Finding ways to drive traffic through social media has always been an uphill battle for marketers. Most platforms and algorithms dislike external links (especially LinkedIn!), and users often aren’t interested in clicking them.

Zero-click content may be the answer we’ve been seeking!

Zero-click content aims to provide value upfront and engage users with each post. Better engagement can lead to new followers, better reach, improved brand sentiment, and better chances of going viral. It’s a win-win-win for users, platforms, and brands.

While creating zero-click content may require more effort than dropping a link, we promise it’s worthwhile. Below, we’ll explain the benefits of zero-click content. We’ll also share tips and examples to help you get started.

Bonus: Read the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on growing your social media presence.

What is zero-click content?

Zero-click content provides valuable information to users without having to leave a platform.

Amanda Natividad, VP of Marketing at SparkToro (one of my favourite people to follow on any social platform), first introduced the term in this blog post.

In Amanda’s own words:

"The concept of zero-click content originated in digital marketing and SEO, where search engines show content within search engine results pages (SERPs). By displaying this content with the results page, users get answers without needing to click through to a website (hence “zero-click”)."

Zero-click search content can appear within a SERP as featured snippets, knowledge panels, video carousels, and more. These formats have evolved in the last few years and will continue to change, keeping content marketers on their toes.

Here are some examples of zero-click content on social media:

  • LinkedIn carousels, videos or documents with slides that explain a concept
  • X (Twitter) threads with anecdotes, case studies, or step-by-step instructions
  • YouTube Shorts, Snapchat, or TikTok videos on how-to guides, tutorials, etc.
  • Instagram Reels or carousels with insights, data points, or key takeaways

Bite-sized how-to videos work well because they teach a short, easy-to-understand lesson many people can relate to.

Below is an example of my TikTok channel.

@jousefmurad

The Red Bull Story. A Masterclass in #Marketing Psychology... 🧠 In 1987, the Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz was attempting to launch a new kind of product in Europe. It was an energy drink he'd come across during a business trip to Thailand. The category was completely new - there was no such thing as an “energy drink” in the US or Europe (despite their popularity in East Asia). When he entered the Western market, Dietrich had two things: ✅ The tagline "Red Bull gives you wings)" ✅ Some small amount of customer research essentially saying that potential customers hate the concept and the product Dietrich knew 3 things: ✅ Brand attention is much easier when they are a part of something attention-grabbing (like extreme sports)! ✅ IF a brand grabs our attention PLUS our emotions, it burns itself in our memories! ✅ The more emotional a moment is, the more likely we will remember it! And when a brand is stuck in your brain, you're much more likely to buy it. The rest is history. #sales #redbull #psychology #neuromarketing #apexconsulting #eindhoven #consultancy #marketingagency #marketingconsulting

♬ original sound - Jousef Murad

Why Create Zero-Click Content?

Although the term “zero-click content” is new, the concept really isn’t.

At its core, zero-click content reflects a tried-and-true social media principle: create content that gives value to your users!

After all, posting valuable content is more likely to gain you a follower, earn engagement, improve brand sentiment, and build a community.

The Ominous "Algorithm" Loves Zero-Click Content

Most social media algorithms share one thing in common: they want to keep you on their platform, that's their only reason. Sorry to burst your bubble, but these platforms do not give a solitary f*ck about your political, sexual and food preferences as long you keep scrolling - they literally don't.

So, instead of trying to fight the algorithms, respect them. Create content that doesn’t need users to leave a platform. Not only will your zero-click posts perform better, but also the algorithms will reward your future posts.

Don't care about the algorithm. Care about people and the algorithm will care about you.

Zero-click content can help build your social brand

Leading brands don't just post links to their latest content — they create posts that provide immediate value. By doing this, they cater to both the algorithms and their audience's preferences for instant engagement without additional clicks.

I've been doing this for the last 4 years amassing over 150k followers on LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jousef Murad
Zero Click LinkedIn

When you provide valuable content upfront, your audience is more likely to engage with it. This increased engagement leads to greater reach, heightened brand awareness, and audience growth, which can eventually be monetised. Consistently sharing valuable content can also enhance your brand sentiment, reputation, and expand your social community as users interact with and share your posts.

This doesn’t mean every post has to be zero-click content. It's essential to find a balance by mixing in promotional content and external links. You can make zero-click content a recurring theme within your broader content strategy.

