No matter how great that article, blog post, or video is, it doesn’t do you any good if no one sees it! Sure, you’ve probably got a list of things that you do to promote each piece of web content, but if you REALLY want to get exposure, you’ve got to make a splash on social media.
I’m not just talking about putting a link to your newest post on Facebook, though. Instead, you’ve got to get as many people sharing your content as possible.
But how exactly do you DO that? How do you make your web content share-worthy?
1. Provide genuine information
This might sound a tad over-obvious, but you’d be amazed at how many people don’t do it! Lots of people post any ol’ content in hopes of getting some quick and dirty social media love. However, that plan never works!
If you want people to take up valuable space on their Facebook timelines and Twitter feeds with a link to your content, it needs to be worth it. People can tell when you’re trying to pass fluff off as facts, and they’ll never share things that don’t have hard-core information in them. After all, they don’t want to be associated with your BS!
Take the time to do real research, so that you can provide legitimate information. After all, people are looking for genuine answers and solutions. If you offer them, you’ll wind up making the rounds on the big social media sites.
2. Offer a unique point of view
If you offer the same vanilla commentary that everyone else in your industry is offering, there isn’t a reason to “Like”, re-Tweet, or +1 your content. After all, the things you’re saying can be found in every corner of the web!
That’s why you shouldn’t be afraid to go against the herd. If you’ve got an opinion that’s different from what most people in your industry think, show it off! Your readers will appreciate seeing something different, and they’ll be more likely to share it.
Don’t have any opinions that go against the grain? You can still be different! All you have to do is put a unique spin on the argument that everyone else is making. For example, if you’re in the SEO industry, and everyone around you is writing about how SEO isn’t dead, take the argument a step further. Compare and contrast old SEO techniques with new techniques that work better today. That way, you’re not just saying that SEO still works. You’re also describing new things that can help people get to the top of the search results.
Above all else, you have to remember that social media sites are today’s version of the workplace watercooler. You need to give your readers something interesting to talk about “around the watercooler”. Otherwise, your content will fade into oblivion.
3. Evoke emotion
Things like anger, sadness, humor, and sarcasm all make content more memorable — and people are much more likely to share things that made an impact on them. If people don’t FEEL anything when they’re reading your content, they’re not going to be compelled to tell anyone about it.
4. Inject plenty of personality
People like other people. They don’t like muddling through a sea of corporate-speak that looks like it was written by some kind of robot. If you inject some of YOU into your web content, it will be easier to build relationships with your readers. Once you do that, you’ll have all kinds of people sharing your content. After all, people like to share their friends’ stuff!