In that moment when you post something to a social media channel, you wait for the “likes,” shares, favorites, and retweets to come. Sometimes, though, they never come.
How do you create content that makes your audience share it without fail? How and when do you share it on social media for maximum results?
Let’s take a look at five strategies that will help you create content that people want to share each and every time. Then, you can use my social media cheat sheet for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube to maximize the sharing of your great content.
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1. Spend time on images and design
According to the Nielsen Norman Group, people don’t read web pages word for word. Instead, they pick and choose specific words and sentences as they scan the page. To accommodate this reading style, you need to use eye-catching images and organize your content in a way that grabs readers’ attention.People rarely read web pages word by word. Instead, they scan, picking out words & sentences via @NNgroup Click To Tweet
Here are some quick tips that will help you achieve this goal:
Make your headlines big, bold, and focused. Have them convey one simple, but powerful idea.
Use sub-headlines every few paragraphs to keep readers engaged and interested in the content.
Use an inverted pyramid structure where the content at the beginning is the most important and as the readers move down, they read the less important (but still relevant) points.
Bullet points, italics, and bolded words are a great way to make major points stand out.
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2. Create topical and timely content
A surefire way to garner shares is to jump on situations and breaking news as they develop. If you’re good about keeping your ear to the ground, you can take advantage of various situations and use them as an opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
A major breakthrough or change in your industry is a perfect example. If you weigh in with your thoughts and report on the news, you can have a timely post ready to share quickly. Combine that with the social media tactics detailed later in this article, and you have a recipe for an extremely shareable post.
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3. Stuff your content with emotional appeal
Studies have confirmed that emotion is a major factor in decision-making at any level. Even something as simple as sharing a post on your Facebook timeline involves some level of emotion. People share content that makes them feel something. If it doesn’t do anything for them, odds are they won’t bother with it.People share #content that makes them feel something. They won’t share it if it doesn’t says @blastyourblog Click To Tweet
Take a look at your content from a reader’s perspective and ask:
Does it make you feel anything or does it seem hollow?
How many times did you laugh while reading it?
Did you have to hold back tears?
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4. Tell an amazing story
As English author Philip Pullman has said: “After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”After nourishment, shelter, & companionship, stories are what we need most in the world by @PhilipPullman Click To Tweet
Of course, not all stories are created equal. You need to tell a story that connects to your readers and puts them into your perspective. Great stories involve what you expect – suspense, emotions, imagery, and metaphors – but your story needs to go beyond those characteristics.
Your story should offer something that your audience can relate to, and therefore create a means by which they can interact with your brand. If your readers feel something when they read your content, you can bet they’ll want to share it.If your readers feel something when they read your #content, they’ll want to share it via @blastyourblog Click To Tweet
5. Stay positive
A BuzzSumo analysis revealed that articles conveying awe, laughter, or amusement were the most-shared in 2015. They found that the least-shared emotions were anger and sadness.Articles conveying awe, laughter, or amusement were the most-shared in 2015 via @buzzsumo #socialmedia Click To Tweet
As you probably expected, people aren’t keen on sharing something that’s depressing. Instead, give your content a positive spin or at least make it inspiring.
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Want your audience to take notice and take action on your brand’s content? Our newest Guide to Essential Content Marketing Tactics has tips, insights, and ideas that can help increase your success with today’s top content marketing plays.
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute
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