On Tuesday night, a tweet sent by President Obama’s staff from his official Twitter account became the most popular tweet of all time, with over 705,000 retweets and nearly 250,000 people favoriting the tweet. The same picture and message posted on Facebook became the most-liked Facebook photo of all time. Meanwhile, a tweet sent from the President himself just a minute before received far less attention. Why the discrepancy? The answer lies in understanding what makes content shareable.
- Images - People like nothing more than an illustration to go along with the story. It's doubly true when using social media. Think about this: are you more likely to notice and Facebook posts in your own newsfeed that include pictures or the ones that are just words? Unique, interesting, vivid pictures can help posts stand out, no matter what social network you're using. Pinterest, which has taken off like a rocket this year, is built entirely around the concept of image sharing. But something to keep in mind when posting images is quality. Unless you've gotten Bigfoot or an alien on camera, don't waste your audience's time with grainy, blurry pictures. Clear pictures and illustrations will get you the best response.
- Emotional Substance - The basic reason people reacted to the Obama photo as they did was because it illustrated emotion and showed the President's "down-to-earth" humanity. You can do the same with your own photos and posts. No matter what widget you're selling, people are what makes up your company. Catch your staff in a candid moment - celebrating a sale, chatting at a catered lunch, helping each other out, etc. People who like or follow you on social media already know what you sell. This is your chance to let them get to know you.
- Humor - I know, I know, I know. As a corporate entity, sometimes it's scary to be funny on social networks. You don't want to offend anyone. But think of it this way, much like personal social networking accounts, your business' accounts are a way to show your personality and connect with other people. There's something lacking in a humorless personality. When you're talking about topics that resonate with your target audience, humor can be a great way to connect. Just be smart about it. See the examples below and note the number of retweets and shares:
- Interest in your audience - I know it's tempting to spend the majority of your posts on your company and your products, but in order to be social it's important to have conversations with your audience. Ask them questions! Get their opinions! Don't let your posts be all one-way.
Creating shareable content for the web is an internet marketing technique that can be invaluable to your overall plan. It's really all about having personality and conveying humanity through our posts. What is your company's personality? How might that translate to online posts?
We want to hear from you! If you have any content-sharing success stories, let us know in the comments!