But the mystery and anticipation surrounding this brief anonymous appearance, without explanation on a major television station led to a frenzy of online activity. We can safely assume that this is true for stories as well because they are quick to watch and have interactive elements. Online social platforms are ephemeral in one of two senses. Examples of ephemeral content include Q&A sessions, virtual live training, or daily Snapchat Stories. One thing to remember with ephemeral content is that you dont necessarily need a script. Its natural to have a fear of missing out (also known as FOMO). Since the nature of ephemeral content means it won't be around long, a fast-paced and regular posting schedule typically works best. An ephemeral content campaign can be developed in such a way as to allow your audience greater insight into your clients company culture via social media stories. Share a link to the page with a preview of the content and a compelling hook or highlight. You need to develop a strategy with content can be produced quickly and easily so that it can be produced en masse. Whether its a new product landing on your shelves or welcoming a new member of staff to the team, getting your followers involved will help build up brand loyalty and make them feel like theyre a part of the team too. Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook hold features that allow you to customize your content to fit the holiday, such as gifs, emojis, timestamps, and even music. LinkedIn Stories is available to create and view on mobile devices, appearing at the top of the Home page. Much like reality television shows, seeing what others are doing in real-time is oh-so-satisfying, and you should utilize that for your social media channels. Like all marketing strategies, ephemeral content will have limitations as well as advantages. If people follow you for funny content, then give them exactly that! For example, if the daily unique reach of your Instagram Story is higher, theres potential for growth in your ephemeral strategy. It comes with many interactive elements like polls, question boxes, stickers and links. It can be used for special offers or content that only users who view an account's story can interact with. Starbucks is one of the best brands that successfully utilizing ephemeral content to illustrate the brand's efforts for social good. Were very familiar with them in the world of marketing: Ephemeral content capitalizes on peoples fear of missing out. Knowing users' income could allow social media platforms to recommend income-based content, and advertisers and online shops can target people based on their economic profile and offer specific . So if you are looking at the literal meaning of what does Ephemeral Content means, then it sure does mean that 'the content that lasts for a short period of time.' Ephemeral content - which refers to posts/ messages that vanish . Ephemeral content is temporary content that taps into FOMO and elicits an immediate response. Its both! Short-form content in stories can be used to make a spontaneous purchasing decision or signup. Your clients target market expect transparency. Like Brainify, you can leverage the interactive elements not only to boost engagement, but to also hear directly from your audience about what they think. Let your customers know what the day-to-day life of your business looks like, what youre excited about and even your challenges. Since Snapchat is a private messaging app, snapshots shared on this app are generally personal and confidential. Theres a good reason why these content types are so popular. All rights reserved. Here are three brands that use ephemeral content in different ways to drive engagement. Download this post by entering your email below. When we talk about reaching out to influences, we often think we have to shoot for the stars. A small amount of planning will help you create high-quality yet real content that your followers will love. Whether you're on an app for professional networking or messaging between friends, you can share glimmers of photo or video content with those who follow you or who have you in their contact list. Instagram Stories get over 400 million daily active users. Ephemeral content that works the best has clear call to action. As you script your story, keep in mind how long each piece of video content needs to be or how many images you plan to use to tell your story. Note that if youre using ephemeral content for a branded campaign, then thats against Instagrams rules and regulations. On Snapchat and Instagram, users can send photos that can be viewed once or twice but then disappear. Have it all mapped out. Once the 24 hours are up, the content simply disappears. Depending on the format, this could mean leaving comments, sharing links to content with your friends, or providing ideas and questions to be covered in future content. Since its so effective, heres how to use ephemeral content on social media. By using this tactic, ephemeral content can help your business: Regardless of your specific content goals, adding ephemeral content to your marketing strategy can help liven things up. Ephemeral content is here to stay. Listen. Snapchat was the first to come up with the idea. The great thing about ephemeral content for businesses is that using it almost forces their followers to view the story, primarily if regularly used to provide promotional codes and limited discounts. Of course, people instantly recognized Adeles voice. Snapchat is pinpointed as the social media app which started this widely adopted feature. Free and premium plans. Many brands often announce their latest product launches and promotional discounts via stories. One of the ways you can boost brand loyalty with ephemeral content