The key to success with social media is interaction and sharing. In order to be truly effective, your content needs to not only be good enough to warrant a view, it should also compel users to share it with their social networks. Consider this: Many users have several different social media platforms in their networks. For instance, a person may use Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr and Pinterest. One piece of your content has the potential to be shared across those six networks. If their friends use social media just as heavily, the sharing impact is exponential. So how do you get more shares for your content?
1. It goes without saying, but the key to success is to create good content
People are more Internet savvy these days, and have little patience for content that offers no value to them. The days of throwing up keyword stuffed blogs and articles for page hits are over. Your written content should be written for a specific audience and have a goal in mind, whether it is to instruct or entertain. Good content is visual in some manner; even articles should include interesting pictures that make people interested in reading the content. Content that requests interaction is often shared: Ask questions that people may want to answer; ask people for their experiences; offer users incentive to share content by holding contests.
2. Make it easy to share your blogs, videos, pictures, books, etc.
Social media outlets typically have code that you can use to place share buttons somewhere prominent on your content page. There are also easy-to-place widgets available that offer fast, convenient sharing options for just about every social media outlet imaginable. It also pays to visit places online where potential readers/viewers may hang out, and tell them about relevant content that may be of interest.
One thing that may seem so simple, that it is often overlooked: Ask for shares. Don’t be obnoxious about it, but incorporate it as part of your good content strategy. When your content has fans, they will do as you ask. Often it’s just a matter of saying something along the lines of, “If you enjoyed my blog/story/video/art, would you please share it?”
3. Be on as many social media networks as possible
In order to reap the most benefits from sharing your content through social media, you should have accounts for all of the big social media platforms mentioned in this article. This is because of a concept called synergy; each network will have an overlap of users, but also different users. Combined, the opportunities for sharing are greater.
Interact with these social networks on a regular basis, whether it is by forums, comments, and/or tweets. Also, make the conversations that you have friendly and personal. You’ll make loyal fans over time in this manner. If users like you and feel that their ideas and thoughts are important, they are more likely to share your content. Also, share their content from time-to-time. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Henry is a Social Media and Online Marketing expert from Sydney, Australia. He has helped many of his clients increase their social media presence by increasing the share average of their new content. For mor information about online marketing, visit LovesData.com.
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