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Most microcontent is created for social media, but the term can be applied to any content that’s bite-sized and can tell
a story independently. Above all, microcontent is most effective when elements are tied together visually by design.
MICROCONTENT: B I T E - S I Z E D V I S U A L M A R K E T I N G
IT’S A SMALL WORLD, AND THE CONTENT IS GETTING EVENSMALLER.
The littlest form, microcontent, offers information in little doses to specific audiences. Microcontent can range from a
Pinterest pin to a Facebook post, and has changed the perspective from focusing on sales to sparking a conversation.
As a visual design shop, Lemonly has gained valuable insight into microcontent. Let’s dive in.
A Guide to Microcontent and How It Can Tell Your Story
Microcontent also works well as part of a series. A sequence of posts reflecting a similar design and
tone can build trust, and importantly, is less costly and more shareable than a traditional advertising
campaign. Additionally, a series can include curated material submitted by your audience.
What is MICROCONTENT?
MICROCONTENT:
Takes a variety
of forms: photos,
illustrations, charts,
quotes, and more.
Allows smaller, more
targeted investments
in specific subsets of
your audience.
Focuses on a singular
idea, and when done
well, can imply a
larger concept.
Can be standalone or
direct users to a more
in-depth infographic,
microsite, or blog post.
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ATTENTION: IT’S WHAT WE WANT.
With average attention spans now lowered to 8 seconds (less than a goldfish),
brands need to tell their story concisely and in an engaging way.
Microcontent can break down the most-important aspects of your business into small,
memorable chunks. And when designed well, microcontent can stand out in crowded feeds.
Let’s compare: Which version do you connect with more?
Why Does MICROCONTENT WORK?
AMERICA’S FAVORITE PIES
Pie Type
Pumpkin
Apple
Pecan
Chocolate Pecan
Other Kinds
Percent
39%
26%
20%
6%
9%
HIKE & BIKE PHOENIX
The Family Favorite
Waterfall Canyon Trial
2 miles | Hiking
The Steep Fun
Sonoran Preserve North
20 miles | Biking
The Best Sunset View
Papago Park
4 miles | Hiking
The Crowd Pleaser
McDowell Mt. Park
13 miles | Biking
The Smooth Challenge
Sonoran Trail
12 miles | Biking
The Hike & More
Tom’s Thumb, North Side
3.7 miles | Hiking
The Unforgiving Blast
National Trail
14 miles | Biking
The Leg Burner
Camelback Mt. Summit Trail
1.2 miles | Hiking
VS.
VS.
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Instagram microcontent is worth more than 1,000 words. The photo- and video-driven medium allows
your brand to develop lasting bonds with your audience. Building upon quality media with touches of design,
microcontent can provide genuine, transparent glimpses of your company’s impact and its culture.
Lemonly’s Instagram embodies a collage of special celebrations, interesting data visualizations from pop culture and
the news, and behind-the-scenes glances into our office. Check out @thinklemonly for sweet ideas and inspiration.
CHARTS FOR LEMONLY
(series example)
GIF FOR THE GRAMMYS
(standalone microcontent)
DEMOGRAPHICS BEST TIMES TO POST ADDITIONAL TIPS
INCORPORATE HANDLES:
• Posts including another user’s handle
in the caption receive 56% more
engagement than those that don’t.
KEEP IT SIMPLE:
• Try not to over-edit photos or add text
to images. The most-liked photos are
captivating photos, incorporating
intriguing color contrasts and in-focus
subjects taken at enticing angles.
• Anytime on Mondays through Thursdays,
except between 3 pm and 4 pm
400 MILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS
MILLENNIAL MARKET:
• 53% of Instagram’s members
are 18 to 29 years old.
MOBILE-FOCUSED:
• 98% use the Instagram app.
Sharing Microcontent on INSTAGRAM
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GRAPHIC FOR HUGGIES
(promotes larger infographic)
GRAPHIC FOR LEMONLY
(promotes larger infographic)
DEMOGRAPHICS BEST TIMES TO POST ADDITIONAL TIPS
WHEN SHARING LINKS, USE
A LINK-SHORTENER WEBSITE
LIKE BITLY.COM:
• Customize the text at the end of the link.
People are more apt to trust and click the
link if they can understand what it says. And
if it’s pleasing to the eye, it will build trust.
TARGET POSTS TO SPECIFIC
AUDIENCES:
• The News Feed is algorithm-based,
helping your posts reach engaged users,
but Facebook Ads can further ensure
your work reaches the right people.
• 12 pm - 1 pm Saturday and Sunday
• 3 pm - 4 pm Wednesdays
• 1 pm - 4 pm Thursdays and Fridays
1.59 BILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS
ALL AGES, WORLDWIDE:
• 71% of adults are on Facebook, and
83.6% live outside the U.S. and Canada.
MOVING TOWARD MOBILE:
• 47% of users access Facebook
only on phones.
Facebook is big, no doubt. Its user base spans generations, social statuses, and the entire globe. But Facebook is good when
thinking small, too. The platform offers precise targeting, helping your microcontent reach the people most interested in
seeing your posts. And intricate analytics help you hone future posts to engage readers best.