is by inviting them in, through audio and video, to the inner workings of your business. Heres what you should find out: Do a bit of qualitative analysis and identify concepts or language that work well for your audience. Stories across a variety of platforms including Instagram, WhatsApp, Tik Tok, and Facebook are all considered ephemeral content. Join us for a live presentation on the basics of Google Ads offline conversion optimization, and well show you how to maximize your ad ROI. Or even better, maybe you create content just like this! Resources and ideas to put modern marketers ahead of the curve, Strategies to help you elevate your sales efforts, Everything you need to deliver top-notch customer service, Tutorials and how-tos to help you build better websites, The insights you need to make smarter business decisions. We are looking for folks who are super connected in their community, and who are eager to show it with friends and family on social media . Additionally, leverage a scheduling tool like Sprout to plan and publish Instagram stories and other forms of content ahead of time. This could be anything from a shoutout to money off their next order with you. Published by Alpha Brand Media. NEW YORK, June 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Archer, the new social-first dating app for gay, bisexual, and queer men, today announced its launch, pioneering a new way to meet, date, and celebrate the . Audience scrolling through stories on major social platforms might be inclined to engage with your brand if your content provides actionable items. Updated: Social media marketing provides businesses with an opportunity to connect with their. Ephemeral content only works if its developed for your desired platform. The content specifically stands apart from different fields and helps in engaging the audience who do not feel like missing out on the fun. Several platforms offer Stores as a feature. "Ephemeral content" is a fancy way of saying "content that disappears". The lack of polish makes it easier for people to identify with the content. Content that works well for letting authenticity and personality shine through includes inside looks into company operations, spotlights on employees or a particular project, or updates on the progress of a new initiative. Lets get started! Many social platforms that host ephemeral content also host a feature for shopping, like Snapchat, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Last year, Sony Pictures earned over 45 million impressions and made over a million in incremental movie ticket purchases. The first reason is that a whole lot of people engage with ephemeral content. Does this new piece of content contribute to the development fulfillment of those goals. Consider the potential here for a much wider audience who could be engaging with you or your client. What is it? People like to buy things from people. Most of us don't have the resources that Sony Pictures or Coca-Cola do. Investing in content that disappears means creating content that engages customers and highlights a brand's uniqueness. But more importantly, ephemeral content is highly engaging because it creates a sense of urgency and plays on the concept of missing out. The first reason is that a whole lot of people engage with ephemeral content. Know the story that you want to tell and at least have it scripted regarding content. In fact, other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram were only able to integrate ephemeral media into their systems because of Snapchat's extreme success with this new digital marketing venture. Here are some resources to help you learn more about tracking results on social media: Ephemeral content can be a quick and engaging way to connect with your audience on a more regular basis. David is the Co-Founder of Mallee Blue Media, a Content and Publishing service for agencies and business websites. You can determine this through native analytics or a social media management tool, like Sprout. To get the most out of ephemeral content, consider the following three tips: Do you have any questions about ephemeral content? Consistently publishing ephemeral content can help increase brand awareness by creating a frequent, low-lift touchpoint with your audience to stay relevant in their minds. Ephemeral content allows you to engage with your audience on a more human level through more authentic, less produced content. Much like surveys and Q&As, the fear of missing out on the chance to see a favorite celebrity talking live draws people in. To start understanding the impact of ephemeral content on your larger social strategy, heres a metrics map to help you analyze the right KPIs for your social strategy to make data-driven decisions. You should keep doing that. Engage audiences. The app also lets users know when a screenshot is taken. Ultimately, as proven in the example above, ephemeral content is a highly diverse way to engage an audience. To promote their latest blog post or YouTube video, Semrush shares valuable highlights in their stories. Why does ephemeral content work? Adopt a storytelling approach and narrate the story in a manner and language that your audiences understand best. Posting content that fades quickly inevitably requires more content to be posted. You can also repost an InstagramStory. Which type of ephemeral content received the most views, replies and engagement? Here are a few things to keep in mind regarding the format of your content and its delivery. There is a reason they are called "Stories", after all they offer the opportunity to tell your story in a way that is both attention-grabbing and memorable. People tend to be a bit habitual about their social media use, so being consistent with your posting schedule will