Quality content is vital to the success of any social marketing campaign. Even more critical is the ability to develop shareworthy content. The more shareworthy your content, the more exposure your brand will receive. Regardless of how well written a piece of content might be, if it is not optimized specifically for social media, then there is a good chance that it will fail in terms of gaining traction on social media networks. The good news is that there are 9 ways to make your content shareworthy.
Identify your Audience’s Interests
Keep in mind that your target audience may use social media for a variety of different reasons, including connecting with others and expressing themselves online. With this in mind, take the time to determine what is important to your target audience. Bear in mind that while your audience might not be excited about your particular product or service, they may have an interest in the solutions that your product or service provides. One of the best ways that you can determine what it is that interests and drives your audience is to study hashtags. Spend some time studying what your audience is discussing as well as the type of content they tend to share. This type of information can help you to create a content guide that will not only spark interest, but also encourage your audience to share your content.
Develop Informative Content
After you have identified the type of content that your audience likes, the next step is to create content that your audience will truly find informative. One of the most common mistakes that many brands make is to create content that is too sales oriented. Your goal in creating shareworthy content is to provide content that informs, educates, or entertains your audience. Keep in mind that while educational content can be effective, most people are looking for information that will entertain them. This is also the type of content that is most likely to be shared. If you are able to develop content that touches your audience’s emotions, you have a much better chance of that content being shared.
Ensure Your Content is Easy to Share
Are you certain that it is easy for your audience to share your content? If it is too difficult for your audience to share your content, there is a good chance that they will not do so. Make sure your social sharing buttons are easy to locate in your content. If you have noticed that your content is not frequently shared, it may be time to re-evaluate the placement of your social sharing buttons.
Use Images for Driving Social Media Engagement
Regardless of your target audience’s interests, they will likely be drawn to images. In fact, visual content can often be used to drive actions far faster than many other types of mediums, including text and even video. While platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest are known for their image-based platforms, that does not mean that you are restricted to those platforms for making use of image-based content. Even sites such as Twitter and LinkedIn can be leveraged for visual content.
Implement a Call to Action
Regardless of the type of social media platform you elect to use, it is important to keep in mind that you will continually be competing against other brands. This means that you cannot be shy about asking your readers to share your content. Do not just simply assume that they will share. Be bold and create a call to action. In order to make the most of this strategy you will first need to decide what it is that you want your users to do. For instance, do you want your readers to comment, like, or share? Whatever it is that you want your readers to do, make sure you utilize a clear call to action.
Use Attention-Gathering Headlines
The headlines for your content are the first elements that your readers will see. Therefore, it only makes sense that your headlines should be eye-catching and should pique the interest of your audience. The headline of your content should be enticing enough to compel your readers to click on it but not mislead.
Don’t Be Afraid of Shock Value
If you pay attention to the content that tends to go viral, you will likely notice a common theme. Most viral content tends to have an element of shock value. It could be controversial or even edgy. This strategy will help to ensure that your content appeals to not only those in your industry but also those outside your industry, as well.
Create Digestible Content
It is well known that lengthy chunks of text are unappealing. In order to ensure that your content is shareworthy, it must also be well formatted. The key to ensuring that your content is easy to read is to use headlines and short paragraphs. If a piece of content is interesting and easily digestible, your reader will likely share it before he or she is even finished reading it.
Leveraging Trending Topics
Using a hashtag search tool, such as Hashtagify.me can provide you with insight into currently trending topics. By tailoring your content to currently trending topics, you have a greater chance of ensuring that your content will be shared. Take care to ensure you fully understand a trending topic before you attempt to leverage it.
The competition in social media can be fierce. It has become increasingly difficult to create shareworthy content due to the sheer volume of content being shared on social media. http://www.brettrelander.com/social-media-content-shareworthyThat does not mean that you should simply throw up your hands and give up. By planning a carefully thought out social media marketing strategy, you can get ahead of the competition and create compelling content that is truly shareworthy.
Evelyn says
I almost gave up on social media but a fellow blogger told me why I should not give up. Then I read your article and learned more tips to help me hang in here. Thank for connecting with me in IG. ?
Take are!
Jonah says
Hi Jason. I’m Jonah from Hashtagify.me. Thanks so much for introducing our tool to your readers! Appreciate it a lot!
Sonja says
Alway love seeing great images in content. They are so easy to share and I think most people scan a blog post quickly before reading entire piece. An image nicely breaks up the content and makes it more memorable, at least for me.