Social media has introduced the world to a whole new way of communicating. Think about it: ten years ago you couldn’t stalk your ex-boyfriend’s Facebook page or share videos that once belonged on David Letterman’s “Stupid Human Tricks.”
Whether you’re a click-happy video lover or not, you can’t argue with the fact that sharing content can be a powerful thing, especially if you’re trying to propel a brand or promote a company.
It’s so powerful that an egghead mathematician and a marketer are probably holed up in a shack somewhere trying to crack the code on how to create viral content. Until they share that illusive answer with the rest of us, we’ll just have to settle for tips from those who have their nose to the social media grindstone—people like Meagan Mastriani, a social specialist for Nebo, a creative agency in Atlanta.
Meagan Mastriani
The company uses social media to spread the word about its own company and helps others ride the social wave. Here’s a look at what Mastriani considers the Holy Grail of shareable content:
Funny Content
No question, funny and bizarre content gets passed around. However, your company doesn’t have to create a wacky cat video to get people to check out your posts. A writer at Nebo created a post called “A World Without Google.” It’s a humorous look at how addicted we are to Google products. Mastriani says its one of the company’s most popular posts, partly from all the social media fans who went to check it out. It even got some love from fans on Twitter.
Opinionated Content
If your company has an opinion on something, it’s okay to share it. A well-thought out argument on a topic, you show your customers that your company has real human beings behind it, Mastriani says. At Nebo, they call this “take a stand” content. For example, the company’s chief executive officer wrote an article about his frustration with other companies’ not acknowledging Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The company shared it on Facebook and wound up with over 20 shares, dozens of comments and 180 likes.
Show Off Content
Content that shows you’ve got skills is not only shareable, but puts your company in a leadership role. Marketers call this kind of content “thought leadership.” It shows your customers you know what you’re doing. You wouldn’t go to a mechanic who couldn’t locate and change your brake pads, right? This kind content shows you can walk the walk and talk the talk.
A recent article about from Nebo compares Google Analytics with Adobe Site Catalyst. The company provides Web analytics so the article gives the company a reputation boost. Like the other posts, it gained some retweets, favorites and other virtual high-fives.
“Our goal is to inspire, educate and interact with our audience,” Mastriani says. “We consider every comment, share, retweet and like as an honor and a privilege.”
That kind of thinking has generated some solid benchmarks for Nebo. According to Mastriani, Nebo’s social fan base grew by 143 percent this past year and the number of social interactions per blog post increased by 315 percent.
Creating shareable content might be your goal, but like Nebo realized, other benefits will pop up from this commitment as well.
