Do you think that every time you post something new and share it on the internet, all you can do is hope and pray that your content will be a hit and go viral? That you have absolutely no influence on getting more clicks, more likes, and shares? If this is your belief, here is some good news – you are wrong. Mastering the way you get more social shares is not an accident, it is a skill that can be learned.
It Is in Your Hands
Social sharing is often neglected, but as an important part of online marketing it is beneficial for four major reasons:
- Bigger Reach – More shares means a wider audience.
- Understanding Your Audience – It helps you discover your audience’s preferences.
- Rankings/SEO – More shares means better rankings in search engines.
- Increased Sales – Higher ranking and a bigger audience results in increased sales.
So how do you get more social shares? You need to stand out. Don’t be lost in the sea of 2,460,000 posts that are shared on Facebook per minute. You have to find a way to give your readers great content, without annoying them. Therefore, you have to understand them and create share-worthy content for them.
You cannot trick people into sharing something on social media, but you can learn the skills to make them want to share it.
6 STEPPS to Social Shares
According to Jonah Berger, an associate professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, six factors influence why people are willing to share content. Berger refers to them as STEPPS:
- Social Currency – If it makes them look good and smart within their social network, in one way or another, people are going to share it.
- Triggers – The content is easy to remember.
- Emotion – If your content has an emotional component, it is more likely to be shared, as it evokes personal emotions.
- Public – People share things that are widely available and open, so “built to show.”
- Practical Value – If the content is useful and relevant, people are going to want to share it with others. It can be anything from how-to information to random facts, practical advice, do-it-yourselves or in-depth expertise.
- Stories – Stories are vessels. Share a story that people want to pass on. It’s an immortal communicational medium, used for centuries already.
The more of those factors you include, the more likely your content is going to be broadly shared. Now get out there and share your business with the world!
