What Is Microblogging & Why Should You Do It?
Microblogging has become an increasingly popular trend, and it’s one worth capitalizing on. If you’re asking yourself, “What is microblogging?” then read on to find out…
According to a survey by Contently, 75% of people prefer to read shorter articles (under 1,000 words).
On the other hand, we have Google. And Google generally prefers longer content because they consider it to be more comprehensive. They don’t want to send their users to thin content that doesn’t really address their query…
So, how do we take advantage of the value of content in both regards and keep our readers and Google happy at the same time?
That’s where microblogging comes in.
Let’s dig in by answering some of the most common questions about this topic, including what is microblogging, what are the benefits, what are some best practices, and more…
What Is Microblogging?
Microblogging is the act of creating short-form blog posts, usually for social media. Microblogs themselves are basically long captions with fewer than 300 words that serve to generate greater interest from an audience because they contain valuable and shareable content.
Not every type of content is suited for microblogging. It works best for teaching about a subject or outlining steps to do something—in a shorter format than blogging on a website.
Here are some other instances in which microblogging can be effective:
- The topic isn’t searched frequently but still has great potential for going viral.
- You want to get interaction from the communities on microblogging platforms.
- The post relates to a current or live event.
What Are the Advantages of Microblogging?
Microblogging may seem like just another way of producing and distributing content, but there’s a lot to gain from this practice.
Let’s take a look…
Microblogs Are Quick & Easy to Create
For the most part, a microblog can be created in minutes, especially if you already have a topic in mind or content you can pull from. A company can churn out dozens of microblogs in the time it takes to create one regular blog.
Because of this, it’s easy for companies to stay in touch with their audience on a much more consistent basis. And as you know, frequent posts tend to generate better engagement.
It Builds a Relationship with Your Followers
Microblogging is an easy, fun, and highly engaging way to interact with an audience.
People like to squeeze bite-sized content into their day. When you give prospective customers a fun way to learn about your company, your offerings, or a relevant topic, you’ll build a following that enjoys checking in to see what you have to share with them.
It Allows You to Tell a Better Story
A lot of people don’t want to read lengthy blog articles, but they do enjoy the type of long-copy posts that microblogging brings.
Through microblogging, your audience can gain a much better understanding of what your brand is about than they can from reading articles. The main purpose of microblogging is it keeps users on the social media platform. They’re more inclined to read the longer caption because they don’t’ need to leave the app.
It Drives Engagement
Microblogs are much more engaging because they provide value beyond what traditional social media posts offer, while still being easy to digest.
People tend to like, share, and comment more on these posts than they do on lengthier blog articles. This makes it a great way to extend your reach and drive engagement.
Catch Your Audience Where They Are
Let’s face it, it’s a rare occasion when people don’t have their phone with them. These days, people check their phones every 12 minutes.
Microblogging was built for mobile use. It’s incredibly easy to pop on the Instagram app, for example, and check your updates (and people get addicted to doing just that).
What Platforms Are Used for Microblogging?
Microblogging isn’t something that should be done on your actual blog because Google will see it as fluff (low value). That’s why you should microblog on platforms that are built for this purpose.
The most common microblogging platforms include the following…
Pinterest is a search engine that allows marketers to post content into boards by theme. This is a good platform for microblogging as it’s very visual, and you can add images, videos, and a brief caption.
Photos and videos take center stage on Instagram, but it’s frequently the caption added to the imagery that makes all the difference, and that’s what makes microblogging on this platform possible.
Research by Fohr has shown that the average caption length on Instagram has been progressively getting larger since 2016—to the point that it has now doubled in size. Now, captions are averaging about 65-70 words (405 characters).
Start thinking of your Instagram captions as an opportunity to microblog and notice how your posts transform!
Facebook offers a great opportunity for microbloggers since the platform allows lengthier posts (up to 63,206 characters). This means you can provide a lot of information in a single post. Plus, it’s nice that you can microblog to a Facebook Group.
Facebook Stories can also be utilized as a microblog since you can create groupings of related content with captions into a social media Story. These posts will be viewed like a slideshow, and you can even add in special effects.
LinkedIn works well for microblogging, especially in the B2B sphere. And it’s a nice place to start if you’re new to microblogging because it is so user friendly.
In addition to creating longer posts of up to 1,300 characters, you can also write an article using LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform. Additionally, SlideShare decks are a nice way to share your microblogs with an audience, and you can tag influencers to gain more exposure.
Tumblr
Tumblr was actually designed for microblogging. If your target audience hangs out on this platform, you can create long-copy posts that resonate with them. It’s also easy to share posts using the “reblog” feature.
Microblogging Best Practices
Now that we’ve answered, “What is microblogging?” and gone over the benefits and platforms to use, let’s talk about some microblogging tips to help you put out some stellar content…
1) Be Digestible
Microblogging is meant to be concise and lightweight. That goes for the overall length of the text but also for the formatting of the text. Break it up into short sentences and paragraphs, and add bullets, emojis, and anything else you can do to break it up and make it fun and easy to read.
2) Focus on Value
When it comes to microblogs on social media, the posts that gain the most traction are the longer captions that contain valuable information or steps to do something. So, focus on providing real value. In doing so, you’ll encourage people to spend more time consuming your content because it’ll be worth it.
3) Be Entertaining
The best microblogs get shared and interacted with because they are entertaining and provide value. Use humor when it’s appropriate to do so and in a way that fits your brand. Although Facebook and LinkedIn posts tend to work better with no image, you can also include relevant graphics on other platform posts to grab attention. Being informative and entertaining is what will get people talking about and engaging with your posts.
4) Get Personal
This is the kind of content that can really shine a light on your brand, so don’t hold back. Share stories that will help your audience get to know your brand. Let them see a side of you that they might not know about. That’s how they’re going to fall in love with your brand.
Here are some ideas of how you can do this:
- Share an insight that accompanies a graphic to add dimension to the post and interject your personality.
- Add some useful or interesting knowledge that demonstrates what you know.
- Include behind-the-scenes info in a lengthy caption.
- Show off your company values.
Basically, microblogging includes anything you can do to add context to an image (if one is used), add in some personality, and inspire action on the part of your followers.
5) Be Consistent
Engagement increases when you show up over and over again. Don’t post a microblog and then disappear for a month (or even a week). Post on a regular basis so that you’re microblogging up-to-date happenings or insight related to your company and industry.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have a good understanding of what microblogging is and how to go about it, you might even realize that you’ve been doing it all along without knowing the “technical” term! Now, all you have to do is think of it from the angle of being a microblogger to gain more success with this tactic.
At Viral Solutions we are committed to seeing YOU succeed. It is our goal to grow your business with proven digital marketing strategies that will help your business for the long haul.
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