Going viral is the dream: You create a piece of content that spreads far and wide, and suddenly customers are rushing to learn more about your business. But it’s tough to predict what will go viral, especially when it comes to marketing content. Before you go chasing that one elusive story, remember that your content doesn’t actually have to go viral to make an impact — even dozens of shares can generate interest in your offerings.
For marketers, the real challenge is standing out in a sea of content. The key is to create content that resonates with readers and encourages shares, but what makes content shareable, and how do you ensure your content is meeting the mark? I have some tips to help create shareable content that works for your business.
The Power of Shareable Content
Social media is a top source of information for many consumers, and that often translates to buying behavior, with 76% of consumers having purchased a product they saw in a brand’s social media post.
Only those who already follow you will see your posts, though, and that’s where shares can help. As more people see your content, you’re more likely to get noticed. Here are some of the top benefits you’ll get from content shares:
Connecting With Existing Customers
Your initial shares will come from your existing following. Those customers have already engaged with your brand, and they can also be your biggest advocates. Each share signals that you’ve connected with that follower, which can strengthen those relationships and ensure they continue to support your business.
Reaching New Customers
One of the biggest expenses any business faces is new customer acquisition. Advertising can be costly, especially if you’re trying to market outside of a small geographic area.
Although you’ll spend money to create graphics, videos, and written content, shares are free. So the more shareable you can make each item you post, the better return you’ll get on that investment. Shares are word-of-mouth advertising, which has proven to be more effective than paid ads.
“The bigger the potential for shareability, the bigger the potential for increased visibility of a brand,” says Tom Brook, co-founder and content director at Another Concept. “This can then lead to more awareness, increased engagement, more traffic, leads, conversions — and ultimately profit.”
Improving SEO
Building backlinks is an important part of any search engine optimization (SEO) strategy, and shares can eventually help with that. When a site links to yours, the algorithms see your content as useful. The more high-quality backlinks you have, the more your content will be seen as having authority on a particular topic.
How do social media shares play into this? A share or repost on a platform like Facebook or Bluesky might not directly help your backlink strategy, but it does create an opportunity for future backlinks. The more your content is seen, the more likely someone will consider it useful enough to include in a blog post or infographic.
Saving Advertising Dollars
While content creation isn’t free, especially if you’re paying experts to make graphics or write blog posts, shareable content can increase the reach of a post, stretching your marketing budget further. Compare this to the money you’d spend boosting a post or creating an ad from scratch.
Key Characteristics of Shareable Content
It can be tough to nail down exactly why one post gets more shares than others, but here are some features typically seen in heavily shared content:
Visually Appealing
Users spend hours every day scrolling social media, and there’s no shortage of content for them to browse. To stand out, you need visually appealing content, which means either a video or image that catches the eye or a well-designed, easy-to-read infographic. But the most striking visual in the world won’t get shares if it’s not informative and helpful.
“One strategy is to combine visual appeal with functional utility,” says Tracie Crites, chief marketing officer at Heavy Equipment Appraisal. “For example, an infographic that deconstructs complex data, such as regional patterns or industry benchmarks, along with a downloadable checklist or tool, can inspire users to share it with their networks, improving visibility and engagement.”
Useful
Customers are naturally drawn to products and services that solve problems. Your content can serve the same goal. Consider the type of social media user who is looking for a solution to a problem and work toward delivering that information in a visually appealing but useful format.
“Shareable content becomes memorable because it is clear, relevant, and delivers something surprising or entertaining,” Crites says. “People are drawn to the kind of content that teaches or solves problems in an easy-to-share format.”
Emotionally Resonant
When considering the type of content that gets shared most, Brook notes that it can vary widely. Shareable content is often visually striking, amusing, and quick to digest, like memes and graphics. But on the flip side, extended, detailed pieces led by experts also get plenty of shares. Think exposés and journalistic long reads.
“While these might seem like polar opposites, it’s just a reflection of the varied needs of different audiences and shows the importance of crafting the right types of content to garner the right emotional response,” Brook says. “If you hit that sweet spot, it’s more likely the content will be shared.”
Timeliness
In some cases, a brand creates shareable content by posting the right content at the right time. One often-cited example of this is Oreo’s viral post that went live during the Super Bowl blackout in 2013. Within minutes of the blackout, the brand posted a graphic that included an Oreo cookie with the text: “Power out? No problem. You can still dunk in the dark.”