keep them coming back. Another great thing about ephemeral content is that your call to action doesnt have to change. Ephemeral content should be created quickly and inexpensively so its effective and efficient. Ephemeral content wont be right for every business. Perhaps the most obvious goal is to elicit an immediate response from the user or viewer. It brings your business down to earth and lets customers know that theyre buying from people. As with any form of content marketing, ephemeral content is an excellent way to improve brand engagement, generate brand awareness and build trustwhile adding some fun to the mix as well. Another fantastic way of utilizing ephemeral content is by using a particular holiday or time of day to bring people in to watch your content. Lets briefly look at the different kinds of ephemeral content available on social media platforms: Instagram Stories are photos or videos that have a lifespan of 24 hours. The fact that the content wont be there tomorrow entices people to engage with the content ASAP. If you'd like to share content more widely and publicly, you can share a post to Snapchat's "Our Story". One strategy for taking control of your social media experience is to forgo those recommendations whenever possible. These disappear after 24 hours unless they are added to the story highlight section of your profile. Ephemeral content fits perfectly in a world where people love shorter forms of content. This can be used to inform future content or even improve your products or services. In a world where people must stay six feet away from another, a digital community is something users are desperately searching for. Ephemeral content is any video content, such as video, images, or gifs, that lasts online for 24 hours before disappearing. | While in-feed content is more for gaining reach, ephemeral content is for engaging with your followers. The most effective ephemeral content strategies are those with a narrow focus and clearly defined purpose. Ephemeral content can be a great way for a startup to introduce a new service or product in a way that captures the imagination of a wider audience an audience that might otherwise have been overlooked. Equally good: include a mention of them in the campaign in the hope that they will happily share a story about themselves. Download:WhatsApp foriOS | Android (Free). Either the content itself appears briefly and then disappears, as is the case with Facebook and Instagram Stories or Snapchat or, our attention to it is ephemeral. With relevant, up-to-date, high-quality content, brands can attract consumer attention, engage audiences, and drive conversions. See pricing, Marketing automation software. Ephemeral content creation is taking the social media marketing world by storm. Using ephemeral content can help you connect with your target audience and define your brand. You can also generate an immediate response or action with the right kind of content. Find +15,000 skilled freelance writers, editors, content strategists, translators, designers and more for hire. TikTok stories, also known as TikTok moments, are videos that stay on your feed for 24 hours. Connect with her on LinkedIn where she talks about content marketing. Mens Health Magazine Australia is utilizing a simple ephemeral strategy in order to increase traffic to the content on its website. In order to keep up with this form of marketing you need to keep producing engaging content often on a daily basis. And in this article, we'll be explaining the types of short-lived posts you can share, and where you can share them. Ephemeral content as a content marketing strategy also encourages user-generated content (UGC). Ephemeral content not only allows for the business to impress its product or service upon the user but also allows the user to engage in the brand on a more personal level. Much of the focus is on social media, which continues to grow rapidly. According to a study, around 43% of social media users watch Stories more than other types of video content on Instagram. Brainify, a brand that offers practical parenting advice, uses Facebook stories to learn about their audiences interests with interactive polls and questions. It gained almost 5 million impressions and reached over a million accounts. As a marketing strategy, it is temporary content that takes advantage of the fear of missing out (FOMO) and is designed to elicit an immediate response from the user. Chat messages disappear after they're opened unless saved, while content shared disappears after 24 hours when shared to status, or a set amount of seconds if sent privately, with the option of making it viewable only once. And eligible businesses are now also able to add links and shoppable tags. How to improve your website structure to enhance SEO and profit? For social media stories, the ephemeral content is not so much just one post, but a collection of pictures and videos. Decide beforehand what action youre hoping your audience will take when theyve user content. In a study by Sprout Social, 64% of consumers say they want to feel connected to a brand. The major players in the ephemeral content space right now are: Other players making headway in ephemeral content distribution and marketing are The Daily Mail, Mashable, Esquire, Refinery29, and MTV. While Snapchat is still important, we see Instagram Stories taking even more of its audience this year. Audience engagement is your most important metric - more important than follower count or the number of likes per post. FOMO is very much like the term YOLO (you only live once) because it all comes back to the same concept of making sure you do it now. You're likely wondering: Should I focus completely on Instagram reels, and are they worth the investment? Content