Regardless of the mix, incorporating zero-click content will undoubtedly benefit your brand.

Zero-Click Content Benefits Users

As social media users, we dislike switching between platforms. Many users avoid clicking links because it disrupts their scrolling experience.

Due to this resistance, social media CTAs need to be exceptionally compelling to prompt users to follow a link. Algorithms have adapted to favour zero-click content as a result.

Beyond user behaviour and shrinking attention spans, zero-click content offers several benefits:

  • Eliminates clickbait: With no external links, there's no need for exaggerated headlines to drive clicks.
  • Guaranteed value: Posts that deliver value upfront are more likely to be read or watched entirely.
  • More content in less time: Users can continue scrolling through their feed without being redirected to lengthy blog posts.

In many ways, creating zero-click content is simpler than crafting clickthrough content. Therefore, adopting zero-click content is advantageous for both users and brands.

5 Tips for Effective Zero-Click Content

Here are give tips to help you create engaging and effective zero-click content.

1. Offer Standalone Value

Good zero-click content teaches users something without needing to leave a platform. When crafting zero-click content, ask these questions to ensure you’re providing standalone value:

  • If this post came up in your timeline, would you learn something from it without visiting your website or consuming other content?
  • What are you trying to teach your audience?
  • Keep basic storytelling principles in mind. Does it have a beginning, middle, and end?

2. Keep it Short

When creating zero-click content, you want users to ideally read the full post. Depending on the format, this means maximising watch time, swiping through the whole carousel, or reading until the last post.

People on YouTube have this problem to keep the engagement high throughout the entire video to ensure it's being recommend to other (unique) viewers.

Create bite-sized content!

Here are some guidelines on format lengths to help you create posts that strike the right balance between length and value:

  • X Threads: 5-10 posts
  • LinkedIn Carousels: 5-7 slides
  • Instagram Carousels: ~5 slides
  • TikTok Carousels: ~2-6 slides
  • Short-form video (TikTok, Reels, Shorts): 60-90 seconds
  • Post captions (Facebook, Instagram, X): 200-300 words
  • Long-form videos (YouTube, etc.): 2-3 minutes

For shorts, a new trend of 1-2 second videos is emerging on Instagram causing the video loop multiple times which in turn shows the algorithm that people keep watching the full video and on top rewatch the piece multiple times. A great engagement hack!

3. Make it Easy-to-Read

Technically, this is a best practice for any content, but this principle is even more critical when the post is the content. Zero-click content has a slightly higher cognitive load than regular social content. You can lighten this load by making content as easy to read as possible in terms of design, formatting, style etc.

Here are some tips:

  • Use lists or bullet points instead of writing long paragraphs in threads or on carousel slides
  • Add a simple visual such as a graph or illustration, which can often convey value quicker than through words
  • Add emojis if they fit your brand to visually separate paragraphs

4. Repurpose a Longer Piece of Content

Are you looking for inspiration for zero-click content? You don’t need to create brand new pieces each time—instead, look to your best-performing existing content for ideas.

Here are some ways to repurpose your long-form content:

  • Take an excerpt from your podcast (and add visuals) - you can use transcription tools like HappyScribe
  • Extract the three key takeaways from a video - you can use ChatGPT, Gemini or Claude
  • Pull the headlines and create an outline from a blog post or newsletter

We're working on a dedicated course to repurpose content consistently and systematically. Sign up for the waiting list here.

Business Skills of the Future

You can add a link to the original content piece from your repurposed piece of content — most likely, users will click through to read more details, see examples, or understand how it can apply to their business.

5. Always Experiment & Iterate

While I’m confident that zero-click content can work for any brand, there are still nuances about executing it well, depending on each brand’s audience.

The best way to figure out what will resonate? Run experiments. Create some hypotheses on what you think will work, and make at least 10 posts to test each hypothesis. Then, use access to your analytics to identify which content types performed better.

Even after you complete your experiments, continue to regularly check the performance of your zero-click content and adjust your formats and content pillars accordingly. Generally as a freelancer, expert or business owner, you should always be experimenting.

Get a consultant or agency on your side that helps you avoid making stupid mistakes costing you valuable time and money.

By providing value upfront, you can engage users, respect platform algorithms, and build a stronger, more connected audience. Stay up-to-date with the latest social media and lead generation strategies by working with us.

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