Enhancing brand awareness with a Zero-Click strategy at EJC
Context and rationale
Despite steady content output, social media interactions were weak, and the organisation's credibility as a knowledge hub seemed to be losing traction. The audience needed to be reminded of what EJC is truly known for: curated journalism resources and expert insights.
While conventional digital marketing often prioritises clicks and website traffic, we hypothesised that a Zero-Click Strategy could boost engagement and reinforce EJC’s authority in the journalism space.
The key goal was brand awareness, ensuring that journalists and media professionals could immediately benefit from EJC’s resources without needing to leave the platform. A secondary hope was that increased trust and credibility might lead to more organic website visits and conversions over time.
Strategy and execution
The Zero-Click Strategy revolved around delivering value directly on social media, aligning with user behaviour and platform algorithms to:
-
Catch attention and keep users engaged within the platform.
-
Offer immediate knowledge to satisfy the need for quick, accessible information.
-
Strengthen brand positioning as a trusted resource in journalism.
​Key elements of execution:
🔹 Repurposing existing resources – EJC had a wealth of high-quality content (video courses, workshops, guides, articles, and case studies). Instead of linking to them, the team distilled key insights into bite-sized, standalone social media content.
🔹 Image-driven content for maximum engagement – Instagram and LinkedIn carousels became the primary content format, as both platforms favour multi-slide posts that encourage scrolling and interaction.
🔹 Timely content selection – Resources were chosen based on relevance to ongoing initiatives. For example, during a call for applications for investigative journalists, EJC shared investigative journalism tips, making the content more useful and timely.
🔹 Balancing accessibility and uniqueness – The focus was not just on sharing knowledge but making it visually engaging and compelling, ensuring it stood out in crowded feeds.
​
Platforms and formats used:
📌 Instagram (Carousels) – Leveraging its visual nature to make educational content engaging.
📌 LinkedIn (Carousels) – Tapping into a professional audience already seeking career-enhancing knowledge.
Impact and results
The strategy had a profound effect, where organic engagement and visibility nearly doubled within three months.
​
LinkedIn Performance:
✔ Organic impressions ↑ 98.63% (from 285.83 to 567.76 avg. per day)
✔ Unique impressions ↑ 137.87% (from 140.03 to 333.09 avg. per day)
✔ Clicks (organic) ↑ 1023.61% (from 9.57 to 107.49 avg. per day)
​
Instagram Performance:
✔ New followers ↑ 28.95% (from 2.71 to 3.50 per day)
✔ Content interactions (likes, comments, shares) ↑ 138.66% (from 2.80 to 6.68 per day)
✔ Reach (unique accounts reached) ↑ 79.92% (from 76.70 to 138.00 avg. per day)
✔ Total views ↑ 73.16% (from 156.70 to 271.35 avg. per day)
​
This strategy worked particularly well because it:
✔ Aligned with audience needs – People could learn something new instantly, whether it was tips, best practices, or insights from case studies.
✔ Captured and sustained attention – The carousel format encouraged users to scroll through multiple slides, increasing engagement time.
✔ Connected content with timely opportunities – By tailoring resources to relevant events, like investigative journalism calls, we increased relevance and value for our audience.
Key takeaways
✔ People engage more when they feel like active participants – Audiences are interested in knowledge and enrichment but don’t want to be treated as passive consumers.
✔ Trust builds conversions – While Zero-Click content doesn’t drive immediate traffic, it fosters credibility, making people more likely to return and engage with EJC’s offerings in the future.
✔ Old content can have new value – Repurposing high-quality resources in new, visually engaging formats can dramatically extend their impact.