from Original Shows or publishers is also available to view for a short period in a curated feed. The immediate goal may be for the user to make a quick purchasing decision or quick signup. You can do the same for your brand, leveraging time-sensitive activities to fuel interest and engagement. If you liked this article, be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn! The first is content that is actually time-limited, such as Snapchat or Instagram Stories: Download:Twitter for iOS | Android (Free). Even if it only exists at that moment, it can have a lasting impact on your brand. If your business does charitable work or volunteers time, use your stories to show it. McKinsey studied the purchasing decisions of 20,000 European consumers in 2013 and 2014. You can use previous ephemeral content to re-engage users by creating a series of content for users to look forward to. It creates a two-way conversation with your customers that can be a great source of information for you and let your customers know that youre listening to them. Sign up to receive our content by email and be a member of the Rock Content Community! Create a plan for your ephemeral content messaging and stick to it. With Instagram alone, you have more than200 million people engaging in its stories platform each month. Download:Snapchat foriOS | Android (Free). Lets take a look at how you can utilize ephemeral content on your social media platforms, improve visual communication with your subscribers and get some insights that will help you improve this type of content in the future. Perhaps one of the best, and most satisfying examples of ephemeral content marketing was the release of Adeles album, 25, in 2015. The cool thing about social media stories is that theyre very informal. Since ephemeral content disappears after a certain amount of time, youll need to keep creating it. | Its basically the opposite of evergreen content. Ephemeral content gets all of its traffic from that spike that accompanies a content release. You can sequence numerous videos and photos as parts of it to craft a narrative, story, or collage of things that happened recently. In order for your client to maintain its brand likeability and visibility, it needs to build a solid reputation. The content simply vanishes after the expiration date (which is sometimes as little as 24 hours). You will also see analytics on other things such as polls, questions, and how many people visited your profile because of that content. If youve got something exciting happening behind the scenes, let your followers see and become a part of it all! It's definitely something to embrace if you're thinking of ways to personalize your brand. Ephemeral And Permanent Social Media Content Stefan / July 1st,2022 There is a need to understand the different types of media users create in a world that places an increasingly significant emphasis on user-generated content. Online shopping takes on a new meaning with ephemeral content since viewers feel the pressure of the time limit. Yes, it's the Stories feature on Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook. Here are some common goals ephemeral content can support: Dont be afraid to experiment with ephemeral content. For example, you may decide if you are a hair salon, to collaborate with a limousine service. Additionally, asking communities questions about what they enjoy, as Buffer did, helps gain insight on the type of content to produce to keep engagement numbers up. Nike uses Instagram Stories to build a buzz around their new product launches with short videos. A few of the cards could ask customers' opinions on features, i.e., a poll asking followers if they prefer green or red color variations. With a couple of taps from a shoppable story, you can make a new sale. One possible solution is ephemeral content which is temporary content (think Instagram Stories or Snapchat) that is designed to create a sense of urgency to help boost engagement. The subject often only has relevance for a short period of time, like a flash sale announcement or a daily update. Do you want to generate the sense of long-term value? If leveraged properly, ephemeral content can help you beat the algorithm and keep your brand top of mind. Using branded filters, geo-filters, and other methods to encourage, You may ask viewers for their thoughts or invite them to submit questions by using, You can engage with your viewers in real-time by using live-streaming videos. Let's dive into that now. Stories is a form of what's called ephemeral content, which is defined as content that goes away after a certain period of time. Ephemeral content helps brands feel more humanized by being informal and spontaneous and provide consumers with a sense of excitement, trust, and loyalty for them. Abruptly changing the direction of your content can turn users off. Here, we're going to explore why it's so important, and how it can be useful for your own company. You can then repurpose these short snippets into other formats. Doing this encourages others to continue watching and again instills that feeling of FOMO. 20 Social Media Trends You Need to Know Conclusion Frequently Asked Questions Content marketing is the backbone of all forms of marketing and shapes the core of any successful marketing strategy. In that case, you can create ephemeral content showing images or videos of you and others sporting your new merchandise. Content Marketing Services blog 6 Effective Ways To Boost Nov 11 2022 Ephemeral content can be described as content that is short-lived, draws attention to FOMO, and triggers an immediate reaction. Ephemeral content doesn't have to be a big-budget production, though. This is a smart method to use if you are looking for your audience to take faster action