How Zero-Click Content Is Transforming Social Media

It's no secret that social media has probably become one of the most influential instruments in society in the past 10-15 years. Social media consumption has changed how we get news, connect with friends, and much more. Since its inception, there have been many trends in how people watch, engage with, and consume social media and internet content. For example, less than five years ago, the concept of "click-bait" was all the rage online. It essentially tagged your videos, articles, etc., with catchy titles or enticing thumbnails to get people to click on them. However, with the internet being the constantly and quickly changing landscape that it is, it seems that the concept of "clickbait" has been passed over for a new idea that is ultimately the opposite: zero-click content.

Zero-Click content is the concept of internet content that can be consumed through a singular platform and in a singular sitting. The idea is that users can skip clicking on a link to read more or scroll endlessly to find the information they want. One of the leading producers of this concept is Google, which has recently started providing answers to questions right at the top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). So, for example, if you search for the age or height of your favorite celebrity, instead of having to click on another link to find that information, it now appears at the top of the search page, no clicking required. i.e., Harry Styles Height

So why the rise of zero-click content? Could it be because the internet has conditioned us to want to do less? Or does it have to do with the fact that we are tired of the gimmick of clickbait and desire something more tangible? No matter what the reason, there are many ways you can start implementing this concept into your social media. A few examples include:

• Infographics:
  

These are graphics created primarily for Instagram that cover a certain topic or event and provide the user with information in 10 slides or less. A great way to implement this is with blogs. Instead of posting a picture and directing the user to head to the "link in bio," you summarize the blog in a scrolling graphic form and provide the user with all the information without them having to leave the platform they are on.

• Video:

Though video content has been around for many years, with the rise of TikTok and Instagram, Reels, and short-form videos this has also become popular means of sharing information. Filming a 60-second video about a topic relating to your industry can help you connect with your audience and also help you reach a new group of people who may not already follow you.

Ultimately, this current trend aims to provide the audience with more meaningful and relevant content. It strays from the traditional marketing way of attracting an audience to funnel them to your website or contact page. Zero-Click content is meant to provide standalone insights into a topic or idea without necessarily pushing the consumer to react to a call to action. Instead of tempting them with just a tease of information, hoping they will click for more, you give them the meat of the information, providing more meaningful engagement and boosting your credibility with your audience. With the internet being the quickly ever-evolving giant it is, it's hard to predict if "zero-click content" is here to stay or just a passing trend. Currently, it seems that for now, it is going to stick around for at least a little while.