The Purpose of Sharing
When websites were the primary means for distributing content on the Web, it was common to suggest to friends and customers alike to check out your website. The problem with this tactic today is it does not encourage interaction, which of course is the purpose of social media sharing.
This is part of the art of leading your social media with content marketing.
Let’s take a look at why the phrase “check out my” now makes some of us very uncomfortable.
Check It Out
To ask your friends, colleagues or customers to do anything is really … well, it’s work! If you happen to be a person of authority, then many of them may indeed grant you the favor out of respect. Yet, every subsequent time you ask in this way you undermine your earned authority.
Would you like to know a better way?
Here It Is
When you bring the content to your social media communities – you respect them. If you expect to have your content shared by them, you need to make everything easy. Think in terms of creating an enjoyable experience and you will dramatically increase your level of engagement and interaction.
Here are 10 tips for doing so:
- Do the work! Provide links using appropriate link shorteners such as bit.ly
- Announce that you’ve done the work with a phrase such as … Here is.
- Only recommend valuable content that is likely to enhance your authority
- Give your perspective to encourage exploration of the content.
- Use familiar language that acknowledges your relationship with them.
- Ask a question that sparks curiosity and inquiry.
- Distribute the content on an interactive site, such as your blog, Facebook page, or Twitter
- Join them. Quickly respond to comments and further lead the conversation.
- Let the discussion breathe by welcoming all opinions and perspectives.
- Extend that conversation later with relevant content that naturally follows it up
Doesn’t this seem more natural for encouraging online sharing and engagement?
Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Photo Credit: Cronewynd
