What Makes Content “Share Worthy”?
Categorized in: Content
Content creation doesn’t come easy. It takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to create quality content. If you’re investing so much in content, you obviously want to get the absolute most out of it. To some, the goal is to create content that will “go viral”. Let’s be honest here, of all of the content published on the web only a small fraction hits viral status. Getting your content to go viral might not be a realistic goal, but certainly a respectable amount of shares and links would be nice.
So what can you do to increase the chances that your content will be shared?
Post something new
We don’t just mean new as in published today, but new as in not the same old content that appears in your target audience’s news feed every day. You should be willing to take some risks and think outside the box. Take a different approach from everyone else when writing about a common topic.
Present a solution to a problem
What are some common problems, issues, or questions that people have about your industry? Pay attention to what is being said in social media or in forums. The issue could even be something that you’ve noticed in your own experiences. Posts that say, “yes I’ve been there and I had this problem, and yes I came out successfully on the other side and this is how I did it” are beneficial.. Present this type of post informally, and write just like you’d speak to someone if you were sitting down with him or her for a drink. Show your personality and sprinkle in some humor if it makes sense to do so
Share it at the right time
When is your content the most useful? This could mean the time of year for seasonal businesses or the day and time for all other businesses. Weekends are typically slower in terms of sharing since people are busy with their personal lives as opposed to mid mornings during the workweek when people are looking for a distraction. Do some testing to see what works best for you.
Incorporate a nice layout
The look of the page does matter. It takes both- good content and good design- for the page to get shared. Just one or the other likely won’t cut it. Design elements can be used that guide the viewer’s eye on the page. It should be clean and easy to navigate. It should also be clear who the writer is. It’s better to have a name and a headshot than just a brand name to prove that there’s an actual human being behind the content.
Distribute in the right channels
Sharing starts with you. Just publishing the content on your blog isn’t enough. It’s up to you to get things going by sharing with your existing connections to give content that initial push. That’s why it’s important to build up your social media following and your opt in email newsletter list. If you have money available, consider social advertising to enhance the social reach of a piece of really great content.
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