What Content People Share and Why They Do It

When it comes to inbound marketing, one of the most important tools for making this happen is content sharing. As useful as it is, the trouble is that you can’t obtain content sharing the manner in which you could just pay for advertising. To get better results from content sharing you have to focus on your content marketing so the content is more likely to make its way around the internet. To make the most of your content marketing it is important to understand what goes on behind the scenes that cause people to share content.

Social Media Networking – The Nature of the Beast

To get people sharing your content and creating effective content marketing they have to be motivated to do so. Recent research by The New York Times Customer Insight Group was done to try to find out what motivates people to share content. One of the most common answers among web users was that people wanted to share valuable or entertaining content with others. Almost half of those who responded to the questions said that sharing enables them to inform others of products they feel strongly about. In addition, people like to share content they believe could help change someone’s opinion or result in action.

The majority of those who share content, around 94%, admit they share information that they genuinely feel will be useful to those who receive it. About two-thirds, 68%, also used content sharing as a method to help others get a clearer idea of who they were and what they were like. This also makes it important for those who feel they can find like-minded people and swap content related to their shared interests.

Other Reasons for Sharing

Sharing with others also means getting something in return, however. Nearly 70% of those polled claimed that sharing content helps them feel more connected to and involved in the world. Of course, the important thing that matters for your business is that 84% of poll respondents admitted they share because they want others to know about the brands or causes they care and feel strongly about. The other thing to know about is, what type of content people tend to share.

Another recent study of Chadwick Martin Bailey and iModerate Research Technologies found what people are most likely to share in the first place.

• The most common shared data is that which is news related to a person’s own family members or friends.
• The next big contender is photos or videos of family members. Funny videos were the next most frequently shared item, which makes it crucial to try to make your video funny if possible, to increase the chances for sharing.
• Over half of the people who participated in the poll also shared coupons and discounts as well as news articles or blog posts.

The more interesting, engaging and entertaining the content the better your chances for having the material shared and found in multiple locations around the web. If need be, work with experts who are skilled at digital marketing and getting results from social media marketing.