Encourage users to share your content
It’s Thursday, so it must be time for three things. This week, we have three tips for encouraging your users to share your content online.
At it’s core, Web 2.0 is just technology giving us more tools to share content and be social. Where articles used to be clipped from newspapers or magazines and passed around the office with the checklist on top to make sure everyone sees it, now they are emailed, tweeted, Digg’ed, tagged or posted to facebook. Content sharing tools allows you to turn your members, users, or readers into messengers.
This week’s three things answers the question: how I do help my content (AKA message) spread?
1) Shocker – ASK for it. Make sure you have put the tools in place so that all of your blog posts, web site pages or emails have the social media chiclets (the little button with facebook or twitter icons or that says “share this”). They are very easy to add to your site with almost every CMS. Once they are there, don’t be afraid to ask users to take advantage of them.
2) Share yourself. Engage your membership on social networks. Share content from your site and others through facebook, twitter, and other networks. You’re content will spread to new audiences and people who think their friends woudl benefit from it will share it again.
3) Know why you’re content should be shared and is being shared. Content is King. You already deliver high quality, relevant and timely content to your members through your web site and email communications. The content ties directly to your organization’s mission and helps your members learn more, advocate better or accomplish whatever else your organization is working on this year. Make sure the content you produce and highlight is the most relevant to this year’s goals. The more engaging and relevant your content, the more your members will want to talk about it.
The second part – why your content is being shared. Use new tracking tools to track what type of content users share more often. Are particular topics shared more? Particular types of pitches? Learn what works best so you can to replicate the success.
Those are three basic tips to get started. Do you have other tips to that have worked in spreading your content to others?
And that’s the Three Things for this week! Do you have Three Things you’d like to get off your chest? Shoot us an email – we’d love to feature your ideas in this space!
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