TL;DR: In the “Marketing School” podcast, Neil Patel and Eric Siu cover zero-click marketing, a strategy where content keeps users on one page to boost ads and engagement. They note social media’s preference for native content to keep users in-platform. The focus is on creating engaging content that keeps users’ attention, crucial for brand engagement and recognition.
Zero-Click Marketing: The Future of Online Promotion
Understanding Zero-Click Marketing
Eric Siu introduces the concept of zero-click marketing, which is information entered into search engines that do not send marketers to a third-party website.
Siu refers to an article by Rand Fishkin, former CEO of Moz (a search engine company), providing insight into the declining click-through rates (CTR) on platforms such as Facebook.
Fishkin nostalgically recalls a time when Facebook boasted a 10% CTR. The digital landscape has since transformed, with a 1.5% CTR now seen as exceptional, and the median engagement rate dwindling to 0.15%.
Fishkin’s point was clear: platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram have a financial incentive to keep users on their platforms for as long as possible. The longer users engage with content, the more ads these platforms can serve, leading to increased revenue.
Platforms Favor Native Content and Zero-Click Approach
Patel agrees with Siu’s analysis and highlights the platform’s algorithmic changes.
According to Siu, Facebook’s algorithmic adjustment was designed to capitalize on the user engagement it was driving for external sites and keep it within the platform.
To illustrate the shift towards zero-click marketing, Siu referred to a table off-screen, which outlined the state of “zero click content on major platforms.”
The table included prominent platforms like Google, YouTube, Instagram, and LinkedIn. It also had columns indicating whether these platforms allowed “out-clicks in content” and whether their algorithms prioritized native content.
Siu pointed out that on platforms like Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, the algorithm favored native content. This preference meant that these platforms discouraged users from linking to external websites.
Another column in the table suggested that creators benefited from a zero-click approach, further emphasizing the value of posting content natively to the platform.
The takeaway is that major platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram, SnapChat, YouTube, etc., now favor native content to discourage external links, highlighting the value of zero-click marketing for creators.
The Future: Engaging, Zero-Click Content
Siu presumes that zero-click strategies are integral to future marketing efforts. In other words, marketers need to focus on creating engaging content that keeps users on the platform rather than clicking away.
The goal is to pique users’ interest in the brand or product and encourage them to seek more information independently by searching on Google.
This shift implies that marketers had to continually improve their content quality to capture and hold users’ attention effectively.
Patel emphasizes that accruing zero clicks does not inherently signify a failure on the part of marketers.
In fact, strategies centered around zero-clicks can be instrumental in the process of brand building.
Simply by consistently being present on a given platform, marketers could increase brand recognition.
This familiarity might eventually incentivize users to engage with the brand once more, and potentially make purchases because of their familiarity with the brand.
Siu cites data from 2020, indicating that 65% of Google searches resulted in zero-clicks, 1.59% led to paid CTR, and only 33% achieved organic CTR.
This trend suggests a decline in organic CTR and a rise in both paid CTR and zero-click results, emphasizing the importance of platform-specific content tailoring.
For example, on YouTube, crafting compelling headlines and thumbnails were crucial for achieving a higher click-through rate.
Siu cites an example where Marketing School’s strategic efforts in this area had resulted in a 7.2% click-through rate, compared to 1-2% CTR when they were less deliberate.
Siu’s stresses that major social media platforms are favoring zero-click content creators.
To succeed on these platforms, marketers need to adapt to this shift by prioritizing native content that keeps users engaged on the platform rather than encouraging them to click away.
The key takeaway is that the future of marketing is zero-click, as engaging content that retains users. Zero-click can build brands, and tailored content is crucial in this evolving landscape.
Interested in learning more about zero-click marketing?
Listen to Neil Patel and Eric Siu discuss its nuances and future prospects on the ‘Marketing School’ podcast.
Gain valuable insights and strategies to enhance your marketing approach.
Listen to the episode here: [https://marketingschool.io/is-zero-click-marketing-the-future-2544/]
Key Takeaways
1. Purpose of Zero-Click Marketing:
Zero-click marketing is when a website or app tries to give you all the information or content you need on one page, so you don’t have to click away to another site. This way, you see more of their ads, and they can make more money.
This approach is currently being utilized by major social media platforms.
2. Preference for Native Content:
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, and others (denoted as ‘X’ and etc.) have begun to prioritize and favor content that is native to their platforms.
In doing so, they discourage users from sharing or engaging with external links.
This shift highlights the importance of zero-click marketing for content creators, who need to produce compelling content that resides and engages users directly on these platforms.
3. Future of Marketing – Engaging & Tailored Content:
The future of marketing is anticipated to be heavily influenced by zero-click strategies.
Engaging content that retains users on the platform is crucial for brand building in this new marketing landscape.
Furthermore, content should not just be engaging; it must also be carefully tailored and customized to meet the unique preferences and expectations of the target audience, as this is essential for successful zero-click marketing initiatives.
About Marketing School:
Marketing School brings you 10 minutes of actionable marketing advice every single day. Get the right tips to take your business to the next level and get to work right away.
About Neil Patel:
Neil Patel is a New York Times bestselling author. The Wall Street Journal calls me a top influencer on the web, Forbes says Patel is one of the top 10 marketers, and Entrepreneur Magazine says he created one of the 100 most brilliant companies. Patel was recognized as a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 30 by President Obama and a top 100 entrepreneur under the age of 35 by the United Nations.
About Eric Siu:
Eric Siu is an investor, founder and advisor. He also hosts two podcasts: Marketing School with Neil Patel and Leveling Up, an entrepreneurial podcast where he dissects growth levers that help businesses scale.
