It’s no secret that ephemeral content is popular. Stories are everywhere and livestreams are becoming more common. But why does this type of content work so well? It turns out there’s a psychological mechanism behind it. Research shows that it plays on the ‘ fear of missing out ’ (FOMO) and the need for social contact.
A well-known theory in communication science – uses and gratifications – states that people use social b2b email list media to get a certain sense of satisfaction. For example, satisfying the need for entertainment, social connections or just an escape from the busy world we live in. But as in many cases, we want more, more, more. Something new is always needed to get that feeling of satisfaction. We are all too afraid that we will miss things if we put our phone away for a day. That is exactly why many people cannot do that.
Ephemeral content plays on this FOMO. Because we always want to be up to date and don't want to miss anything, we are quickly inclined to 'quickly' check our Stories or click on that livestream notification. Even though we know we actually have better things to do.
In addition to FOMO, ephemeral content also plays into the need for social contact. This is because it has certain similarities with face-to-face conversations. For example, because you can 'join the conversation' by asking questions, voting in a poll, or responding to a story. And - just like ephemeral content - you only experience a face-to-face conversation once.
smartphone with stories.