Ever wondered what makes blog posts insanely shareable? Or have you been asked to develop social media content and wondered how to go about it? And how to make sure it's as shareable on multiple social networks?
There are many ways to get your content noticed in a crowded online world. And with more people going online, creating insanely shareable social media content can be the secret sauce that sets you apart from your competitors. So listen up for our top five secrets to making content impossible to not share.
You don't have to be a relationship expert or anything like that—you just need to be able to build a connection with your audience right off the bat. It doesn't even have to be an 'actual' relationship—just a sense of connection can go a long way here.
The secret is simple: don't talk about yourself. Most people don't want to hear from you—they want to hear from others who are talking about their interests and experiences.
"The secret is simple: don't talk about yourself."
So, instead of focusing on writing about yourself and sharing your thoughts and opinions, focus on talking about other people's thoughts and opinions instead. Write posts that are more like conversations between friends than articles as such— and, importantly, share the stories of others instead of telling your story!
The reason people are sharing your content is that you provide something valuable to them, and they want to give back to you. So, put yourself in the shoes of someone who wants or needs something from your website or content, and ask yourself: "What does this person want?"
"...ask yourself: "What does this person want?"
Once you've answered that question, go back through your content and try to find out if there's anything else you can add that will help them accomplish their goal. It may be as simple as adding an image at the end of a post or using hashtags when pushing out your post. Don't underestimate how much it can help!
Social media is all about providing instant gratification. Therefore, you need to think about how you can make your content instantly gratifying for your audience. Unfortunately, content that comes with a long-term payoff is regarded as less shareable.
"...think about how you can make your content instantly gratifying..."
When there's not immediate gratification, most people won't want to share it. (Soz.) So, how do you make it more immediately gratifying? Make it 'snackable'. Few tips to do this. Keep your content concise so that it's quick and easy to consume. Think 'quality' over quantity. And if it's video content you're creating, you need to hit the high points in a video within three minutes.
When you're creating social media content, people generally think that the most important thing is to create something people want to share. Yes, it's true that people share something on Facebook or Twitter because they found it worth sharing. But most bloggers won't see good results until they give their content wings.
"But most bloggers won't see good results until they give their content wings."
Content with wings can be shared easily. To give your content wings and make shareability easier, include the right sharing buttons with each blog. And put the sharing buttons where they are easy to see, reach and click.
Ask questions, thank your audience for their support, give them shoutouts on posts, and do whatever it takes to keep those emotions flowing through your feed. People want to connect with YOU, not just your products or services.
That's why people love Instagram stories; they feel like they're seeing a glimpse into someone's day-to-day life, which is something that's hard to do on Facebook or Twitter without it sounding like an advertisement.
"...do whatever it takes to keep those emotions flowing through your feed."
Focus on getting your audience invested in you. An invested audience engages, shares and comments in high numbers. They're also more likely to become future customers, which is the ultimate name of the game.
Hopefully, you're now inspired to create shareable social media content that will have people coming back for more. This post covers just some secrets to creating content for social media. And while there are certainly others, these are the ones that can make the most profound difference.
"...these are the ones that can make the most profound difference."
Ultimately, finding and creating shareable content is like sailing a boat across the seas. If you start heading in one direction, you're bound to get somewhere. Whether that 'somewhere' is where you want to end up is up to you.
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