An integral part of modern marketing is the ability to get your content shared. There are more content channels than ever before and social media is a dominant force, but many marketers still just release content with no real strategy or end goal in mind.
There is so much new content being released each day that you need to find a set of tactics that allow you to be heard above the noise.
When you can implement these tactics successfully, your audience will take over and start to share and promote you, typically leading to more attention and overall authority in your market.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask for the Share
Always be upfront and honest with your readers or viewers about sharing content. There is no real stigma with a simple sharing request and people who like you will often oblige.
Asking a person to share your content is generally accepted, but if you make the process difficult you drastically reduce your chances of success.
[Tweet “Don’t be afraid to ask for a share. Just make sure your content is relevant! Find out more…”]Add sharing buttons in prominent places and draw attention to them in order to simplify the task.
Just make sure the person you are asking to share your content, is interested and in some way associated with your industry. Relevance is key.
Be Provocative to Inspire Engaging Conversation
While in your everyday life you may be reasonable and balanced in your views, in the online world your content can easily get lost if you are happy to sit on the fence.
Taking an ever so slightly provocative view on a topic can be a great way to start a heated debate which leads to a buzz on social media.
You don’t need to be overtly shocking or outrageous to have this effect, but being willing to tackle tricky subjects and not take a bland approach can gain serious attention.
People like opinions, even if they don’t agree with them all the time!
Be a Credible Source or Expert in Your Field
Building and proving your credentials over time can lead to a great deal of trust and respect in your market.
Many people will share your new content simply because you are the source and have proven your reliability in the past.
A high level of knowledge is usually important for establishing expert status, but if you have not reached that level you can still achieve some status in other ways.
One option is to collate the best information and present it all in one place (an A to Z, or resource list) or, alternatively, you could research the most complex information and simplify it for beginners and intermediates.
Related: Become a thought-leader in your industry
Offer an Incentive for Sharing
If you want to increase the chances of something being shared, particularly if it is good quality content, then offer an incentive for doing so.
This is best implemented if you are trying to get people to engage in an extended series of videos, articles, or a product launch.
There are various software solutions that can automate the bonus delivery process, so the actual work involved can be quite minimal.
Try to offer a bonus that is closely related to the content they are sharing in order to increase engagement.
Free ebook incentive – jonloomer.com
Provide a Unique Perspective
Most industries will have discussions taking place regarding numerous multifaceted issues, so if you can offer a unique perspective you can increase your exposure.
Look for an angle that is being ignored in order to offer something outside of the norm, but always make sure your opinion is based on a reasoned analysis of the issue.
People are drawn to those who can offer something different, and the result will be plenty of content sharing and social media buzz.
Create an Engaging Headline
Do not underestimate the importance of your headline. Ideally, the headline should snappily convey the content you are promoting to encourage people to look further.
Avoid misleading people with irrelevant information, but you can make use of intrigue to create some suspense.
Ultimately, an engaging headline should be able to stand on its own, free from additional images and extra text.
Take a look at our guide to writing compelling blog titles.
Use Humour to Help Your Content Go Viral
Try to make use of humour and lightheartedness to create another avenue for sharing.
Plenty of people only use their social media to unwind during their downtime, so a serious piece of content might not be something they will want to recommend at that time.
By finding a humourous angle to a story or idea, if the subject lends itself to this, you can introduce yourself to a different type of audience who may not have encountered you otherwise.
Conclusion
All 7 of these tactics combined will have a positive effect when promoting your content. It is not necessary to do each of them for every piece of content you have, but it can be a good idea to use them all at various times to see what works best in your market.
Ultimately, the quality of your content will influence the longevity of these methods, so make sure you are only promoting something of merit to your audience.
Your Say!
We’d love to hear your tips on how to encourage the right people to share your content? As always, leave us a comment.