Content should be produced with the intention of it going viral and being shared across a broad number of platforms. Although this sounds ambitious, it is a good practice to help ensure solid planning is being incorporated into creating content to make an impact on readers. With that in mind, do not be discouraged if your content isn’t reaching large volumes of people, as there is a lot of luck behind creating viral content. Here are some ways you can get the most out of your social media presence.

Conversation:

Great and shareable content sparks discussion. The internet is flooded with information so to stand out and prevent being lost amongst the noise online, your content should generate a point of dialogue. Directing your audience to some kind of action or being intriguing enough to make people tell others about it is a good thing to keep in mind when creating and posting content. Incentives, such as giveaways, are another way to get your audience talking and sharing content. The cost to you is minimal, but the potential benefits are great.

Composition:

Careful thought needs to go into how you choose to display your content. The best way of composing your content will depend on a number of factors, such as your target audience, the seriousness of the content, and whether it is better presented using text, images or videos. Try using a mix of different ways when composing content such as lists, videos, infographics, photo essays, memes or written how-to/opinion pieces.

Consistency:

To build not only shareable content but a popular voice in your industry that people keep coming back to, you need consistency. Consistency can be achieved by using the same tone (sarcastic, humorous, informative, etc), regular posting or using a theme (reviewing a TV show relevant to your industry, weekly wrap-up of news, etc). By posting regularly, you can connect with your audience frequently and build a better relationship.

Content:

The content you share should have a “wow” factor. It should be engaging, thought-provoking and above all, credible. Before coming up with a content idea or committing to writing about it, conduct research to work out what is already being said about the topic and how you can provide something new to the discussion. If your competition is doing the same thing as you, you can’t expect your content to stand out. Provide your audience with something extra that no one else is doing.