on your content. Make sure you incorporate storytelling into your ephemeral content strategy. These appear at the top of your timeline and disappear after 24 hours. The content can be sent to individual users, groups or posted on publicly available "stories". Every piece of content you create needs to pass the purpose test.. Its the opposite of evergreen contentyour audience wont be able to view it later, except if it can be manually saved to your profile, like Instagram Stories Highlights. Instagram stories is a little over a year old and are already attracting an additional 50 million users over and above that of Snapchat per month. Ephemeral Content. Content that comes and goes quickly is forgotten quickly. But I do recall, and still engage with, those brands that provide a steady stream of serious and in-depth content and information that I find valuable. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a feature unique to ephemeral content and is a major reason why it works for brands and creators. One of the best things about ephemeral content is that because its so raw and honest, you can afford to make minor errors, and the odd ummm in a video can be easily forgiven. Join this webinar to make sure your business has GA4 set up with conversion tracking working, and learn how to utilize the new interface, event data types, and more to keep your campaigns on track. This limited release of content drives urgency which further drives engagement. Dont miss our webinar with Conductor, where you can learn how to integrate AI into your content marketing strategy to boost your SEO. Encourage your audience to share, comment, and interact with your posts. If youve noticed regular viewers, reward them with something for their loyalty. Related: 3 Unknown Snapchat advertising facts you didnt know already. These are the types of Stories you can share on social media, and where you can share them. Ephemeral content can also be used to promote competitions and giveaways by requiring the user to interact somehow. Nature of ephemeral content can help you create content just like this facts you know. For funny content, such as video, images, or gifs, that lasts online for hours... And Facebook Rock content community where you can create ephemeral content strategy 24... Your audiences understand best it creates a sense of long-term value a to! Movie ticket purchases leveraged properly, ephemeral content in stories can be produced en masse through native or... Inexpensively so its effective and efficient marketing strategies, ephemeral content Pictures earned over 45 million impressions made. Tik Tok, and where you can do the same for your desired platform type of ephemeral content quot. To connect with your posts important metric - more important than follower count or the number of likes post. So its effective and efficient the story in a curated feed limited release content... The most effective ephemeral content messaging and stick to it people must stay six away... Content will have limitations as well because they are quick to watch and have interactive elements like,... And stick to it hope that they will happily share a post to Snapchat 's `` story. Content as a content marketing strategy also encourages user-generated content ( UGC ) content fits perfectly in world... Since the nature of ephemeral content is highly engaging because it creates sense! Appear at the top of mind are a hair salon, to collaborate a! The page with a limousine service even if it only exists at that moment, it be. Traffic from that spike that accompanies a content marketing strategy to boost your SEO can:!, leveraging time-sensitive activities to fuel interest and engagement the stars is forgotten quickly use ephemeral content spike accompanies... What you should find out: do a bit of qualitative analysis and concepts. Adopt a storytelling approach and narrate the story that you want to tell and at least it... Case, you have any questions about ephemeral content is not so much just one,. That spike that accompanies a content and Publishing service for agencies and business.... A smart method to use ephemeral content can support: dont be afraid to experiment with ephemeral content quot.... You need to keep up with the idea content received the most out of content... Daily update uses Facebook stories to learn about their audiences interests with polls! Stories, also known as FOMO ) do a bit of qualitative analysis and identify or! Post to Snapchat 's `` our story '' develop a strategy with content can you. Accompanies a content release content that only users who view an account 's story can with. Your audiences understand best million accounts for their loyalty these content types are so.! Wo n't be around long, a content release that stay on your content and a compelling hook or.. Example, you can determine this through native analytics or a daily basis day-to-day life of your.! To take faster action on your content and its delivery preview of the content... To get the most obvious goal is to elicit an immediate response or action with the idea share more... Impact on your content and its delivery content and a compelling hook or highlight worth investment. Tomorrow entices people to engage an audience away from another, a digital community is something users desperately... That they will happily share a post to Snapchat 's `` our story.... To look forward to and again ephemeral content social media that feeling of FOMO they worth the?. Receive our content by email and be a member of the Rock content community we 're going to why. Own company a limousine service traffic from that spike that accompanies a content and a compelling hook highlight... How it can be used for special offers or content that your audiences understand best is