Companies describe the many methods marketers employ to help prospects and customers first find, then engage with and consider their brands as “content marketing.” Of course, consumers don’t always view these efforts as brands marketing to them, and if the content is valued by consumers, it can help the brands who posted it gain more exposure and build more credibility among target audiences.
Done well, the content brands share—writing, images, videos and other materials—online aren’t perceived as part of a ploy to gain their attention but rather as valuable resources or entertainment that they like, comment on and, ideally, share with others in their networks on various social platforms. To learn more about how to inspire users to share content, read on for insights from 14 Forbes Agency Council members into the key elements that make social media posts more likely to be shared.
Forbes Agency Council members share key elements that will inspire social media users to share your content.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.
1. Snackable Stories
Know your audience and create snackable stories that can be told at a glance. A quick read, a punchy headline and great design/creative can increase shareability. Top content can be relatable, unexpected, funny or nostalgic, but it also tells a story. Find the right combination of art and copy that will leave your audience compelled to give the ultimate stamp of approval: a share or repost. – Marc Becker, The Tangent Agency
2. Diversity
Diversify your posts beyond just topics relevant to your business. For example, if your social media manager works in marketing, not every post should be a marketing fact or tip. Mix in content that’s fun or interesting—clever memes, inspiring quotes, quirky editorials and so forth—regardless of its relevance to your business, as getting new eyeballs on that fun content will drive engagement on all of your posts. A rising tide lifts all boats (and posts). – Jeremy Jackson, SKY Marketing Consultants, LLC
3. Intelligent Stupidity
Intelligent stupidity is at the core of every story ever told. We’re big fans of it. You can’t bore someone into liking you. Humor helps a lot. If you spend time on any platform, you’ll notice that everything people share has a hint of stupidity in a brilliant way. – Libby Brockhoff, Odysseus Arms
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4. Relevance
One way to get social media shares is to be relevant. Post content that your followers have not seen yet; try to be first. This could be an erupting volcano on Instagram, a new movie trailer on Facebook or whatever Richard Branson is doing. Posting breaking news and events is one way to get people to share because they also want to be first. – T. Maxwell, eMaximize
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5. Value
Make sure the content is worth sharing! People don’t share boring, uninspired content; they share content they find to be valuable in some way. Create content that makes people smile, teaches them something new or drives inspiration. Better yet, partner with the digital creators who are doing this every day: Influencers know what their audiences respond to. – Danielle Wiley, Sway Group
6. Trending Topics
Look at what is trending in the moment and create content that adds to the discussion while also being true to your brand. Just be sure to do your research so that you fully understand your audience and the trending topic. People are more likely to share relatable content they connect with. Also, dive deep into what has worked well for your brand in the past to see if there are patterns. – Michelle Abdow, Market Mentors, LLC
7. Overwhelmingly Emotional Narratives
Think about what you keenly share on your own social media profiles or send to friends: funny memes, heartfelt videos, useful advice, a topic of discussion and inspiring stories. Ideate around what kind of narratives would entice these feelings in your target audience and create content that overwhelms people with emotion, making it irresistible for them to share it with others. – Dejan Popovic, PopArt Studio
8. Personalized Calls To Action
A call to action with a personalized answer could be a sign-up for exclusive discounts or asking people to share their favorite memory of your product or service. People love talking about themselves; use social media as a way to give them another way to do so. – Stefan Pollack, The Pollack Group
9. Bite-Size Vertical Video
The most highly consumed and shared content on social media comes in bite-size vertical video (such as TikToks or Reels) format paired with on-screen text, custom audio edits and so on. Think timely content that will help your followers solve a problem, learn a new skill or see a new perspective. Test themed content as well as the tone of your content if you are aiming to build your following. – Bernard May, National Positions
10. Conversation-Worthy Content
Conversation-worthiness makes social media content shine. Only when an idea sparks a conversation—good or bad—will it become share-worthy to your first audience set’s connections. “Conversation-worthy” means your content is contextual and keeps up with the times but isn’t just hinging on trends to get noticed. This also works in reverse, because now the audience’s voice is proactively heard. – Candice Georgiadis, Digital Agency, Inc
11. Whatever Target Consumers Are Sharing
Do your homework on what “highly shareable content” means to your specific audience. Look at your target consumers and see what they are sharing. Is it a quote? Funny videos? Memes? Recipes? Late-breaking news? Figure it out and start crafting it. – Christopher Tompkins, The Go! Agency
12. A Strong Emotional Experience
Content is not king; emotion is king. When designing social media content, think about the emotional experience you will provide—the stronger the better. People will always react if they are emotionally connected to the content. Also, make it simple for them to show their feelings by not just asking a question and stating a call to action but by requesting that they portray who they are and what they believe. – Rodolfo Salazar, QUDOX The agency of the new era
13. Something That Makes The Sharer Look Good
There are two ways to get people to share content. First, people share content for selfish reasons; it’s their way of saying, “Look how witty I am!” or, “Look how funny I am!” So create content that will make the sharer look good. Second, people share content that makes them feel an emotion. Create content that will make them say, “That made me _____ (happy, laugh, cry, feel inspired and so forth).” – Sun Yi, Night Owls
14. Short, Digestible And Transferable Value
Create short, digestible, valuable content. The more value you can give your audience, the more likely they are to share that piece of valuable information with their audience. You have to put yourself in the consumer’s shoes. What would make you share content? Typically, most consumers will share it if they believe their audience will also get value from it. – Tony Pec, Y Not You Media
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Author: Expert Panel®, Forbes Councils Member