For Huggies, Lemonly created share images that tease to larger infographics. By including a couple cuddly characters and linking the
image in the website meta tags, this microcontent not only ensures your brand’s post looks sweet, but also any shares by your audience.
Sharing Microcontent on FACEBOOK
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With its shorter post format, (mostly) chronological feed, and popularity among the college-educated
public, Twitter can offer a more tech-driven, immediate environment for your microcontent.
Plus, on Twitter, you’ve always got to be punchy and succinct, so microcontent fits in well.
Stats also play well on Twitter, as shown by our work with MLB. We helped showcase
a great week for the Washington Nationals with a piece of standalone microcontent.
GRAPHIC FOR MLB
(promotes larger infographic)
GIF FOR LEMONLY
(promotes blog post)
DEMOGRAPHICS BEST TIMES TO POST ADDITIONAL TIPS
USE ONLY ONE TO
TWO HASHTAGS MAX:
• More hashtags cause readers
to lose interest.
START TWEETS WITH A
CHARACTER, NOT A @USERNAME:
• Otherwise, only a small percentage of
your followers will see your tweet in their
timeline because only people that follow
the both of you will see the tweet.
• 12 pm - 3 pm Mondays through Fridays
• 5 pm - 6 pm Wednesdays
320 MILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS
COLLEGE-EDUCATED:
• 54% of users have college experience,
and 54% earn at least $50,000 annually.
MOBILE-FOCUSED:
• 86% of users scroll and tweet
on their mobile device.
Sharing Microcontent on TWITTER
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With 100 million monthly active users,
Pinterest is notable for popularity among
women: 42% of all female internet users
are on Pinterest, compared to 13% of men.
Hosting more than 300 million fashion
boards and 180 million food/drink boards,
Pinterest is key to brands promoting such
products and users seeking inspiration.
SNAPCHAT
One of the youngest social mediums,
Snapchat also appeals most to a younger
demographic. Of the estimated 200 million
monthly active users, 45% are ages 18-24.
Surprisingly, Snapchat has reported
more than 4 billion video views daily,
which is on par with Facebook.
Our design team experimented with
creating unique geofilters and you can now
find four of our designs available to use if
you’re ever in Sioux Falls, SD.
Being job-oriented, it’s no secret that
LinkedIn hosts users who enjoy higher
incomes. Forty-four percent of those
earning more than $75,000 annually
use the medium.
Brands seeking to reach those in
business need to include LinkedIn as
part of their microcontent strategy.
Now that you know what microcontent is and how to share it, all you need is
something beautiful to share. That’s where Lemonly comes in. Whether it’s a stunning
photo-based graphic, a compelling slice of data visualized, or a short animated GIF,
Lemonly’s expertise with creating microcontent can serve your brand well.
Reach out to us, and we’ll help guide you to success online, connecting you with your audience in a personal, engaging way.
Email [email protected] or call 605-610-8585 to get started
THE MICROCONTENT ITSELF
Sharing Microcontent on OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA
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SOURCES:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mark_zuckerberg.html#2l10vypLT9FR5UTD.99
http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/demographics-of-key-social-networking-platforms-2/
https://www.facebook.com/business/a/online-sales/ad-targeting-details
https://www.facebook.com/business/news/News-Feed-FYI-A-Window-Into-News-Feed
https://twitter.com/wsjd/status/451886622788055040
http://sproutsocial.com/insights/5-instagram-stats/
https://instagram.com/press/
http://blog.instagram.com/post/129662501137/150922-400million
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/03/technology/instagram-to-announce-plans-to-expand-advertising.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/25/get-instagram-likes_n_6751614.html
https://colorlib.com/wp/size-of-the-instagram-picture/
http://blog.instagram.com/post/63017560810/instagramasagrowingbusiness
http://mashable.com/2014/07/15/kevin-systrom-looks-at-every-ad-on-instagram/#uAT.ZPFL0Oq7
http://blog.business.instagram.com/post/112707530471/carousel-ads
http://techcrunch.com/2015/03/04/what-advertisers-want/#.mldi1m:w0b6
http://aci.info/2014/04/05/mobile-rules-for-social-media-platform-use/
http://marketingland.com/want-maximum-reach-facebook-dont-post-photos-118536
http://www.jonloomer.com/2014/01/19/multiple-image-facebook-post-reach/
http://socialtriggers.com/perfect-content-width/
http://dailytekk.com/2015/01/01/the-100-best-most-interesting-blogs-and-websites-of-2015/?reading=continue
http://www.ebizmba.com/articles/blogs
http://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/images-in-blog-posts-tips
https://www.techwyse.com/blog/infographics/facebook-cheat-sheetsize-and-dimensions/
https://bitly.com/pages/audience
http://newsroom.fb.com/company-info/
https://about.twitter.com/company
http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/twitter-user-demographics/504341
https://blog.pinterest.com/en/100-million-most-interesting-people-we-know
http://marketingland.com/pinterest-says-it-has-100-million-monthly-active-users-143077
http://www.businessinsider.com/update-a-breakdown-of-the-demographics-for-each-of-the-different-social-networks-2015-6
MICROCONTENT: B I T E - S I Z E D V I S U A L M A R K E T I N G
A Guide to Microcontent and How It Can Tell Your Story
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