How to Craft Highly Shareable Social Media Content: 12 Top Tips
Social media is a hub of information. A lot of people are hungry to consume what they find on it while others are apathetic. Now the percentage of people interested in the kind of information you want to share is inarguably huge. What then do you do? Cater to them in such a way that they are:
- Interested in consuming your content; and
- Compelled to share it with their own social media community.
How do you do this as a business that wants to stand out from the crowd? Get yourself acquainted with the top twelve tips that will help you (or your social media team) create such infectious content that netizens won’t be able to resist sharing.
And here they are.
But before we get right into that, let’s look at why web surfers would be triggered to share your content.
What Triggers Users to Share Content?
What drives users to share digital content can be explained scientifically. Researchers have uncovered several psychological factors that motivate people to participate in online activities. Here are a few of the most fundamental ones.
- Approval from the community
People enjoy expressing their feelings and receiving positive responses from their friends and acquaintances. Sharing content with a group is a way to show off one’s personality.
- Communication
Human beings are social creatures. We all want to foster relationships with others and digital information makes it easier and more frequent to do so.
- Buttress Outlook
It’s quite common for people to use social media as a tool to buttress their viewpoints and personal beliefs. This allows them to showcase their humanistic side.
- Entertainment
Ultimately, many people turn to social media to unwind. Humour, memes, videos, music, and other forms of entertainment are all examples of entertaining material that go viral on social media.
It’s important to note, however, that these categories often intersect. Therefore, classifying how people engage online can be difficult. Nonetheless, these important factors can be helpful when crafting content that will drive users to engage.
That said, here are:
12 Best Practices for Creating Shareable Social Media Content
1. Produce High-Value Content
To get netizens not only interested in your content but also eager to share it on their timeline/pages, don’t compromise on producing high-value content. It always works.
2. Be Audience-focused
Content that performs well on social media is content that audiences find relatable and inspiring. It’s simple: don’t do what you think will work — it’s not about you but your audience. To hack this, regularly create polls that instigate comments. This way, not only are you generating engagement but also discerning the needs of your audience.
3. Provoke reactions
People are bound to share your content if it triggers their passionate side. Emotions such as delight, outrage, or sadness can make netizens share your social media content. Stir emotions, but don’t be overly controversial.
4. Give Knowledge on Trending topics
Prove your expertise on trending topics that your followers are interested in. Take Earth Day, for instance: share insights on how we can protect our planet and the environment. Providing your unique perspective on trending topics works effectively in motivating users to share your content.
5. Use a Compelling Graphic and Call To Action
Highly shareable content has three essential components: a suitable hook, a striking graphic, and a powerful call to action. Creating content is remarkable in that you can turn one piece of substantive material—say, an essay or a white paper—into a bundle of other shareable pieces, such as a social media listicle, an Instagram explainer reel, or a catchy TikTok. Create for every channel at all times.
6. Be Funny
Don’t shy away from amusing your followers with funny content. It will result in an appreciable amount of shares that drive brand awareness.
7. Use video content
According to studies, when people are online, 90% of the time they are watching videos. The most-consumed online content, as it stands, is videos. Most of your social media content creation strategy should, therefore, be centred around creating videos that appeal to your audience.
8. Start Competitions
Competitions succeed in engaging your audience and motivating them to share your content. Netizens enjoy competing and they usually participate alongside their friends and colleagues, which is their primary motivation for sharing. To start the competition, all you need is a good idea and a small budget.
9. Leverage Nostalgia
Bring up the good old times. Web surfers engage well with content that evokes fond memories, and if you carefully research your target audience, you’ll be able to pinpoint exactly what they’ll enjoy.
10. Create Infographics
Infographics are visually appealing and easy to comprehend. They’re also easy for the majority of web users who prefer to post visual content on social media because they’re in the form of photographs.
11. Use Captivating Headlines
To provoke the interest of netizens in sharing your content, use headlines that suggest a new thing that people are either going to love or hate. Take a look at this The Times’ Twitter post, for instance.
12. Use Customer Testimonials and Reviews
Jamie Pitman of BrightLocal discovered in his research that prior to actually purchasing from a new brand, the average buyer reads seven reviews. What insight does this provide? It’s simple: customer reviews help you get desired retweets, shares, and comments which in turn yields increased brand awareness — and purchases, signups etc.
