The Anatomy of Thumb-Stopping Content

Whether you're doing it for business or pleasure, all of us social media users usually have similar goals:

• To make people *stop* scrolling through the oceans of possibilities their feeds present, and land at your post
• ...then, immediately upon spotting your post, think to themselves: "This is cool! I want to know more…"
• To click (or rather tap) on it  
• Then make them stick around and come back for more

Whether you're on social media to ultimately make sales happen or just to get likes and exposure, these are the basic things we're all after, right? After all… what are social media networks but virtual platforms that allow us to chant "LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME" over, and over again?

All of us want to be seen or heard for one reason or another. But, not all profiles are created equal, some are more equal than others… wait, what? What we meant to say was - some folks do it better than others, with their profiles done so well that they simply force you to stop and stare. Luckily, here's a storified guide that can shed a bit of light on thought processes and the type of effort put into creating thumb-stopping content you want to click on.

Why Is Social Media So Important?

Because that's where humans (read: potential customers) are. Why should we run away or ignore the fact that FB, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, LinkedIn, and other social media platforms are the most effective way to reach the customers? You can use this to your advantage!  

People are social beings, they like connections, and that's what social media helps with in more ways than one. If you want to succeed, you have to keep in mind that digital marketing and everything connected to it is a never-ending dance of "give and take" that forces you to grow and improve your online game at all times. And how can you play this exhausting, wonderful game and still win? Let's see what can make your storified microstore pop.

Attract and Seduce!

Let's be realistic - a bunch of words is rarely enough to make anybody stop scrolling, so let the images do most of the heavy lifting. Once you sit down and let the brainstorming commence, dive into it like a storyteller- not a seller. Although those two can, and usually do go hand in hand, in this ROI and profit-obsessed world, even the very best of professionals sometimes forget that. Keep in mind that it's always better to show than tell; beautiful visuals with compelling copies and strong calls to action are the true show and scroll stoppers!

Strategize and Test Away!

If you want to allure the algorithms and attract eyes on a regular basis, you have to have a strategy and a good plan of action. Be prepared to improvise; however, the rules of the online world tend to change fast, so you have to be at the top of your game 24/7.

Think outside of the box, come up with new and creative solutions, test it and see what comes up! Keep those plans and strategies up to date and flexible.

Moreover, be on the lookout for the newest updates and improvements, and try to implement what you've learned into your web stories as much as you can. Knowledge is power, and the fastest way to get it is to try new stuff, gather data, rinse and repeat. See what works, see what does not, but:

Make a Routine out of Honesty and Innovation

Any captivating piece of content should be entertaining, inspiring and informing. Coming up with new stuff that ticks off all of those boxes can seem daunting, but if you have the right mindset, it doesn't have to be so.

Try storified articles, videos or live streams! The fastest way to a customer's heart and attention span is through an awesome video. And, guess what - *awesome* doesn't equal expensive or picture-perfect, everybody at Storifyme will confirm that fact.

In the sea of overproduced and polished videos, imperfect product storytelling will win, but - only if it's authentic, starts a conversation and if the team behind it is quick to respond. What does that mean? Produce content with human connections and interactions in mind; numbers should come in second.

Unified Aesthetics and Tone Across All the Platforms

Choose your words with care. Pictures and colors even more so.

Your strategy should include a cohesive visual style and appeal across the platforms that will make your brand recognizable. But be careful, don't just copy-paste things as you please, approach each social platform individually, with little tweaks here and there to accommodate each platform separately.

Things that work for Twitter won't do anything on Snapchat, and those who predominantly use Facebook will not behave the same as Instagram-addicts. Educate yourself on all the ways and reasons your audience uses various platforms and adjust your "attack" accordingly. If you want to get noticed and cut through all the noise, choose your words and colors with care.  

Mobile Phones at Front and Center

Whether it's a video, picture, gif, infographic that leads to your storified landing page, make it unique, captivating and mobile-friendly. Don't neglect the devices that firmly hold the control over our lives; at the end of the day we're talking about "thumb-stopping" content, and you want to give it your all. The goal is to make everything look and feel appealing on small and big screens respectively. You have limited time to get people's attention, tailor your message not only according to the platform but also according to the means of delivery.

Get Personal

Don't you ever forget that social media is a two-way street that tends to get much more personal than any old school marketing campaign has done before. It thrives on deep connections between users and brands, which require time, attention and patience.

Show them all the ways your product and your presence can and will improve their lives if they give you a chance. Show them you care.

If you do that on a regular basis, it may not pay off straight away, but you'll create long-term meaningful relationships and connections that are worth preserving. Remember, social media is a marathon, not a sprint. The creation of thumb-stopping content is too.

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