I hate to tell you this, but a BuzzSumo study found that long-form content gets more social shares than short-form does. All of you who hate content on your websites need to rethink this. It’s content —specifically keywords—that Google needs in order to go to work. This is my mantra—frontload this—put the important info at the beginning and let your viewers read as much as they like. But for those who want more information, provide it.
They found that educational content, especially infographics, receive a lot of shares, along with how-to and list-type posts, or listicles. The New York Times also found that readers were more likely to email longer articles than shorter ones.
What are examples of content?
Remember that people are on social media sites to be entertained. Keep it light.
- Use humor and irreverence.
- Incorporate interactivity into your content.
- If you’re going to talk about video, link to one of your videos as an example.
- Tell remarkable stories that connect people and events. Good marketing tells a story.
- Present fascinating biographies. Showcase one of your team, a vendor or partner.
- Conduct an online event. Highlight a book or documentary.
Social media content examples: Inspirational
The causes for sharing content are generally about the sharer–that’s you and I.
It may be that the experience was so great, so funny and outrageous that it just had to be shared. Or maybe you have inside info and you’re trying to gain attention–this is, after all, the era of endless self-promotion. Perhaps you’re motivated by a true desire to help. Everyone loves inspiring quotes and inspirational stories. Where to find great, inspiring stories? If your life is coming up empty, try Canva or QuotesCover. Watch what’s trending and start paying attention to the headlines.
Social media content examples: Interactive
Psychologists Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius believe that people picture themselves as they are or may someday be that may include political outrage a being a kinder, more generous person. They share content that syncs with that “someday” person. Try using quizzes, videos, infographics, caption this photos, etc. try to get your audience involved with user-generated content.
Social media content examples: Connecting content
A British anthropologist found a relation between the size of a primate’s brain and the average size of its social group. This figure is known as the Dunbar Number, and it also explains the popularity of sports events like basketball. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is quoted as saying, “We are not in the business of selling basketball. We are in the business of giving you a chance to create shared experiences.”
Ask Bay Area sports fan about their teams . . .
The sports industry generates up to $700 billion annually. Is it about the 49ers, Warriors and the Giants or the human relationships? We love sports and build imaginary relationships with our favorite players. But we tune in to sports talk radio and love the spirited conversations we have with our fellow fans. I recently lost my best friend, and I miss him every day. We were both big sports fan, and we loved to rehash the games throughout the year. Not having that connection and those heated discussions has taken some of the pleasure out of the season for me.
Ways to connect with your audience
A moving personal story is hard to beat. Sharing something nostalgic with your audience is a good way to establish a connection. We all love to look back on a different time and remember a song, a car, a team, etc. that takes us back. Who hasn’t connected with their high school pals who keep posting photos of people with incredible amounts of hair?
Social media content examples: Promotional content
It was 1887 that Coca-Cola first introduced coupons that we could redeem for a free glass of Coke at any dispensary. Now, of course, we have discounts on everything. Get this: Dr. Paul J. Zak looked at the impact of coupons on people’s health, stress, and happiness. He discovered that those who received a $10 voucher were 11% happier than those who didn’t get the coupon and experienced a 38% rise in oxytocin levels. The coupon group also had a 32% drop in respiration rate and a 5% decrease in heart rate. This is nuts, but I have to admit that getting a great deal on something I know I’m going to love makes me pretty happy. And who doesn’t love free?
Good social promo opportunities include coupons, discounts, freebies for signups, client testimonials and webinars.
Social media content examples: Entertaining content
UCLA researchers have found that when it comes to sharing social media, people like to laugh or be amused, so it makes us feel good when we share that positive experience with others. We love to share memes, jokes, comics, holiday and nostalgia-related content. One more thing we love to share that’s probably never going to change: Juicy gossip.
One last thing: Your audience
Perhaps the most important part of this exercise is the matter of your audience. You really can’t promote, connect, interact or connect with your audience if you don’t know who your audience is. If you haven’t stepped back and created a persona, do it. It’s a valuable exercise.
Ask us about content and connecting. We’re writing and content marketing experts. Being Top of Mind.