Ever since kindergarten, we’ve been taught that sharing is good. Toys, treats, trinkets, everything can be up for grabs when it comes to sharing. And the same holds true with social media.
Picture this. You wake up in the morning, refreshed and rarin’ to go, and the first thing you do after your toes touch the floor is to reach for your smartphone and check social media. You’re just dying to see how many likes you’ve garnered, what your reach has become, and most importantly, how many shares and/or retweets you’ve accumulated.
But the days of kindergarten seem to be long past, and you just can’t get that share count up to the point where you’re seeing an increase in site traffic and enthusiasm for your company.
If you need to skyrocket your shares, keep these reasons in mind for what makes people more likely to share, and be sure to tailor your posts around such motives.
You Make Them Feel Special. If people are being praised, commended, or let into an exclusive loop, they will feel more joyful and willing to share and let others know how exactly how special they are. Whether it’s a message based around location, careers, or another specific identifying factor, be sure to post information that singles out certain people in your audience.
Share a Story. When searching through their Facebook feed, a viewer would like nothing more than to be swept up into an engaging and wholesome story. Stories show that businesses are human-operated and value the same morals and traditional characteristics (truth, justice, love, happiness) as their fans and followers.
Give Them the Goods. Don’t just link to all of your quality content in a post. Share some valuable information directly in the post that can relate to a broader audience and make it friendlier to share with a different group of people.
Mix and Match. Don’t only talk about your business. Actively engage with your audience and share a range of information. Ask questions of your audience, or get them to post photos of ways they use your product. Run a service-based business? Ask “what’s your favorite thing about working with ABC Business?” No one will even look at your posts, let alone share them, if you only use them to constantly endorse your business. This is also where content curation comes in handy!
Engage with Emotion. You don’t need to begin a long and harrowing narrative to make an emotional connection with their reader. Rely on one-liners, jokes, or witty phrases to make an instant impression.
Make It Urgent. Give the viewer a reason to share right this very minute. Post about an upcoming event, or current topic that will require their attention. They will become more engaged with the message and will want to seem in the know, being that much more likely to share the post.
They Are Asked. Most people just expect to have their content shared once it’s posted on their site. But sometimes viewers aren’t exactly thinking about sharing the article they’re reading. If, however, they see a friendly reminder, they’ll be much more likely to share the wealth.
While sharing is no longer confined to asking the kid next to you on the monkey bars to borrow their toy truck, by knowing these 7 reasons why people share, it can be that easy.
GTECH Designs is a Baltimore-based web marketing firm that is committed to helping impact-makers spend more time doing good. For more information, contact us at 410-775-4011, email us at [email protected], or visit our website at www.gtechdesigns.com.
