Inspire people to share your content

While it’s not possible to put a cash value on the benefits of social sharing it’s remarkably easy to see how valuable shares are. Simply put, it is an exaggerated word of mouth, the key difference being that the amount of people you can reach is limitless.

In order to get these invaluable shares it is important to remember why people repost content in the first place. While it is all too easy for the consumer to hit the share button, you need to grab their interest. Make sure to consider what your article, video, blog, vlog and all other forms of content is offering that your rivals’ aren’t.

A study of 2,500 people found that readers are more likely to pass on content based on how they believe it will affect others. 94% of the surveyed participants stated that they consider how the content will benefit others before sharing. A further 68% claimed they share articles and content based heavily on how the topic defines them; to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about.

The survey also highlighted the fact that 84% of people share through social media to spread the word about news events, causes and brands. This large majority of people would be willing to share your brand news too.

Another way to increase the average amounts of shares that your material gets is to keep an eye on your stats. Make sure you’re aware of the pieces of work that get the most shares and the pieces that don’t do as well. By knowing what people are more likely to share you can tailor your pieces to this demand, get more shares and reach more and more people.

Finally, it is crucial that you are consistently posting high quality, regular content in a social media friendly format. Post with images and videos wherever possible, even quotes as images prove to be more successful than stand alone text.