Put Your Spin On Social Sharing

Amanda Clark

Social sharing is at the heart of content marketing. When you create compelling content, you want your social media followers to share it—to become true ambassadors for your brand. Likewise, if you take seriously your role as a content curator, you’ll need to share the content of others, as well—other bloggers, other brands, other publishers.

But can sharing a Forbes or Huffington Post or Search Engine Journal article really gain you any social traction? Can it possibly add to your reputation, your online prestige, or your inroads with customers and clients?

And if everyone is sharing the same Forbes and Huffington Post and Search Engine Journal articles…well: How do you set your share apart?

Social sharing is not just about hitting the “share” or “retweet” button. To really do it well, you’ve got to take some time to craft your own message, adding depth to what you’re sharing and proving yourself to be a reliable and interesting commentator.

Easier said than done? Not necessarily. There are a few options you can use to make your social shares stand out.

• Add your own image. Instead of directing sharing a link, attach it to an original shared images—something funny or attention-grabbing that relates to the article you’re sharing, subtly commenting on it or perhaps even subverting it.
  
• Add a custom hashtag. At Grammar Chic, we share a lot of third-party articles about online marketing, content creation, and social media—and we often brand them with the #chicmarketing tagline. That way, if people retweet our shares, our name goes with them in a meaningful way.
  
• Extract your favorite part of the content. Rather than simply summarize the content you’re sharing, try pulling out the most insightful point or the more provocative statistic contained within.
  
• Take a contrarian approach. If you really want to be bold, add commentary explaining why you think the content in question is off-point. (But be reasonably nice and constructive about it!)
  
• Add a call to action. Calls to action are never unhelpful! We recently shared an article explaining how bad grammar derails online content. “For help fixing your grammar, contact Grammar Chic today,” we said. Simple as that!

Sharing can be a vital part of content outreach; just make sure you do it effectively.

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