We do it all the time.
We see something hilarious, or sad, or frustrating on social media, and we tag our best friends, share it with a loved one, or post it to our newsfeed. And in turn, a domino effect commences. Our friends then see this on their newsfeed and “like” it. Then, their friends see their “reaction” to this piece of content in their newsfeed. The cycle continues.
Shareable content is the holy grail of content marketing. It is the reason a woman with a Chewbacca mask was a guest on The Late Late Show, it’s one of the biggest factors in the success of brands like BuzzFeed, and it should be part of your content marketing strategy.
But what exactly constitutes shareable content?
At Peerfit, we like to define and structure our content strategy based on four pillars of shareable content.
1. Utility
One of the reasons people share content is because they look at it as a resource. It has educated them on a certain topic, has proven utility and credibility, and they want to share this knowledge with others. They want to be the ones educating or informing their friends and followers. With that said, one question you should always ask yourself when publishing content intended to serve as a resource is: what is the reader taking away from this?
Whether it be a news update, advice, or an educational material, if you’re focusing your content on bringing value to the reader, they need to be able to take something away.
For instance: perhaps you’re a fitness blogger writing a sponsored review about a certain brand of yoga mats. Instead of focusing your entire blog post on the yoga mat, it’s more beneficial to the reader if you provide some sort of educational component, while weaving in the yoga mat organically.
Don’t: Lululemon Yoga Mat Review
Do: 8 Yoga Poses to Start Your Day
This way, you’re still achieving your goal of discussing and recommending the product, while providing concrete takeaways and educational material to your readers.
2. Entertainment
People want to be the bearer of good news to their friends and followers. They want to be the ones to make their friends laugh, to share an enlightening story, or simply inspire amusement. According to Matthew Lieberman, UCLA professor of psychology and author of “Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired To Connect”, our brains are inherently acclimated to how the content we consume will be useful to others.
“We always seem to be on the lookout for who else will find this helpful, amusing or interesting, and our brain data are showing evidence of that. At the first encounter with information, people are already using the brain network involved in thinking about how this can be interesting to other people. We’re wired to want to share information with other people.” — Matthew Lieberman
People peruse the internet, more often than not, for news and information in order to educate themselves on certain topics. However, humans also search for an escape from reality or boredom from time to time, hence society’s addiction to Netflix shows and internet memes; entertaining content has an emotional appeal that warrants sharing.
3. Identity
Our third pillar is identity: people share content that they feel connected to and that they feel represents them. Sharing content is a way for us to express ourselves without actually having to express ourselves. It shows others what we care about, what we value, and how we view ourselves.
This pillar is a huge element of what has made BuzzFeed’s content so successful. For instance, their increasingly popular “quizzes” strongly illustrate the identity component — something that allows the reader to relate and connect will surely resonate with them and compel them to share with others in order to define themselves.
4. Emotion
In a study conducted by Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman exploring the catalysts to content going viral, they discovered that “content that evokes high-arousal positive (awe) or negative (anger or anxiety) emotions is more viral. Content that evokes low-arousal, or deactivating, emotions (e.g., sadness) is less viral.”
Ever think about celebrities that seem unapologetic for their controversial actions? They might have done or said something that you find offensive or crude, but you’re talking about it, and you’re helping spread awareness of them and their brand.
The same goes for written content. Whether it’s an article you find enraging, or an article that made you cry happy tears, you’re going to want other people to either join in on your anger or smile cry just like you did. In the same study conducted by Berger and Milkman, it was discussed that “people may share emotionally charged content to make sense of their experiences, reduce dissonance, or deepen social connections”.
“Creating content that is geared towards people’s emotions, that pull on those heartstrings, shows empathy to the user and establishes an immediate personal connection with your readers.” — Maria Juan, Director of Marketing for Peerfit
Looking at the big picture, an overarching umbrella exists over these four pillars, and that is relationships. Sharing is dependent on a brand’s relationship with its readers, and more importantly, its readers’ relationships with others, which in turn can help build brands.
Christina Valenziano is the Digital Marketing Strategist at Peerfit. She’s an avid Peerfitter, peanut butter addict, and word nerd.
