🎓 Disappearing content is more memorable

People pay more attention to content they can only see once (e.g. Instagram Stories). They were 10.2% likely to watch it for longer and liked it more.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 June 13, 2023 | [Read Online]( Disappearing content is more memorable People pay more attention to content they can only see once (e.g. Instagram Stories). They were 10.2% likely to watch it for longer and liked it more. [Thomas McKinlay]( [fb]( [tw]( [in]( [email](mailto:?subject=Post%20from%20Ariyh&body=Disappearing%20content%20is%20more%20memorable%3A%20People%20pay%20more%20attention%20to%20content%20they%20can%20only%20see%20once%20%28e.g.%20Instagram%20Stories%29.%20They%20were%2010.2%25%20likely%20to%20watch%20it%20for%20longer%20and%20liked%20it%20more.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fariyh.beehiiv.com%2Fp%2Fdisappearing-content-is-more-memorable) New to [Ariyh](? This is a 3min practical summary of a scientific study 🎓 Join 19,403 evidence-based marketers that grow using science, not opinions 📈 [Subscribe here]( Today’s insight is brought to you by… [The Juice]( Make your professional growth less overwhelming. What reports are other marketing directors reading? What‘s a must-listen-to podcast when you’re learning the ropes of paid media? [The Juice]( curates over 100,000 free marketing and sales resources and shows you what’s popular with others in your role and field. [Sign up - it’s free]( Want to sponsor Ariyh? [Here’s all you need to know](. 📝 Intro Disappearing content. Snapchat pioneered it. Facebook made it mainstream. Snaps or Stories, they are usually available only for 24 hours. Then the content disappears. What happens if your content - or your ad - is in one of these ‘disappearing’ formats, compared to a ‘traditional’ - everlasting - piece of content? Are there advantages for ads in these formats? Here’s what researchers from Wharton and Bocconi University found. P.S.: Remember to design and record videos in a vertical format for mobile. People found them [13% easier to mentally process and liked them more](. Previous insight: [Friends make influencers more engaging]( (more insights [here]() People watch disappearing content for longer and with more attention Channels: Social Media | Video Ads | Image Ads | Ads | Content | User-generated content | Influencer marketing For: B2C. Can be tested for B2B Research date: September 2022 📈 Recommendation Use ‘disappearing content’ social media channels such as Instagram, Snapchat, or Facebook Stories. Your organic content - or ads - will be more effective. People will pay more attention, remember it better, and like it more. 🎓 Findings - People pay more attention when watching content that can only be seen once. Compared to content that can be seen again, they view it for longer and have a better impression of it. - As part of a series of 12 experiments, people: - Remembered 9% more ingredients of a video recipe - Watched a Facebook video ad for 25% longer on average (5 vs 4 seconds) when it was in a disappearing Story format (vs normal post) - Focused their eyes 5.76% more on key areas of a cell phone plan comparison table when they were told they could only see it once - The effect is weaker when the content only has a small amount of information because less information requires less attention to process. 🧠Why it works - When we watch something that can only be seen once, we’re worried that we’ll miss information. There’s only one chance to understand it and take away whatever relevant information we need. - This [restriction]( on our ability to view the content again makes us focus on it more - And just as we’re willing to pay more for [limited edition products]( because they’re scarce, we’re also willing to pay more attention to content that we can only see once, since our opportunity to view it is also scarce. 🏆 Get weekly tips to level up your work How do you become more valuable? Want to feel better about quitting something? How do you stay motivated? Subscribe below in one-click. One Thing Better Each week, the editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine shares one way to improve your work — and build a career or company you love. [Subscribe]( This announcement was sponsored. Want your brand here? [Click here](. ✋ Limitations - The research focused only on images and video. Other content such as audio was not tested, but the effect is more likely to be similar than not. - It’s likely that a similar effect happens in non-digital settings, such as watching a unique live performance (vs one that will be repeated). However, this was not tested. - The study did not test whether how long content is available influences how strong the effect is. Should content be viewable only once, or as many times as the viewer wants, during a certain time period? If the latter, what is the ideal time period? 1 minute, 24 hours, 1 week? 🏢 Companies using this - Most large brands use disappearing Stories. For example, on Instagram: - Lego ran a Q&A series of Stories about the brand - Outback Steakhouse shows offers and runs polls - Sephora showcases and links to specific products - Stories are often used for promotions, contests, announcements, and interactive content. Abercrombie & Fitch uses Instagram Stories to highlight promotions, with CTAs to be reminded or to buy online. ⚡ Steps to implement - If you want to make a promotion or announcement more memorable, use a communication channel that people can’t access repeatedly (e.g. Instagram Stories). - Try warming up disappearing announcements with other, permanent content. For example, announce in a traditional post when a promotion will go live, then launch the promotion in a disappearing post. - Keep a fine balance. If people can only see it once, the information should be easy enough to remember. Keep it to the point. 🔍 Study type Lab and online experiment and field experiment (with Facebook ads in disappearing vs non-disappearing formats) 📖 Research [The Effects of Content Ephermerality on Information Processing](. Journal of Marketing Research (September 2022) 🏫 Researchers - [Uri Barnea](. Bocconi University. - Robert J. Meyer. Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. - [Gideon Nave](. Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania. Remember: This is a new scientific discovery. In the future it will probably be better understood and could even be proven wrong (that’s [how science works](). It may also not be generalizable to your situation. If it’s a risky change, always test it on a small scale before rolling it out widely. Rate today’s insight to help me make Ariyh's next insights 🎓 even more useful 📈 How was today’s insight? [Loved it]( | [Great]( | [Good]( | [Meh]( | [Bad]( - 📘 Want to optimize your pricing? 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