What happens when someone sees content that they want to share? They volunteer to be on the staff, working for the original business or person who is the source of that content. Instead of paying for marketing, an army of volunteers spreads the word by hitting the “share” button and that content is seen repeatedly for who knows how long. I know I’m not surprised when I see something come around social media again, because it happens all the time.
What Makes Content Sharable?
Adrienne Erin took a look at Creating Sharable Content and what you need to do to make it happen. She points out that social sharing happens billions of times a day, crossing various social media networks like YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and the rest. Content goes viral, a status most businesses hope happens to their best stuff. But it’s tricky and there’s a lot of competition.
Think about what you see shared. Most of it triggers a response, like awe or anger or identification. Then there’s the “awwwwwww” factor of cuteness or the feel-good ice bucket challenge that had us all in awe. Strong reactions tend to mean that content is more apt to be shared. Adrienne Erin makes these suggestions:
- Inject some personality — write like you talk, express opinions, and be someone they relate to.
- Be consistent — I like her point about reliability. Why share from a site that you can’t trust?
- Tell a story — not a marketing fairy tale but a real account of customer experience, for instance.
- Consider shock — I agree with the idea that this takes a lot of careful research. Shock for shock’s sake is pointless.
- Create something new — some good ideas are customer survey results, product research, and anything your customer is interested in.
- Write for your followers — this is the key, I think. Knowing your customer means you know what they will find appealing enough to share and be part of your volunteer marketing staff, spreading your brand farther than any budgeted campaign could go.