Oreo was able to respond so quickly because it had a dedicated team in place, waiting for an opportunity to post something. Even if you don’t have those resources, though, you can still keep an eye on the events everyone’s talking about using tools like Google Trends and Exploding Topics, then generate content that will resonate with the moment.
Content Formats That Encourage Sharing
Almost any type of online content can go viral, but some media does lend itself to sharing more than others. Here are some of the top content formats to consider when you’re trying to encourage shares:
- Videos: On social platforms, videos get 12 times more shares than text and images combined.
- Infographics: When it comes to conveying data or other complex information, infographics can be a fun, engaging option.
- How-to guides: If users find a list of tips helpful or especially relatable, they’re more likely to share it with others.
- Memes: Fun and entertaining, memes are a great way to call attention to your brand.
- Stories: Whether it’s a blog post or a reel, stories that connect with viewers can lead to shares.
How to Craft Shareable Content for Different Platforms
Strategies can and should shift from one platform to another. Not only do user demographics vary from TikTok to Facebook or from Instagram to YouTube, but user expectations differ as well. As Crites points out, you should start with your goal in mind.
“Before determining whether to create a video, article, infographic, or interactive tool, you should always consider answering the following questions,” Crites says: “What function does this content serve for the audience? Is it addressing a question they’ve been looking for, making them laugh, or directing them to the solution that they need?”
Tips for Creating Shareable Content
Shareable content is all about connecting with the reader or viewer. Here are some steps to take for each social media platform you’re using for your marketing efforts:
- Understand your target audience: Demographics only tell part of the story. Think through the type of consumers who will connect with your content and fine-tune your efforts to fit their interests.
- Create unique, quality content: Users are bombarded with videos, images, and text as they scroll social media throughout the day.
- Optimize for mobile: Social media users tend to scroll on mobile devices. Make sure your content is optimized for smaller screen sizes.
- Make it actionable: Yes, you want shares, but you also want consumers to check out what you’re offering. Make sure customers have a way to find you if they’re interested in learning more.
How to Amplify Your Organic Reach
Creating quality content is one of the best ways to encourage shares, which boosts your reach. However, Brook points out a few other things you can do before going live with a post to expand visibility:
- Use email marketing to complement your social marketing efforts.
- Link back to each piece of content in whatever way each platform allows.
- Optimize social media posts with relevant hashtags.
- Use keyword research to optimize your content for searchability.
Key Takeaways
Quality, visually appealing content boosts shareability. This shareable content can increase visibility and improve customer relationships, making it well worth your while. This content should be optimized for mobile and tailored to each platform, ideally focusing on emotional resonance, problem solving, and responding to current trends. Hashtags and keywords can also increase your content’s searchability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What makes content inherently shareable?
Social media users tend to share content that connects, whether by solving a problem or providing some much-needed entertainment. A well-timed post can also lead to shares.
“Content becomes shareable when it interacts with individuals on a personal level, whether that’s by solving a problem, inspiring emotion, or piquing a certain interest,” Crites says. “In my experience, the most widely shared material targets a specific pain point while remaining visually appealing and simple to comprehend.”
How can I optimize content for different social media platforms?
Each platform is different, both in its user demographics and how people interact. Instagram requires visually striking images, for instance, while TikTok only allows short-form videos. It’s important to spend a little time on each of your chosen platforms and pay close attention to the content that performs best.
“The trick is to have a healthy mix of different content types across different channels to suit the needs of your business’ target audiences,” Brook says. “If you don’t, you risk alienating certain demographics or disengaging them with content that doesn’t appeal. However, it’s important to be aware that some content formats will suit certain customer groups better than others, so you may need to lean into some formats a bit more than others. But this is something that should be covered in your initial content strategy and planning.”
Which metrics should I track to measure the success of shareable content?
Before you create content, Brook emphasizes the importance of deciding on your objectives and key performance indicators (KPIs). This will give you the metrics you’ll need as your shares start growing. He suggests including these specific KPIs:
- Social shares, engagement, reach, comments.
- Clicks and click-through rate.
- Traffic across all website user channels.
- Website engagement (time users spend on the page reading the content/bounce rate).
- Subsequent conversions and goal completions (e.g. purchases, sign-ups, inquiries).
- Content longevity, and whether users return to the content over a prolonged period of time.
It can be tough to predict which posts will take off, but over time, you can test and iterate until you learn which content resonates. During that time, you’ll build authentic connections with your existing customers as you draw attention to your brand.
