Strategic Seriality
We live in the era of bingeing. Whether it’s series on Netflix, videos on YouTube, podcasts or other forms of content, consuming multiple parts of a series in one sit has become a common phenomenon. And it’s not only thanks to the autoplay function; the serial nature of the narrative also plays a big role in sustaining the audience. The serial content format, wherein the plot unfolds sequentially, has been gaining popularity since Netflix became everyone’s habit. But which aspects of this format cause it to work so well in different contexts? And could brands benefit from implementing the same principles in their content strategy?
Serial content, when done well, could potentially be an important step towards building and consistently maintaining a brand’s online presence. There are multiple traits that make it versatile and highly effective:
- It keeps the audience returning to a brand
One of the main advantages of the serial format is the way it fosters anticipation and keeps the audience returning to a brand. This can work in two ways; either by acting on what the audience expects or by flipping the script and surprising them. The former approach encourages the audience to grow accustomed to the type of content produced, with every installment of a series solidifying this expectation and making itself more strongly remembered by the visitors.
On the opposite side of the spectrum, the latter approach plays with the expectations and anticipation of the audience. This topic has been researched widely in terms of evoking strong emotions and memory benefits, especially when applied to video content. Scientists found that selected clips of suspenseful moments in movies, would narrow down the attention to low-level visual features like changes in color, but expand the absorption and encoding of narrative events by the viewers. Meaning that videos effectively evoking strong emotions would be remembered more strongly.
A similar dynamic works when it comes to cliffhangers. A phenomenon called the Zeigarnik effect explains that an interrupted or uncompleted task creates tension which makes people have a stronger memory of it. Only upon the completion of the task the tension is relieved. This principle applied to serialized brand content means effectively employing suspense and anticipation to make the content memorable.
- Perfect for expansive topics
Serial content is highly suitable for addressing expansive topics, as it allows to tackle a subject matter a piece at a time, whether it’s going more into depth or approaching it from different perspectives. The same applies to creating a longer and more complex narrative, instead of having to compress it into a constricting form, episodic content makes it possible to let a story unfold slower and with more detail.
- Mobile friendly and easy to digest
As nowadays mobile accounts for 50% of all web traffic, a significant part of all digital media is consumed on a smartphone. Thus producing shorter pieces of content that are easier to view or read on mobile, could make content easier to digest and perhaps more user friendly.
- Builds a loyal audience
A big benefit of episodic content is how it can strengthen the relationship between the customers and a brand. Nevertheless, to build a loyal audience, the series should capture attention from the first installment and keep the viewers interested, because once lost, it’s harder to regain an audience member than with individual pieces of content.
- Creates a feedback loop
In a content series every part is released subsequently, with a certain amount of time in between the episodes. The response to each one of them is measurable, whether it’s through the amount of views, likes, shares etc. and can be transformed into learnings. This in turn serves as an indication of the direction in which the series should further develop and can provide new insights about the target group of a brand.
However, serial content is not a silver bullet. It needs a different approach than individual content items and whether it’s applicable relies heavily on the topic or the domain a brand is trying to claim. But when used in the right way, storytelling split in parts can enhance a content strategy and help a brand to get noticed in today’s abundance of digital communication.
Feel free to get in touch for further insights and ideas on how to successfully apply seriality to your content strategy. — contact@noservice.today
NO SERVICE 24/7 is a berlin-based full-service agency for strategic brand communication operating at the intersection of arts, culture and lifestyle.
