Why Aren’t Customers Sharing Your Content on Social Media?

Content marketing and social media have several intersections. It's a puzzle for marketers to uncover the best way to create content that has a chance of going viral on Facebook or Twitter.

In fact, sharing is a more accurate measure of content's success on social media, rather than likes or the number of followers you have, according to Inc. Magazine.

This metric shows deeper engagement because readers found value in the content and think others will as well. 

Facebook Identities Are Highly Important to Users

You need to understand why leads share content to build on the success of your marketing campaigns. Inc. surveyed 1,000 individuals and discovered 71 percent of them are reluctant to share content on social media.

Assessing data from Carnegie Mellon University and Facebook, 15.3 billion comments and posts were written and deleted before sharing within a 17 day period, indicating that there is a large amount of self-censorship on the platform.

Facebook users worry about how sharing a particular article or commenting on something may reflect back on them.

Although Facebook gives users the option to create separate contact lists, some people may be concerned about posting anything that isn't appropriate for their entire friends list. For many users, this includes employers and older family members.

In the study, 84 percent of participants said they wanted to be viewed as a good friend on Facebook. People only want to share content that helps them relate to other people. Individuals are more likely to share articles and videos that strengthen their social identities.

Ultimately, content gets shared on social media because readers perceive it as high-quality, informative or funny. A lack of shares could indicate that your target audience doesn't find your content very interesting or engaging.

How to Create More Shareable Content

There is already a hurdle marketers need to overcome to convince users to share content on social media, but it's about to become more difficult with Facebook. In January 2015, Facebook will start penalizing brands that post promotional content too frequently through its new algorithm.

This even includes posts that encourage customers to enter a sweepstakes or contest, Search Engine Journal stated. Many marketers see this move as Facebook trying to attract more paid advertisers and eliminating the reach brands used to be able to get for free.

Marketers need to stop directly asking for likes and comments or they will lose visibility on the platform. It's crucial to become less salesy or you risk a penalty. However, there are a number of tactics you can still employ to create shareable content on social media.

Custom images for social media posts are one of the best ways to attract attention. Facebook posts can garner 120 percent more engagement when they include visual elements, the article said.

There have been several studies that indicate posts with photos or videos attract higher levels of interaction and gain more shares. Even if the quality of your copy is excellent, people aren't going to notice it unless a visual draws their eyes in.

Using custom images specifically for a social media platform makes content more relevant. 

In particular, clickable images increase engagement. Canva and Share As Image are both free tools that allow you to create clickable graphics for social media. Even if you don't have time to make custom images for social media posts, you need some sort of visual element.

Social media isn't synonymous with your blog. Lengthy, detailed posts may not perform as well. Social media users tend to prefer shorter pieces. If you link to an article, you don't need to write a full description of the content - just enough to convince viewers to click.

Let the copy in the article do the rest of the work for you. Think of it like Twitter where you can only post 140 characters, including the link.

Step Outside the Box With Your Social Media Content

One of the major reasons followers aren't sharing your content may be because it isn't providing anything new or entertaining. While it's tempting to approach social media with your best blog articles, it is worthwhile to create content specifically for social media because it encourages users to interact with your brand through multiple channels.

If users subscribe to your blog and follow you on Facebook and Twitter and you post the same content on every channel, they won't have any incentive to keep interacting through both platforms. You can share blog content, but be sure to use fresh marketing materials as well.

Videos are a great way to give social media followers something refreshing, and this form of content is highly shareable. Social media has caused people to have shorter attention spans. It takes less time to watch an engaging video than read a blog post about the same topic.

Videos enable you to make a more emotional connection with your target audience. No matter what the medium, social media content needs to be authentic to resonate with customers, according to Viral Gains

It's crucial to gain a better sense of your target audience to make more shareable content. What values speak to your consumers?

Understanding what your followers need helps you refine your content strategy. You can create videos that establish an emotional connection with your customers or deliver practical information.

The right approach should be determined by what your customers want.