How To Make Your Content More Shareable On Social Media

Social media is quickly becoming an important aspect of many media campaigns, but as sites like Facebook become more “pay to play,” how do you make sure the most people see your posts? According to Inc., a recent study at Carnegie Mellon University found that 71 percent of Facebook users censor the comments or posts they compose — meaning the user is less likely to share or comment on your post based on a variety of reasons.

According to the study, “Over a 17 day study period, they found that 15.3 billion comments and posts were written but deleted before being shared.” These deletions include concern over how the “share” would reflect on themselves, or the appropriateness of the message.

An Inc. study also found that users censor what they share because they want to be seen as a good friend — with 84 percent saying that “being a good friend to those I care about” is important to them when it comes to social media. That includes not spamming those friends with too many posts, thereby creating a selectivity with what they choose to share. When sharing content, values, goals and dreams also factored into the study — with 63 percent of social media users saying those were concerns when sharing.

So how do you overcome these obstacles — and get users to share your content?

Content creators need to take their audience into mind when creating and posting their content. Will the user relate to it? Will they feel their friends and family will benefit from reading it?

In other words, don’t just talk about yourself or your company. Post things that people can relate to and that they feel strongly about –and they will be more likely to help you promote your brand.