Imagine your target audience scrolling through their social media feed, thumb moving at lightning speed, when suddenly—BAM!—they’re hit with a piece of content so compelling that they pause their scroll and really take it in. They learn something, get immediate value, and take note of the brand that so generously (and conveniently) delivered these insights. This is the essence of zero-click content.
It’s exactly what it sounds like: you’re not asking people to click anywhere. No links, no “read more,” no redirects. Instead, you’re serving up valuable, impactful content right where your audience already is.
Zero-click content provides users with useful information/insights/actionable tips/insider secrets without requiring users to leave the platform. It can take various forms, including threads with lists or step-by-step instructions, carousels explaining concepts, or short tutorial videos.
And it’s at the core of every successful social media marketing strategy in 2024.
Why zero-click content?
Our CEO Natalia Rosa explains:
“Most social media platforms’ algorithms now favour this type of content – and it’s easy to understand why. It keeps the user on the platform, eliminates clickbait, provides value upfront, and allows users to consume more content in less time.”
But the best part about zero-click content is that everyone wins. The user gets immediate value, the platform retains the user, and the brand gets recognition.
“Yes, it’s difficult to track ROI when approaching social media in this way – but zero-click content guarantees a boost in brand awareness, brand loyalty, and sets businesses apart as trusted industry thought-leaders,” adds Natalia.
And that’s not all. Research shows that these types of posts receive higher organic reach and engagement.
Hootsuite reported that link-free posts on LinkedIn generated 6x more reach on average compared to posts with links. Plus, these link-free posts received approximately 4x more reactions and 18x more comments.
“The shift towards zero-click content is forcing brands to rethink what social media success looks like. Before, it was all about generating clicks, website traffic, and conversions. Now, it’s about relying on metrics that genuinely showcase the value of social media content, such as reach, impressions, engagement, and follower growth – all of which can lead to an increase in brand awareness, leads, and sales in the long term,” Natalia adds.
How to create impactful zero-click content
- Conciseness is key. Communicate one complete, compelling idea in 200 words (ideally using bullet points)/2 minutes or less (but the shorter, the better) – basically short-form pieces/videos.
- Hook users by including the most notable or surprising information in the first sentence of the post.
- Tailor the content to the platform, using platform-specific features to optimise engagement, such as Instagram reels and LinkedIn newsletters.
- Use strong visuals, including infographics, to make the content more “digestible”.
- Avoid CTAs like “visit our website”. Instead, finish off your post with an impactful claim/suggestion or a thought-provoking question.
What do you need to understand to CAPITALISE on this change?
Brand love is great. But what businesses really care about is that bottom line. Luckily, zero-click content doesn’t have to mean zero conversions – if you use it right. Here’s what you need to know:
- Most importantly, you need to change how you view social media. It’s no longer a part of the digital consumer journey – it is the journey. Think of it as its own little world where consumers discover, explore, and ultimately, decide to buy.
- This means investing in “always-on” community management. Your community managers need to know your brand inside and out, from the details of your products/services to handling a crisis with empathy and transparency. Their mission? To guide customers through the consumer journey, answering questions, offering support, and adding value to every interaction.
- Speaking of questions, your community managers should aim to answer them all right there on the platform rather than trying to redirect people to your website. Along with giving consumers what they want (immediate answers, rather than scrolling through pages of website copy to find what they’re looking for), this zero-click approach means other potential customers can watch how you interact. Seeing you provide real-time value builds trust and credibility.
- Finally, it’s important to know that you don’t need to be on every single social media platform. Social media marketing is about quality, not quantity. Focus on the platforms that guarantee you’ll reach the largest portion of your target market. If you’re in South Africa, Facebook is a pretty safe bet. It has the largest and most diverse audience (with a penetration rate of 88%), plus it lets you post just about any type of content you can imagine.
Provide instant value. Hook the user with the first sentence, combined with impactful visuals. Engage in real-time. And trust that social media has the power to encompass the ENTIRE digital consumer journey.
This is the secret sauce to social media marketing success in 2024 and beyond.
“Social media is about the people. Not about your business. Provide for the people and the people will provide for you.” – Matt Goulart
