Sharing

Are your posts getting shared?

Getting your content shared by your readers is one of the most valuable elements when it comes to content marketing.

Sharing gives your brand more exposure, boosts traffic, helps to get your message out there and helps increase opportunities to make a sale. Sharing also helps to get your posts and profile bumped to the top of news feeds and helps increase your ranking in Google search results.

If your content is not being shared however, not only is your brand missing out on these crucial benefits but your content is also going to waste as it is not living up to its fullest potential.

There are many reasons why your content may not be getting shared but we have narrowed down the top 7 so you can help drive traffic and boost sales.

Here are the top 7 reasons your content is not getting shared:

1. Your Content is Unoriginal 

If your content is simply re-hashing the same old thing time and time again, chances are people are not going to pay much attention let alone share your content. This applies to content that your brand constantly writes about and also content that is being featured heavily in the media

Even if your brand focuses on one specific niche, you must find ways to make your content new and interesting. The same goes for writing about topics that are trending in the media. By putting your own unique and creative spin on things you can draw in a larger audience and help increase audience engagement.

While there are no limits to how you can repurpose content, the best posts tend to be ones that focus on something specific or offers some new information.

2. Your Headlines are Lackluster

If you don’t work to create a catchy heading, chances are people are simply going to scroll past your link instead of clicking or sharing it.

Having a strong headline that instantly draws in audiences attention can sometimes even make people like or share your content without even reading it first. That is the power of a great headline.

The best headlines for getting social shares are ones that are concise, emotionally charged and contain an “action” word that motivates readers to click on the link. The headline should also be descriptive, but not so descriptive that it gives the punch line of the article away.

3. Your Content is Too Long or Too Short

If your posts are getting clicked but not shared it may be worthwhile looking at the length of your content.

Studies have showed that there is a happy medium for articles and ones that are either too long or too short can suffer in different ways.

For example, long posts that are over-stretched can lead to disinterest and a higher bounce rate, whereas posts that are too short can leave audiences uninspired and less likely to click on your brands content again.

The most studied post length for optimal sharing is between 1000 and 1500 words however, choosing the length of your posts content should be something that your brand tests out.

4. Your Post Content is Dull 

Are your articles offering value to your readers? Content that provides little or no value is rarely going to be shared by social media users. On the other hand, content that focuses on offering valuable tools, insights and tips are often highly shared around the web.

Along with tutorial type posts, content that provides some information that is useful to consumers every day lives or contains a humorous spin also do well.

5. Your Posts Don’t Have Images

Visual elements like images help to increase audience engagement and social media shares. This includes videos, .gif’s, graphs and tables.

Studies have also found that posts that use images throughout are also more likely to be shared and help to increase audience engagement. Images also help to convey a message quickly and easily – just as they say, a picture paints a thousand words.

6. Your Posts Lack the X Factor

Do your posts have the X factor?

Offering the X factor is about offering your audience some form of entertainment that helps to amuse and create discussion. If you don’t create something for your readers to talk about then the motivation to share disappears.

Depending on your brand, your X factor can be humor, a unique style, cool imagery or a strong opinion about a particular topic. Asking questions are also a great way to help stir debate and increase shares.

7. You Aren’t Reaching the Right Demographics

As much as you may like it to, your content simply can’t appeal to everyone. In fact, the more specific your target your content to your audience, the better it will perform.

Trying to target your posts to audiences where they don’t belong reduces shares and is also a big waste of time and funds for your brand.

People want to feel that content is written exclusively for them, so tap into your target audience and aim to write content that caters to their needs.

Bonus Tip:

You can follow all these great tips for getting your content shared but bottom line is- having a quick and fool-proof way to share content straight from your website is also paramount.

Configure your website in a way that makes sharing on social platforms obvious and appealing and then watch your share rate soar.