When you’re producing or sourcing content, naturally, you want to make sure people actually read or engage with it but it can also help to go a step further. Have you ever come across a video or blog post that resonated with you so much, you simply had to share it on your timeline? Most people have and despite what you might think, the chances are that this didn’t happen by accident.
Give them an incentive
Great content is something people often share without prompting but this isn’t always the case. Information overload means that even if somebody enjoys reading or watching something you’ve created, they won’t always be inclined to share it themselves. A successful technique that many businesses use is to offer a small incentive to users who share articles or videos. Competition is a particularly effective way to make content go viral. Users who like and share a page or post can be entered into a prize draw where they can win something, which usually produces excellent results.
Demonstrate a unique perspective on a popular issue
Staying on trend is one thing but creating unique content is quite another. Striking the balance can be difficult, especially for businesses who deal with large volumes of content every day. Though its important to be wary of using controversy and click-bait style tactics for their own sake, producing something that presents an alternative view of a news story or industry development can help you to establish a unique and authoritative voice. This kind of writing or video production takes a little more effort than simply mining reddit or your usual go-to blogs but it is one of the best ways to inject a little personality into your content creation.
Encourage interaction and involve your audience
Blog posts, videos, and articles are fine but content that actively encourages user engagement can be even more effective. Polls, quizzes that provide multiple answers and light-hearted social media competitions are all well known for spreading all over facebook and twitter in a matter of hours. A multiple choice quiz, perhaps based on a popular TV show or film, can be engaging enough to attract the casual user’s attention but due to the short blocks of text, multiple images and simplistic interface, it doesn’t seem as intimidating as a dense blog or article. Generally speaking, when people are browsing social media, they are doing so without a particular purpose or goal. This means they are often open to short term distractions that provide a little entertainment. If you can offer an enjoyable experience, even for a couple of minutes, the chances are they will be open to receiving more information about what your business does and how you can help them.
Have exceptional quality standards
Even though many websites will overlook certain aspects of content creation for the sake of volume and consistency, this is never something we recommend. Good quality, well written or directed content speaks for itself. It takes time and effort to ensure that what you have created is up to a specific standard but it can pay dividends. A high volume approach can work when you’re trying to gain lots of attention from potential customers or industry figures, but remember that everything you put out represents who you are as a business and a brand. If you get into the habit of diligently checking, editing and refining each piece of content you share, you will soon become known as a trustworthy source of quality information, rather a than desperate marketing machine that will do anything to make a quick buck. If your video editing skills are lacking or your written English isn’t the best, consider hiring a freelancer or a professional marketing agency to help you. The devil is in the details and something as simple a rogue apostrophe or a poorly lit video can spoil what is otherwise a great piece of sharable content.
Just Ask
It seems so obvious when its laid out on the page in black and white but this is something so many marketing professionals forget to do. Think about every youtuber you’ve ever watched. How do they usually end each video? By directly asking their viewers to hit the subscribe button. This technique is now so accepted it has become ubiquitous. You can do exactly the same thing with blog posts, videos and any other content you want to spread around. There’s no need to be pushy or over the top but adding something like “if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends” creates a simple call to action that is hard to ignore. Remember to make this as easy possible for your users by adding the social sharing buttons on everything you post. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, and practically every other platform have simple, easy to use embeddable buttons that take a matter of seconds to add.
Engage with your user’s emotions
This is easier said than done, but it almost always works. People react to content emotionally, whether they realize this or not. This is why those “henlo hooman” videos and memes are so popular. It’s impossible not to feel warm and fuzzy when you’re faced with a cute puppy or a basket of kittens delivering a message. That’s a particularly simple example, but the principle is the same for all types of online content. A heartfelt, honest video account or a personal, realistic blog post is far more likely to create user engagement and encourage shares than something that comes across as robotic or impersonal. When something resonates with a person’s emotions, they interact with it on a different level. Rather than approaching the content with a critical or even cynical eye, they are likely to consume it in a similar way to a film, novel or TV show. Even if they don’t support your product or business, you can still encourage them to share what you have created by including a universally relatable message. in the age of mass consumerism and anonymity, values like kindness, compassion, and selflessness still mean a lot to the majority of people. Striking a balance can be difficult and anything that tries too hard will seem disingenuous, so ensure that you scan everything you have sourced or created thoroughly before you put it out there. Ultimately, you are trying to send a message that lets your potential customers know that you are human, just like them.
