Slow content is a deliberate decision to shun the short, superficial posts so popular on social media. The idea is to produce less content, instead spending more time on each asset to offer better quality, more value and deeper analysis. If you’re wondering whether slow content can work for your online marketing strategy, read on.
What is slow content?
Slow content is a new approach to content marketing that shuns the tsunami of throwaway posts overrunning social media. Yet it is no trendy flash in the pan. It even has its own manifesto.
Just to be sure, slow content is not just about going slow. Like other slow movements, starting with slow food in the 1980s, it is a conscious decision to focus on quality rather than quantity. Yes, it takes more research, more careful wording and design, and more detailed analysis. But the result is better value for your audience. If slow content were food, it would be an elaborate dish in a fine restaurant that tickles the taste buds and warms the soul.
Snackable content
Snackable content is the opposite of slow content. It is bite-sized, visual pieces like mems, GIFs, infographics and short videos. Marketers and brands can produce it quickly and endlessly, and consumers can take in at a glance. In culinary terms, it’s a sandwich wolfed down on a bench outside the office. Sure, it fills the tummy. But is it enriching? Will you remember it?
To be fair, snackable content is not about being memorable. It’s about being noticed – and staying top of mind – through repetition. And through being easy to read for the lazy human mind.
The snackable content paradox
But is bombarding an audience with snackable content an effective strategy? Well, if slow content is the marketing equivalent of a fine meal, snackable content is drinks and nibbles. Yes, it satisfies our cravings after a long day at work. But what tends to happen after a while? People eventually make their way to a restaurant, or simply go home. Having had their fill of amuse-bouches, they hunger for something more substantial.
It’s the same with snackable content. It’s everywhere. It’s easy to consume. Your audience sees the same brands and creators again and again as they churn out more and more of the stuff. When everything starts to look alike, it becomes harder to capture people’s attention.
Is the era of slow content upon us?
Many would say that it’s not. As proof, they will pull out the old story of the 8-second attention span and the goldfish. We’ve all heard it. Their argument is, why bother investing so much time in a long article if your audience loses interest after 8 seconds? And why bother producing elaborate dishes if people want fast food?
Their argument is flawed for two reasons:
- First, according to this Forbes article, the 8-second attention span is a myth. It has no scientific basis. No one knows where it came from. If a reader clicks away from your content after 8 seconds, they don’t do it because they’ve reached the limit of their attention span. It’s because they’ve decided your content is not relevant.
- Second, AI has now created three-quarters of the content on the internet. Yet as Joe Lazer explains, these models are trained on content that is poor to mediocre, then fine-tuned to make the output as safe and as middle-of-the-road as possible. The result is an ocean of boring AI-generated sameness. Nowadays, it’s the carefully crafted piece that catches the eye. It’s the thoughtful wording that pulls us in. It’s the fresh thinking that sparks off new ideas.
Slow content has a promising future. When done right, it is unique, relevant and emotionally resonant because the content creator has the time – and patience – to do the research and get it right.
Slow content versus AI
Slow content is infinitely more relevant now that AI content has taken over the internet.
With AI, content is not just snackable for passive consumption – it is engineered for effortlessly, unlimited production.
Yet this uniquely positions slow content to help brands stand out. Because as every marketer knows, the best way to stand out is to do something different – and to own that difference. What better way to be different than to go slow when all the world seems to want to go fast.
Slow content versus climate change
Slow content is also greener.
Every post, video, GIF, infographic, upload and download generates data. That data doesn’t live “in the cloud”, but on servers in data centres that consume climate-altering amounts of electricity and diesel while producing a toppling mountain of toxic and electronic waste.
And now AI is 10x-ing content creation and internet energy consumption. By consciously choosing to publish less, slow content creators are doing future generations a favour.
Bye, bye snackable content?
Not quite. We humans love to categorise things into binary opposites, like slow content versus snackable content. But real life calls for a little more subtlety and flexibility. Here are three reasons why you should be wondering not which content strategy to adopt, but how to use the two together to get the best of both worlds.
1. Different goals
An effective content strategy is built around goals. These might be to capture people’s attention, generate interest, establish authority or reinforce loyalty. If we take these four goals, for example, snackable content equals attention and interest, while slow content equals authority and loyalty. Combining the two strategies produces better results. After all, what good is a fantastic blog post if no one knows it’s there?
2. Different points on the buyer’s journey
Slow content and snackable content also work well together because they target different points on the buyer’s journey. Snackable content is effective early, when the buyer is unaware that your product or service exists. It says, “Hey, look at me!” Slow content comes later, when you want to persuade the buyer that your solution is the best on offer. It says “Still not sure? Let me explain.”
3. Keep it fresh
And let’s not forget the importance of surprising your audience. There is nothing more dangerous than content that becomes predictable. If your brand only uses slow content, your audience may see your first piece and like it, and your second piece, but not your third because it’s Friday afternoon and they’re looking for something lighter. People won’t always want in-depth analysis or valuable insight. But they will always want something different. Try alternating GIFs, long articles, carousels, and long videos. Keep people guessing to keep them curious.
Combining slow content and snackable content
How can you get the two strategies to work together when they seem to pull in different directions? Well, create an in-depth article for your website or blog, then break it down into bite-sized chunks for social media. That way, the slow content feeds the snackable content, which in turn drives traffic back to the slow content. In other words, don’t choose one strategy or the other; let each feed the other to create a virtuous cycle of content that delivers value and insight while still being irresistibly clickable.
Still not sure about slow content in your SEO content strategy?
By now, you might be leaning towards slow content or snackable content. Or perhaps you’re wondering how to take advantage of both in your online marketing. But digital marketing theories are easier to understand than to implement, especially if you’re trying to keep your strategy consistent across multiple languages.This is where a multilingual SEO agency like Contentactic comes in. Contentactic offers strategy advice, content creation and SEO. Click here to learn more about how we can help you develop your multilingual SEO strategy around slow content or snackable content – or both!
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