Why people share, the Psychology of social media sharing.

How do you get people to share your content?, its a simple question that lacks a simple answer but it’s not as complicated as you think. in a fascinating study by The New York Times Customer Insight Group Shows there are 5 reasons decide to share something. This was a study on Psychology word of mouth on how marketers want to better there business.

1. To bring valuable and entertaining content to others. 49% say sharing allows them to inform others of products they care about and potentially change opinions or encourage action
2. To define ourselves to others. 68% share to give people a better sense of who they are and what they care about
3. To grow and nourish our relationships. 78% share information online because it lets them stay connected to people they may not otherwise stay in touch with
4. Self-fulfillment. 69% share information because it allows them to feel more involved in the world
5. To get the word out about causes or brands. 84% share because it is a way to support causes or issues they care about.

But lets look at the Psychology behind sharing:

Your readers have a instinctual need to connect with others in Psychology we share to express who we really are, In 1986, psychologists Hazel Markus and Paula Nurius recognized that there is a disparity between our “now self” and our “possible self.”

they developed the concept of our possible selves:

1. the ideal selves that we would like to become
2. the selves that we could become, and
3. the selves that we are afraid of becoming

sharing in life, and how valuable it is to the individual be the first to share.

1. Altruist: These sharers are helpful, reliable, thoughtful, connected, and use email to share.
2. Careerist: These sharers are intelligent business networkers and are more likely to share content on LinkedIn.
3. Hipster: Less likely than other sharers to use email for sharing content, these sharers are creative, young and popular. They consume content that is on the cutting edge and care about defining their identity.
4. Boomerangs: These sharers share information to get a reaction and to feel validated. They are empowered by social media and tend to use both Twitter and Facebook
5. Connectors: creative, relaxed, thoughtful, making plans, uses both email and Facebok to share information.
6. Selectives: These sharers are resourceful, careful, and thoughtful. They share content that is informative and also use email to share content with individuals.

Sharing is a natural conjuncture in our lives we do it, when we love reading something, or hearing something it’s how our minds gather the information then turn it into things we can comprehend whether good information or bad information… but when it is good we like to share it.

Total Shares 5