and deliver the message in a quick and easy-to-interpret format. Visuals should be high quality, engaging, and simplified so that the user can understand the intent in the blink of an eye. Above all else, bite-sized content is not intended to linger. It’s important to keep the primary message front and center so that the user has a chance to absorb it before scrolling on.
Find the right space
Selecting the right platform to host bite-sized content boils down to the brand’s target audience and where the message is most impactful. While content like short-form text or infographics are more suited to live within static web pages or blog articles, other forms of content are more likely to succeed where shareability plays a larger role. Social platforms like TikTok and Instagram, which are known for video and Reels, are ideal spaces to share bite-sized content because of their large foundation of community engagement and the ease with which users can share content with one another.
Like all marketing efforts, it’s important to vet individual platforms before distributing content so that brands can have a strong understanding of whether or not it’s the right space for their audience. Unless your audience is already an active participant in the space, marketers may find that they are shouting into an empty room. Analyzing where a given target demographic spends time and where they are most likely to interact with content can help brands avoid the pitfall of low engagement and help ensure that bite-sized content has the foundation it needs to thrive.
Key takeaways for marketers
Although the world of content creation continues to evolve, marketers should be aware that certain fundamentals will never go out of style. Developing new material in a smaller package does come with a few additional considerations, but if marketers follow these best practices for bite-sized content, brands will build a strong foundation that will set them up for success.
For successful bite-sized content, consider the following best practices:
- Stay consistent by leveraging the same branded tone, font, colors, and messaging that exists in other forms of content
- Identify the purpose of the content and what type of value it can provide to users
- Ensure that the content is “snackable” and can be consumed in a quick and easy-to-understand format
- Be intentional with the copy and image choices. Avoid distractions and messages that may be time consuming or confusing
- Carefully vet platform choices to understand where the content can make the most impact and where the target audience is most likely to encounter it
