Building Trust, Part 2: Creating Shareable Content

Content is king as they say. Though I prefer “queen” 😉

If you want to get noticed and establish a solid reputation within your field, you need to show people that you give a sh*t. Whether you like it or not, writing quality, shareable content does just that; shows your audience that you care enough to share something of value FOR FREE.

But you also want to be sure that your content is worth sharing, otherwise what’s the point? Producing content is disheartening when it falls on deaf ears. So here are some quick tips to ensure that your hard work doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.

1. Add value and give it away!

Some people are still afraid to give away their “trade secrets”– valuable knowledge they’ve acquired from years of experience. To those folks I say, “Don’t flatter yourself.” Because, you know what? 99% of things worth learning are already available online. So instead of hoarding your knowledge, be helpful! And build some valuable digital assets (while boosting your authority and trust factor) from the process.

2. Don’t be a robot–set the tone and let your personality shine.

Share your opinion and resist the temptation to parrot things that have been said a million times over. Be sure your piece is easy to read (clearly marked with headlines, bullets, bold type and even highlighted text) and don’t forget to sprinkle in some entertainment.

3. Speaking of entertainment, make sure that your content is visually appealing.

Add relevant, compelling photos, animated gifs or silly memes when it makes sense. The more entertaining (or ridiculous) your content is, the more likely is it to get passed along.

[Begin rant]
Oh, and as a designer I also need to say this: for the love of God, PLEASE consider your spacing, color and font size. If you’re using teeny white text on a black background or a very light gray on a white background spanning the entire width of the web page with NO space in between lines, I’m done. DONE. There isn’t a single piece of content that’s worth that kind of torture.
[End rant]

4. Make sure your post is easy to share, literally.

By this, I mean make sure that you’ve made it possible for Google to pick up your article and index it. Trust me, this isn’t rocket science (but I know if I mention SEO your eyes will likely glaze over). Here’s the deal: utilize valuable keywords and make sure that your content has share buttons so visitors can click and send to their social channels. People have short attention spans and you have to make the process of sharing painfully easy. If keywords are scary or confusing, consider digging into Yoast SEO–this is a simple tool that we use everyday at AlchemyThree to ensure that our keyword targeting is on point.

5. Research your audience

Who is your target audience? What kind of specific information are they looking for and what sort of quick wins can you provide? Make sure that you know who you are speaking to, appeal to their values and, in some cases, even validate their opinions. When a visitor finds a strong connection to your content, they are more likely to share that content enthusiastically. The point is to start a dialog, learn about your readers and be helpful.

It takes time and persistence

Allow me to leave you with one last thought: if this is your first go at creating content and your first post doesn’t go viral (it won’t!) or doesn’t receive a single share or like, please do not get discouraged. It takes time to get to know your readers, build a rapport and get the hang of writing, sharing and producing quality content. The best thing you can do is to get started, create a schedule and be consistent. As long as you are being helpful and providing value, your content will earn increased attention over time. And remember: you are also building valuable digital assets for yourself and your business, the kind of assets that never go away and can be referenced and updated over time–a win-win!

This is the second post in a 3 part series. Click here to read Building Trust, Part 1: Your Headshot