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Are You Creating "Snackable Content"?

by SteveJohnson
7 replies
I read an interesting article over at MarketingProfs.com: Content - Snackable Content: The Key to Engagement : MarketingProfs Article

I was actually thinking about this myself a day or two ago. I buy WSOs for the nuggets of information they offer. I'm perfectly content to pay the going rate for a concise 10- or 12-page PDF on whatever it is I'm interested in learning about. I like short, single subject videos because I can watch it and move on.

Then I ran across a 500+ page juggernaut of a product. It was very well done, provided good actionable information and ideas in a number of different areas. But it was just...too much. Honestly, I was a little dismayed when I first started looking at. My first thought was, "OMG. I don't have time to go through all of this."

So answer me this: when you buy an info product, do you appreciate straight, to-the-point knowledge nuggets - 3-5 minute videos and 10 or 12-page PDFs - or does 20 extra pages or 20 minutes of minutiae and extraneous details help you feel that you got your money's worth?
#creating #snackable content
  • Profile picture of the author David Keith
    Originally Posted by SteveJohnson View Post

    I read an interesting article over at MarketingProfs.com: Content - Snackable Content: The Key to Engagement : MarketingProfs Article

    I was actually thinking about this myself a day or two ago. I buy WSOs for the nuggets of information they offer. I'm perfectly content to pay the going rate for a concise 10- or 12-page PDF on whatever it is I'm interested in learning about. I like short, single subject videos because I can watch it and move on.

    Then I ran across a 500+ page juggernaut of a product. It was very well done, provided good actionable information and ideas in a number of different areas. But it was just...too much. Honestly, I was a little dismayed when I first started looking at. My first thought was, "OMG. I don't have time to go through all of this."

    So answer me this: when you buy an info product, do you appreciate straight, to-the-point knowledge nuggets - 3-5 minute videos and 10 or 12-page PDFs - or does 20 extra pages or 20 minutes of minutiae and extraneous details help you feel that you got your money's worth?
    when i was a hungry newbie some 15 years ago, i wanted more information. i didnt mind reading it all.

    but as time goes on, i dont want to read all the stories and examples. i want to know the details as quickly as possible.

    lets face it, for the more experienced marketers, we read the sales letters and we already know that we know most of what they promise to teach.

    but we also realize that we can still learn some small yet very profound things from these mostly rehashed products.

    in short, i am much more impressed these days with a 15 pages hard hitting report with actionable tips than a huge product that contains a ton of fluff.
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  • Profile picture of the author JohnMcCabe
    Originally Posted by SteveJohnson View Post

    So answer me this: when you buy an info product, do you appreciate straight, to-the-point knowledge nuggets - 3-5 minute videos and 10 or 12-page PDFs - or does 20 extra pages or 20 minutes of minutiae and extraneous details help you feel that you got your money's worth?
    Well, since you put it that way...

    Extra padding or fluff tends to devalue the nuggets a bit for me. Unless I'm buying something as a reference work, where I want as much information as is available.

    Even then, if the vendor can break things up into smaller chunks that address specifics, I'm a happier camper. This applies even more to videos, where scanning forward and back is more difficult.

    If you do think you have to make one long video, take a tip from the VHS version of Jack Nicklaus' 'Golf My Way'. This would have been a monster to navigate, except the case gave the timestamps for the various sections.
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    • Profile picture of the author JMB Marketing Group
      I'm not, but

      Alexa Smith ...

      ... writes many things that snap, crackle and pop

      Sorry, but I just couldn't resist

      However, on a serious note, I had a conversation with my IT technician regarding information I sent him on a particular subject.

      I told him that I had that information on my computer for a couple of years and when I read it, I just didn't get it. I told him that after years and years of studying and buying more information on that particular subject that I FINALLY got it.

      I also went on to tell him that there's soooo much to understand (the lingo, etc.) that if I took the time to fully explain EVERYTHING in a full blown manual, that people would just give up because people want to know within a few steps on what to do NOW! They don't have the time or patience to read through a manual to be able to understand the steps in order to implement them.

      So with that said, it's difficult to provide "snackable content" UNLESS someone knows EXACTLY what they need and/or want to "snack" on. Meaning, one must know the subject matter fairly well in order to appreciate the snack that you are offering.

      Hope this makes sense.

      JMB
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    • Profile picture of the author Tashi Mortier
      Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe View Post

      If you do think you have to make one long video, take a tip from the VHS version of Jack Nicklaus' 'Golf My Way'. This would have been a monster to navigate, except the case gave the timestamps for the various sections.
      I think this is an awesome idea, since most videos require me to watch them several times to get to the position I want.

      I know that Camtasia has a great feature where you can have their flash player show a clickable menu - that would add some value to any video course!

      My opinion on the written content is that I also prefer some shorter courses. But if you have a really well-made e-book that has a great summary in the beginning of each chapter, well-structured table of contents, bullet points, italics etc., I also very much enjoy to read a longer piece.
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  • Profile picture of the author sbucciarel
    Banned
    I don't know. I just bought 400 or so pages from an email promo from a well known Mod here. At $27 and knowing the value delivered, I'll take whatever time necessary to digest the info.

    There are times that I'd prefer around 20-30 pages, which I consider snackable content. Often, I find the 12-15 pages are lacking a bit. Not always, but often enough.
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  • Profile picture of the author kindsvater
    It isn't the length that is important but the quality of the information.

    One of the difficult issues in creating content for others is their range of knowledge, or lack of knowledge.

    That is, you may create extremely useful content in a couple pages, but many are lost because they do not have basic information.

    Example: Here is a great tip to put in the meta tag of your website.

    Customer Emails: What is a meta tag? How do I create a website? What do I need for a website? How do I change my meta tags?

    You don't want to be rude by pointing them to Google, but I understand why there can be 'fluff' or beginner material in a product that adds pages that some may consider padding, but others consider necessary.

    .
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  • Profile picture of the author BloggingPro
    I've been utilizing "snackable" content with a new site I have created that focuses on a very targeted niche. Not only is it easier to write, but I am still providing the visitor with exactly what they were looking for. So its a win-win.
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