Don’t expect to get away from social media anytime soon because people are obsessed with it! And when people are obsessed with something, they’ll share it with their friends. That can be great for business. But making shareable content can be tricky.
Here are some tips to make content people want to pass along:
Social Validation
The need to fit in often dictates our opinions and actions. It won’t be wrong to say that, in most cases, the popularity of something in a person’s mind is directly proportional to the popularity of that thing among a group that person identifies with. People are more likely to share or like something if they can identify with it. This is one reason to keep your target audience in mind.
Tip: Make sharing buttons (that display the share count) clearly visible around the content you publish.
Entertainment
People are more likely to share fun and exciting content over sad and sappy stories. Most people like to be the “bearer of the good news” rather than a “Debbie downer.” A study found that content that elicited high-arousal emotions such as delight, astonishment, excitement, anger, frustration or anxiety got shared more than one that evoked low-arousal or deactivating emotions such as sadness.
Tip: Create reactive content. Write content that triggers positive high-arousal emotions. Make sure that your headlines evoke curiosity and awe. Make your content engaging, memorable and shareable.
Practical Value
A study showed that articles that were most likely to be shared were interesting and surprising, as well as informative. People share content to enrich the lives of others.
Incentive
People love incentives, whether it’s free or not. When it comes to increasing your shared content, it can be as simple as mentioning your top sharer. It’s showing them that you recognize them. You can also have random giveaways or a sweepstakes.
Aesthetics
Looks matter, even when it comes to content. Content that is easy to read will invite your audience to engage. Use bold subheads and bullets. Simplify long paragraphs and pick a font that is easy to read.
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