Disappearing content is becoming an increasingly valuable marketing tool with the rapid increase in Snapchat users and the creation of Instagram stories. Disappearing content is made up of messages that vanishes after a certain period of time (usually 24 hours). Snapchat is one of the fastest growing social media platforms out right now, with over 100 million users and counting. Snapchat users represent a large audience and collectively watch over 10 billion videos every day. A multitude of companies including CNN, Buzzfeed, Food Network and ESPN already utilize Snapchat’s Discover feature, creating stories of their own.
As a marketing tool, disappearing content’s attractiveness is due to it’s exclusivity, low cost, and easy deployment. It also combats the consistently decreasing attention spans of consumers by creating marketing messages that are compacted into extremely short videos or fleeting images. Last August, retail company J Crew used Instagram Stories to preview their September collection a week before its release. It also featured discounted pricing on their sunglasses, which quickly sold out.
Disappearing content can also be used to increase excitement and brand loyalty. Giving behind the scenes looks, exclusive interviews, and never before seen content encourages users to keep coming back to a company’s page. The NFL regularly has players or teams take over their Snapchat or Instagram accounts for a day, creating content that feels personal and gives fans an otherwise inaccessible perspective.
The fact that the content disappears adds to its value, because once it’s gone, it’s gone. It also keeps people coming back, because everyone is afraid of missing out. Similar to livestreaming, brands can hire celebrities and influencers to create content for their stories, creating an opportunity to bring in consumers who follow the celebrity but may not necessarily follow the brand. You can read more about live streaming in our previous blog post here.
