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MICROCONTENT:

BITE-SIZED VISUAL MARKETING

A Guide to Microcontent and How It Can Tell Your Story

ITS A SMALL WORLD, AND THE CONTENT IS GETTING EVEN


SMALLER.

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. Lets dive in.

What is MICROCONTENT?
Most microcontent is created for social media, but the term can be applied to any content thats bite-sized and can tell
a story independently. Above all, microcontent is most effective when elements are tied together visually by design.

MICROCONTENT:
Takes a variety
of forms: photos,
illustrations, charts,
quotes, and more.

Allows smaller, more


targeted investments
in specific subsets of
your audience.

VIEW

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.

VIEW

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.

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WWW.LEMONLY.COM

VIEW

Why Does MICROCONTENT WORK?


ATTENTION: ITS 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.

Lets compare: Which version do you connect with more?

AMERICAS FAVORITE PIES

Pie Type

Percent

Pumpkin

39%

Apple

26%

Pecan

20%

Chocolate Pecan

6%

Other Kinds

9%

VS.

VIEW

HIKE & BIKE PHOENIX


The Family Favorite
Waterfall Canyon Trial
2 miles | Hiking

The Smooth Challenge


Sonoran Trail
12 miles | Biking

The Steep Fun


Sonoran Preserve North
20 miles | Biking

The Hike & More


Toms Thumb, North Side
3.7 miles | Hiking

The Best Sunset View


Papago Park
4 miles | Hiking

The Unforgiving Blast


National Trail
14 miles | Biking

The Crowd Pleaser


McDowell Mt. Park
13 miles | Biking

The Leg Burner


Camelback Mt. Summit Trail
1.2 miles | Hiking

VS.

VIEW

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Sharing Microcontent on INSTAGRAM


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 companys impact and its culture.
Lemonlys 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

GIF FOR THE GRAMMYS

(series example)

(standalone microcontent)

VIEW

DEMOGRAPHICS
400 MILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS

BEST TIMES TO POST


Anytime on Mondays through Thursdays,
except between 3 pm and 4 pm

MILLENNIAL MARKET:
53% of Instagrams members
are 18 to 29 years old.

ADDITIONAL TIPS
INCORPORATE HANDLES:
Posts including another users handle
in the caption receive 56% more
engagement than those that dont.
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.

MOBILE-FOCUSED:
98% use the Instagram app.

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VIEW

WWW.LEMONLY.COM

Sharing Microcontent on FACEBOOK


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 brands post looks sweet, but also any shares by your audience.

GRAPHIC FOR HUGGIES

GRAPHIC FOR LEMONLY

(promotes larger infographic)

(promotes larger infographic)

VIEW

DEMOGRAPHICS
1.59 BILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS

BEST TIMES TO POST


12 pm - 1 pm Saturday and Sunday
3 pm - 4 pm Wednesdays
1 pm - 4 pm Thursdays and Fridays

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.

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VIEW

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 its 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.

WWW.LEMONLY.COM

Sharing Microcontent on TWITTER


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, youve 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

GIF FOR LEMONLY

(promotes larger infographic)

(promotes blog post)

VIEW

DEMOGRAPHICS
320 MILLION MONTHLY
ACTIVE USERS

BEST TIMES TO POST


12 pm - 3 pm Mondays through Fridays
5 pm - 6 pm Wednesdays

COLLEGE-EDUCATED:
54% of users have college experience,
and 54% earn at least $50,000 annually.

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.

MOBILE-FOCUSED:
86% of users scroll and tweet
on their mobile device.

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VIEW

WWW.LEMONLY.COM

Sharing Microcontent on OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA

PINTEREST

SNAPCHAT

LINKEDIN

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.

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.

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.

Surprisingly, Snapchat has reported


more than 4 billion video views daily,
which is on par with Facebook.

Being job-oriented, its 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.

Our design team experimented with


creating unique geofilters and you can now
find four of our designs available to use if
youre ever in Sioux Falls, SD.

VIEW

VIEW

VIEW

THE MICROCONTENT ITSELF


Now that you know what microcontent is and how to share it, all you need is
something beautiful to share. Thats where Lemonly comes in. Whether its a stunning
photo-based graphic, a compelling slice of data visualized, or a short animated GIF,
Lemonlys expertise with creating microcontent can serve your brand well.
Reach out to us, and well help guide you to success online,
connecting you with your audience in a personal, engaging way.

Email HELLO@LEMONLY.COM or call 605-610-8585 to get started

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WWW.LEMONLY.COM

MICROCONTENT:
BITE-SIZED VISUAL MARKETING

A Guide to Microcontent and How It Can Tell Your Story

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

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