Producing shareable content should be key behind any internet marketing strategy. The more you can get others to share your content, the more new prospects you can land in front of, and the potential to rank higher in Google searches.
But what motivates other people to want to share your content?
It may come down to science. Firms Moz and BuzzSumo teamed up to examine a million pieces of content to learn the science behind content shares.
Type of content most shared: They found that videos, quizzes, and list-based articles tended to get more content shares than other types.
Length of content most shared: Eighty-five percent of the content reviewed contained 1,000 words or less. However, the 15 percent of content that had more than 1,000 words got far more shares and links, the study found. Detailed posts may be more effective.
Also, you’ll want to consider the purpose of your post first. In a separate study, researchers at UCLA found three main types of content that tend to be the most shared:
- Utility: content that is viewed as useful or helpful. The desire for a person to share then becomes wanting to help friends and loved ones to know this useful information too.
- Entertainment: entertaining pieces of content also motivate others to want to share it. For example, content that makes others laugh or amuse.
- Inspiration: inspirational content that seeks to motivate is also among the most shared.
The element of surprise can’t be underestimated. When others read an item and see something they didn’t expect or learned something new, they may be triggered to share it to others. Surprises are also linked to better memory, which means the consumer is more likely to remember your brand. Find a way to surprise in your content, such as a surprising punch line at the end of a video or a mention of a new surprising threat that could affect your audience.
Source: “The Psychology of Shareable Content,” Forbes.com (March 22, 2017)
