7 triggers that make people want to share your content – SEO

1.INFORMATION GAPS TO PIQUE CURIOSITY 

People have a desire to consume and share content that provides clarity around an unfamiliar topic, according to research. The study also raises the idea of ​​information gaps – powerful motivators for people to seek clarity on a topic.triggers content-that-make-people-want-to-share-your-content-SEO

In other words, adding ranges of information to your content encourages people to not only continue reading but also share your content.

 

The key is to use information gaps to pique emotional curiosity and then make sure to satisfy it to be rewarded with more social sharing. It is super easy to do. Here is a step by step formula:

STEP 1:  VISUALIZE SOMETHING

WHAT DO YOU REALIZE?

I opened a powerful information gap, visualizing something unknown to readers but later available in the guide.

When readers see this, they think, “Wait! Is there a trap to target on Facebook? I will continue reading to find out what it is.

See how information gaps are simple but super effective to pique curiosity?

And now for the second – and last – step.

STEP 2:  GIVE A SOLUTION

Once you make people aware of a potential gap in their knowledge, they will want to fill them with information that puts their curiosity to rest.

If you want to be rewarded with many social shares, you will need to provide a solution that fits your knowledge gap.

TIPS:  Combine information gaps with the content utility for even more social media shares. (I will explain the content utility and how to create it later)

2.CREATE MEMORABLE CONTENT (ZIG-ZAG METHOD)

It’s amazing to think that almost 2.4 million posts are published every day. How do you highlight your content and get lots of social shares?

Create memorable content because it stays in the reader’s mind like glue.

But how?

There is an easy way to do this and I will guide you now. I call it the zigzag method. Here’s the simple idea that when everyone zigzags, you zigzag.

You post content that goes against popular opinion or explores a popular idea from a different angle.

Don’t worry, your content doesn’t have to beat the world, it just has to zigzag.

Here is an example. In the SEO industry, popular opinion says guest posting is a great way to drive traffic to your site, build your brand, and gain some useful backlinks.

TIPS:  If you use the zig-zag method, make sure you have reliable survey data or free data available online. In Tim’s case, he interviewed several serial guest posters and used his answers to support his point.

HERE IS A STEP-BY-STEP FORMULA FOR CREATING MEMORABLE CONTENT USING THE ZIG-ZAG METHOD:

Step 1:  Identify a popular belief / opinion / topic in your industry to write about.

Step 2:  Reverse this popular idea in your head.

Step 3:  Check Google to make sure your unique idea hasn’t been addressed a million times before (if any, go back to step one).

Step 4:  Back up your arguments with trusted data. This can be done through research, statistical data or case studies.

TIPS:  Don’t think too much, even a slight distortion in a popular concept is enough to activate this trigger.

3.GREAT CONTENT DESIGN

One of the most underrated aspects that makes people share content is good design. When people first come to your content – they have a series of subconscious micro-impressions about it. Content Design:

• Helps readers decide to stay or leave.
• Indicates the perceived value.
• It affects your willingness to link and share.

Here are three quick tips for instantly improving your content design:

USE HIGH QUALITY IMAGES WITH LOTS OF INFORMATION

• Easy-to-read graphics like this work well because readers can easily see interesting data.
• Info graphics are another great way to boost your page design and perceived value. They also come with the bonus of being highly sharable assets.

KEEP COLOR CHANGES TO A MINIMUM

• Stick with two or three primary colors and make the palette consistent throughout your blog.

TIPS:  If your images use neutral colors, people are more likely to share and embed them because they fit better on your site.

DESIGN YOUR CONTENT FOR SKIM READERS

One key share trigger I haven’t mentioned is the size of the content. No one likes to read a wall of text.

Divide your content into smaller pieces of information. An easy way to do this is by adding sub categories and images to your content – the more the merrier.

4.CONTENT UTILITY

Content utility is all about creating content that gives practical advice to readers. Think about spreadsheets, step-by-step recipes, checklists, and free online tools.

Why does utility correlate strongly with shareable content?

It turns your content from just one more informative blog post into something that is super handy for the reader. The trick is to make sure your readers can follow the steps (think of cooking recipes) to achieve a result.

TIPS:  Make the steps easy to follow and something readers can complete in five to ten minutes; the smaller the better.

5.SOCIAL CURRENCY

Probably the most potent trigger of the action, social currency works on the premise that people like to share the good news, more specifically, the news that makes them sound good or reinforces their beliefs.

The real secret of social currency happens when you make influencers in your industry look good. Here’s a simple three-step method for adding social currency to your content:

Step 1:  Reach influencers in your email space and ask a simple question related to a topic. Be sure to mention that you will link to their site.

Step 2:  Incorporate influencer responses into your content.

Step 3:  After you post your article, email influencers to let them know the post is active and ask them to share it. It can result in a tweet or post viewed by thousands of followers.

Better yet, because its content sources are industry heavyweights, people will pay attention to it and be happy to share again as well.

6.CONTENT LENGTH

BuzzSumo analyzed social shares of 100 million blog posts and found that content size is a factor in creating shareable content.

In other words, long format content usually outperforms shorter content in terms of social media marketing.

Because? If you think about it, it makes sense…

Long format content is more likely to spark admiration. It could be like standing in front of Mt. Everest and admiring it because of its size.

There is more to the equation though. Long-form content often provides broader answers to readers’ questions, which further enhances its perceived value, making it worthy of a part.

TIPS:  Trigger the feeling of wonder by writing at least 1,500 words per blog post.

7.CALL-TO-ACTION COMPLETIONS

When someone reaches the end of their content, they think “What do I do now?” If you are smart, you can use it to your advantage.

Simply ask the reader to share your post or leave a comment. That is all there is to it.