While the early days of the internet presented a new avenue for content that excited consumers, growing accessibility to the internet has tipped the scale of content marketing’s viability. To describe the phenomenon behind content marketing’s supply and demand, Mark Schafer coined the term Content Shock in 2014, which still holds true today.
The supply of content was originally slow, but now brands are publishing approximately 10 posts per day across networks, meanwhile, research shows that at least 96% of content receives zero traffic from Google. Social media is also facing challenges, with Instagram witnessing a 10% drop in organic reach in 2022, and Facebook’s went down to 8.6%. During the same time period, social media advertising continued to grow as one option to offset the growing competition between brands aiming for consumers’ attention.
With so much content available at their fingertips, marketers face the challenge of engaging with an audience that is overwhelmed by the amount of content targeted at them.
Content Burnout
As consumers are overly exposed to content from a variety of channels (blogs, social media, paid ads, etc.), they start to tune out, and it’s harder to gain back that interest. At worst, they get frustrated by the constant barrage of content, especially when they are forced to see paid ads as they go about their usual routines. It’s from this fatigue that we have started to see a rise in ad avoidance, with most consumers either skipping ads when given the option or purchasing subscription models that remove ads from platforms, such as streaming services.
The Battle for Attention
There’s a popular internet rumor that people have an attention span that is less than a goldfish. According to Shane Snow on Forbes, that simply is not the case. However, that doesn’t mean grabbing attention is any easier.
“Two years after the bogus “goldfish” stat came out, Deloitte released a report saying that 73% of people had binge-watched a show, meaning they’d watched 5 hours of content in a single sitting…humans, inarguably, have the capacity to pay attention to things for long periods of time.”
Despite short-form content growing in popularity to capture audience attention as quickly as possible, that attention will be short-lived if the content isn’t meaningful.
Research shows that 69% of consumers say they receive irrelevant messaging from brands, and 49% of consumers are frustrated by the sheer amount of content that brands push into their inboxes.
To effectively retain attention means during a time of Content Shock, marketers must shift their focus from the quantity of their ads to their quality.
The Effect of Personalized Content
Personalized content is known to have a strong effect on consumers, with 78% admitting it increases their chances of purchasing from the brand that caters to them. Consumers who feel that content is actually catered to them are likely to feel seen and understood, which then can strengthen their bond with the brand. As brands continue to push out dozens of content pieces, the brand that stands out against Content Shock and attracts consumer engagement and loyalty will be one that publishes content that is both relevant and contributes meaningful value to the consumer’s interests.
Strategies to Stand Out in Oversaturated Markets:
As brands compete for consumer attention in a content-saturated world, marketers must revamp their content strategies to stand out against competitors.
Here are five strategies to help marketers make their content stand out in a world of Content Shock:
- Share Authentic Stories: Use brand stories that reflect company values, founder journeys, or testimonials of success from customers to create a message that resonates with consumers.
- Get Creative with Visuals: Don’t rely on bright colors and short-form content to garner attention. Aim for visuals that tell a story with a unique twist, a possibility through interactive infographics or behind-the-scenes looks into your brand.
- Entertain Niche Topics: Broad topics are too impersonal and easily tuned out by consumers. Dive into niche topics that address unique needs to build connections and drive value for audiences interested in the subject matter.
- Invite Audience Participation: Interactive experiences like quizzes, polls, or Q&A sessions provide a deeper level of engagement with your brand as it helps audiences feel like interaction is a two-way street rather than just the brand driving the conversation.
- Prioritize Value: Focus on quality over quantity by structuring your content to focus on providing value, whether it’s through entertainment or education, to create a lasting impact on your audience.
By adopting these strategies, marketers can rise above Content Shock and create content that is impactful, authentic, and a powerful driver of audience engagement.
