Getting Users to Share Your Content Online
It’s a common belief in the digital marketing world that content like links, videos, and blog posts shared through email and social media sites carry more weight for your brand than paid online ads. Thankfully, GE’s latest study was able to gather data to support that concept.
If a blog post is published and no one shares it, did it ever exist at all?
Now that the statistics are in, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re doing everything you can to get your content shared (if not “go viral”).
Make it easy to share
If you’re trying to boost your blog, be sure there’s a clear, lit pathway for those users to follow. Are there sharing buttons available? Do you have the most common sharing buttons embedded? Surprisingly, a single option to share on MySpace is not going to get you on any lists with “Chocolate Rain”.
Have a call to action
Why should a user share your content? Your goal is to make readers WANT to click the sahre button. The content should be interesting, engaging and informative, but that’s not enough. You should write to attract all readers – not just fans of your industry. These original readers have to think “Hmmm… I think all of my friends will enjoy this.” If the article is only helpful to your current readership, there’s no reason for those users to share it with friends outside of the industry circle. Make topics relevant, and it doesn’t hurt to include phrases like “Please RT” or “Share this post.”
Publish content at logical times
This point can easily be oversimplified. Obviously, it’s better to post new articles and links at 1pm than it is to post that content at 3am. That being said, there are many analytical products and services available to pinpoint the best times for you to publish content on your site, blog or social networks. If you aren’t ready to spend money or time learning analytics, free options are available as well. Facebook’s Insights tab is an easy way to get an idea of the popularity of your posts. In my opinion, there are better options, but Facebook’s Insights allows page admins to filter and export data. It’s a great way to dip your toes in the pool that is analytics.
Now, get out there and share some content! Read posts from your favorite vendors and businesses, and share things that interest you. Good content will always be key.
