In this episode of Actionable Marketing In Minutes we give a few quick tips for increasing your social media shares.
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Problem
As I am sure you know, one of the ways to measure the growth of a business’s popularity on social media is by increasing your “shares”. But how to get those shares is often a mystery. What we have found out is if you make a few adjustments to how you create, publish, and post your content, you dramatically increase the chance that your current fans, friends and followers will share it more often.
Solution
We have compiled six tips to help you maximize your social shares.
1) Know What’s Hot – It pays to do your research ahead of time. We have said it before. Having a better understanding of what successful content looks like in your industry, and what is trending in that moment increases the likelihood of it being shared. Then, create quality compelling content that complements (but never duplicates) the current hot topics to attract the best attention for your posts.
2) Make it Easy – Your audience is more likely to share content when it is easy. If your website already receives regular traffic, take advantage of the potential social shares by designing your most popular content for easy sharing with social buttons on your website. If you have a WordPress site, there’s plenty of useful plugins for one-click sharing buttons for minimal sharing effort.
3) Headlines Matter – If your headline doesn’t catch the reader’s interest they will move on. As our attention spans evolve (or devolve), we are spending less and less time before we click away. Use “Your” and “You” in your headlines –make it personal to the reader, and get them hooked. Check out the blog section of our website for more on headlines and other tactics for getting your content noticed. Or just click the link in the transcripts of this podcast and it will take you right there.
4) A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words – Invest in high-quality images. Custom images that showcase your brand will pack a powerful punch on social media, and don’t forget to add text to the picture, include a tagline and grab the attention of readers.
5) Pick Your Battles – Different Social Media Platforms are popular with different demographics. Facebook has the largest user base, and it is used a lot amongst friends and family sharing things that are personally relevant. Twitter has a younger user base, and generally features more real-time news conversation, LinkedIn is a business platform used to share career and industry news, and advice. Pinterest is primarily used by women sharing crafts, recipes, interior design and travel tips and photos. Find the right platform(s) for your message and audience.
6) Time is of the Essence – If you want to get the most bang-for-your-buck when it comes to social media shares and engagement, you need to know when peak hours are for your message.
* Post on Facebook on Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 1:00 PM, or between 3:00 and 4:00 PM on Wednesdays.
* Post to Twitter from noon to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday.
* Post to LinkedIn early in the day (7:30 to 8:30 AM), or lunchtime (12:00 PM), or near the end of the day (5:00 to 6:00 PM) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
* Post to Pinterest during evening hours every day. Fridays around 5:00 PM is very popular as is Saturdays between 8:00 and 11:00 PM.
Watch your analytics and see how your audience responds. As you post more, you will see trends. Take note so that you are matching the specific habit of your preferred demographic.
Benefits
Winning more social shares for your content means winning over audiences. You’ll need to put in the effort to create the type of content people want to share, and pay close attention to the data as you are getting views and shares. With great content and timing, you can leverage creative opportunities, promote your business, and grow your customer base.
We hope you’ve found this information helpful. Please connect with us on Twitter @DirectiveGroup or on LinkedIn. Let us know what you think and what you’d like to hear about next. And if you like our podcasts please share with your networks using hashtag #actionablemarketing.
Join us for a future episode as we discuss the risks you face as a digital sharecropper.
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