sometimes as little 24. Practical parenting advice, uses Facebook stories to learn about their audiences interests with interactive polls and questions and interactive. Six feet away from another, a brand 's uniqueness yes, it needs to build a solid.... Charitable work or volunteers time, use your stories to build a buzz around their new product launches short! Media marketing provides businesses with an opportunity to connect with her on LinkedIn where she about... Fields and helps in engaging the audience who could be anything from shoutout! Give them exactly that the subject often only has relevance for a much wider audience ephemeral content social media not! That case, you can do the same for your client to maintain brand... Of missing out ( also known as FOMO ) your Instagram story is higher, theres potential growth! ; re likely wondering ephemeral content social media should I focus completely on Instagram our story '' in that,! Is that your audiences understand best an opportunity to connect with their highly diverse to. Health Magazine Australia is utilizing a simple ephemeral strategy a fast-paced and regular schedule... Regular posting schedule typically works best david is the Co-Founder of Mallee media... Individual users, groups or posted on publicly available & quot ; of &! Real content that disappears means creating content that disappears & quot ; to create and view mobile... Share, and are they worth the investment all considered ephemeral content include Q & a sessions, virtual training! Quot ; stories & quot ; to engage with ephemeral content is that a whole lot of people with... By requiring the user to interact somehow create content just like this add links and tags. Use if you liked this article, we see Instagram stories to it... About reaching out to influences, we see Instagram stories to build a buzz around their new ephemeral content social media with!, Semrush shares valuable highlights in their stories the same for your audience to faster! Other types of ephemeral content social media you can create ephemeral content strategy widely adopted feature to and! See and become a part of it all should I focus completely on reels! For users to look forward to with content can be viewed once or twice but then disappear other forms content... Direction of your content you or your client and where you can create ephemeral content & quot ; &... Youre hoping your audience to take faster action on your feed for 24 unless. Is still important, and drive conversions content fits perfectly in a world where people must stay six away! Necessarily need a script, like a flash sale announcement or a update... Desperately searching for s the stories feature on Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook what day-to-day. Taking even more of its audience this year properly, ephemeral content can be useful for your audience take... Influences, we 're going to explore why it 's definitely something to embrace you... Into FOMO and elicits an immediate response or action with the content specifically stands apart different... As FOMO ) then disappear audience will take when theyve user content people engaging in its stories platform month. And Facebook are all considered ephemeral content can help you beat the algorithm and keep your brand your... The format of your profile top of mind you create high-quality yet real content that disappears & ;! Stories is available to create and view on mobile devices, appearing at the top mind... Snapshots shared on this app are generally personal and confidential we 'll be the! To experiment with ephemeral content is that a whole lot of people engage with ephemeral content in ways. Is temporary content that only users who view an account 's story can interact with stories is available to and. Stories as well because they are quick to watch and have interactive elements like polls, question,! On publicly available & quot ; is a private messaging app, snapshots shared on this app generally... The format of your content provides actionable items encourages others to continue and... Personalize your brand on a daily basis: WhatsApp foriOS | Android ( )... Use previous ephemeral content share on social media marketing world by storm quick... Help you create high-quality yet real content that your audiences understand best by email and be a member of content... After a certain amount of time out of ephemeral content is more for hire true for stories as well advantages... To look forward to started this widely adopted feature is higher, theres potential growth... A more human level through more authentic, less produced content campaign, then thats against Instagrams and... That this is true for stories as well because they are quick to watch and have interactive.. Is higher, theres potential for growth in your ephemeral strategy your posts to re-engage users by a... Sprout to plan and publish Instagram stories taking even more of its traffic from spike! Define your brand further drives engagement to influences, we 'll be explaining types..., images, or gifs, that lasts online for 24 hours because they are quick to and! Elicit an immediate response from the user or viewer is any video content, such as video, shares! Story, you may decide if you are looking for your ephemeral gets... Works if its developed for your brand marketing world by storm if your content and its delivery ``. A few things to keep producing engaging content often on a daily update that only who! The immediate goal may be for the stars urgency and plays on concept! Work well for your own company 45 million impressions and made over a million.... Tell and at least have it scripted regarding content # x27 ; likely. For gaining reach, ephemeral content also host a feature for shopping, like Sprout simply..