Consumers now have an average attention span of 9 seconds, which is why the demand for bite-size information on social media is increasing. Marketers must hook their target audience members with something entertaining, educational, or informative enough to capture their interest mid-scroll amid other competing content. The solution? Micro content.
This quick-consumption content can include copy, imagery, or video—on its own or in combination—and can generally be viewed or read in under 30 seconds. It often serves as a taster for longer content or as a draw to get people to visit a website, request more information, or simply see your brand as a trustworthy source of information.
Ready to learn more about micro content? This blog offers some tips and examples.
Micro content vs. short-form content
There’s no line dividing micro and short-form content in the sand, so the two can certainly overlap. A general guideline might be that the average adult could consume micro content in 10 to 30 seconds, while short-form content (like an 800-word blog post or a 90-second Instagram Reel) would take longer.
While micro content might be a teaser to grab attention and entice consumers to learn more, short-form content is typically more thorough stand-alone content or a summary of longer content. Think of long-form content as the movie, short-form as the trailer, and micro content as the movie poster.
Here are some specific examples of micro content:
- Memes and gifs
- Social media posts
- Infographics or stand-alone statistics
- Lists
- Email subject and preview lines
- Search engine results page snippets
- A 20-second TikTok video
- Illustrations, photos, and other visual imagery
- Table of contents
- Meta descriptions, tags, titles
- Reviews
- Tweets
- Quizzes
- Simple recipes
The beauty of micro content isn’t just in its ability to capture the attention of media-saturated tech users. It’s also incredibly simple to create. In fact, micro content is often just a snippet of your existing brand’s short-form or long-form content, shortened and repackaged.
Creating micro-content
Need help brainstorming on micro content? Here are five ideas and examples to get your team brainstorming.
- Prune, sprout, and upcycle
Consider the long- and short-form assets your brand currently owns. What could you break down into micro content with a CTA leading consumers back to your blog, e-commerce store, website, or YouTube channel? Think about your longer evergreen content and how it can be segmented into smaller pieces with bullet points, numbers, or graphics.
Need an example? Bulletproof Coffee created this teaser for a Q&A with track star Ashtin Mahler for its Instagram followers. The text prompts followers to click the link in the bio to read the entire interview, including Mahler’s three pro tips for staying strong.
- Highlight a product in multiple ways
What new product could you showcase in multiple ways in an uber-short video montage or photo collage? Imagine a fashionista styling a white button-down shirt five different ways.
Check out this example from Chipotle in which the brand created this 15-second video to promote the return of its smoked brisket to its followers on TikTok. The title, “What I eat in a week now that smoked brisket is back,” is enough to let viewers know that the popular menu item is once again available, but the video also highlights the visuals of eating a smoked brisket bowl, smoked brisket quesadilla, and smoked brisket tacos.
- Use illustrations or imagery that spark curiosity
Curiosity is an exceptional motivator as humans are hard-wired to figure things out. Images or illustrations that pique consumers’ desire to learn more can help boost engagement.
Procter & Gamble’s tampon brand Tampax used this visual on Instagram to demonstrate that period blood can be different colors. The accompanying text helps break down what each color might mean.
- Share a valuable tip or hack
Everyone loves useful hacks and tips but only some have the time or interest to read through a 2,000-word article to find the takeaways. Create micro content that offers a single hack or useful tidbit of information and include a number to let consumers know it’s just one of many if they want to learn more.
Honey and Bamboo, a zero-waste shop, shared this natural teeth whitener recipe on Instagram, along with some plant imagery, labeled as “Eco Tip #19,” indicating there are at least 18 more tips.
- Create a mini visual guide or tutorial
Not all tutorials need to be 10 minutes long or require page turns. Design a simple visual guide or video tutorial that consumers can skim in seconds to get the gist of your advice.
Need an example? Check out this mini style guide by Monrow Shoes on Instagram which recommends a variety of footwear styles to pair with different styles of jeans.
If you’re ready to add micro content but need a way to scale your campaigns and plot a content marketing cycle, check out ContentMarketing.com. Aimed at brands, agencies, and publishers, our platform helps you streamline content with a host of features, all of which you can explore on our website.
