Have you ever put up a post that did not generate as many shares as you’d like? It’s a pretty bad feeling when you stay up late doing research and working on a beautiful piece to share with the world and it doesn’t get enough shares. It can be very discouraging.
Perhaps you thought the post was perfect and you expected it to get a very good reception from your audience, but it gets little or no acknowledgement at all. This happens to almost everyone.
Putting up a post that gets lots of engagement and shares has a lot to do with planning and strategy. It also has to do with understanding the psychology of readers and viewers and using that to your advantage.
Usually, when your post doesn’t get shared it is probably because your writing isn’t as good as you think, and it’s not just connecting with readers. It is not very compelling and it will not trigger an audience to share the post.
For an audience to connect with your post enough to share it, it must have an impact on them in one way or the other, it must touch their emotions, and it must be helpful to them. It should also challenge their views and perspective on how they see a topic.
There are several reasons why people share posts. These reasons include:
The decision to share or not to share your content with audiences depends on the psychological effects your post has on them.
Ways to get your content shared are:
This is the first step to getting content shared by an audience. You have to capture their attention as fast as you can (preferably within the first 5-10 seconds). Once their attention is captured they will most likely read till the end of the post or watch the video to the end.
There is a higher possibility that the post will be shared if the reader spends time on it. If you fail to capture the attention of the user quickly, they will exit the article or scroll past the page and the post will not be shared.
Create contents that have value, not just to you but also to your audience. Some people share posts because they found that post valuable and feel it will be valuable to others. Sometimes they shared posts to impress others with valuable and interesting content. If your post doesn't possess some sort of value, it will most likely not get shared.
The value your post brings could be in the form of entertainment or problem solving solutions.
If your post doesn’t bring any value to you, then it won’t to your readers. So they won’t share it.
Your posts should touch your users and push them to take action. Inspire them, motivate them and surprise. This is how to get your post shared.
Aside from writing great content, sometimes having your posts shared is just a simple matter of asking your audience to help share the post. This could be done by placing share buttons below your posts, or a simple call to action asking them to share your posts online. These buttons could link to social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, and other up and coming social media websites that continue to gain users daily.
When making a post on your blog, make the image on the post also shareable. This is something that most people tend to forget can be done and is really helpful. Most users do not like to share an entire post but just an image they connect with, giving them a chance to share these images with their friends and family grants you more exposure.
This widget gives your audience the opportunity to share a quote within your content. It could be a quote from a famous person,or even a piece of information. The click to tweet widget allows your readers to share that part of the post on social media platforms.
A social meta tag is like a preview of what your post will look like when it is shared on social media. Most readers do not share posts without a meta description or an image accompanying the post, this is why it is important to always edit and optimize your social meta tag. Make sure that the content looks attractive when posted on social media. It makes users more likely to share your posts.
Always ensure to add a thank you note to the end of your posts, thanking your readers for sharing the post. Doing this will show them that you care about them and they’re not just readers to you.
Getting people to share your content on social media can be pretty easy once you understand how it’s done. It has a lot to do with the quality of your content and how it is presented to the audience. When these are done properly, your audience will have no choice but to share.
Now that we have shared with you ways to entice your visitors to share your content, why not share this beautiful post with your friends. You never know who might need it, and thank you for sharing!
