How to Make your Instagram Content More Shareable

In the world of social media, what good is an amazing piece of content if no one sees it?

 

We see it all the time.. people spend hours and hours creating posts for Instagram and then when they post…. the posts flop, no one sees it, and it gets no likes or engagement. 

 

Here’s an Instagram success secret no one really talks about- In order to get as many eyes on your Instagram content as possible, your content needs to be more shareable. 

 

Shareable content spreads across Instagram quickly as audiences connect with a topic, idea, or story, and click to share it with their friends and followers through their stories, wall posts and DM  (hello free advertisement!)

 

Sharable content is, well…. what it sounds like: It’s sharable. This type of content is great because if people are sharing it, it garners more eyeballs – and hopefully new followers  to your page.

 

The key here, and where most people go wrong, is they don’t make their Instagram content shareable enough. 

For example, if you post a very busy or overly branded type of graphic, which has specific colors, pictures, or design elements on it,  not everyone is going to resonate with the design or want to share it on their page…even if they like the quote! 

 

TIP 1: When it comes to shareable Instagram quotes, the more simple the design, the better it usually converts.

Or, if you post a quote that needs further explanation from the caption, your post becomes less sharble. 

Tip 2: The best shareable content is content that stands alone without further explanation from the caption. 

 

Why shareable content is important on Instagram?

 

The reason shareable content is so valuable on Instagram is because it helps get organic reach for your account which contributes to your growth. If done right, it also helps establish trust and authority between you and your audience. 

 

As we mentioned before, shareable content is like free advertising for your Instagram profile.  As soon as your content is shared to someone else’s audience, your reach is going to significantly increase.

 

As you may have read in our previous blog 5 reasons to use Instagram for Business, there are 9 types of engagement on Instagram. Reach is one passive type of Instagram engagement, which is how many people are actually seeing your content. 

 

Since Instagram counts reach as an engagement metric, more reach =  more post engagement. Engagement is the currency of Instagram, so the higher your post engagement rate, the more likely it will get picked up by the algorithm and pushed out to more places like Explore page and Hashtags… which is why great shareable content is a secret weapon for growth. 

 

FIRST, If you want your content to stand out and get a large number of shares on Instagram, you need to answer one important question:  

 

Who is your ideal audience and how can you help them?

 

The first step to increasing your Instagram engagement is getting a user’s attention, and to get their attention, you need to know who you’re talking to. 

If you’re wondering… but how do I know what my audience needs help with?

 

Here are some things you can do to find out:

 

• Social listening – what do they ask in the post comments? What questions are you getting from them in the DM?

 

• Polls/Questions in your Stories – you can post polls and question stickers in your Instagram stories to get a better idea about what content is valuable to your audience or what they would like to see more of.

 

• Analyzing your insights  – this is one of the most important tactics when it comes to finding what works and what doesn’t in your Instagram strategy. Your insights can tell you a lot of things: what kind of content gets more comments? What kind of content gets the most shares? What content gets the most saves? The data will help you have a better understanding and build a solid Instagram content strategy. 

 

So, What Makes Your Instagram Content More Shareable?

 

People share content they find relatable, valuable and worthy of more attention – and usually, from the sources THEY TRUST. 

 

Why? Because by sharing someone else’s posts, people are taking partial ownership for whatever they are sharing. 

 

Once you become a trustworthy, reliable information provider, your followers will be much more likely to share what you’re creating. The road to that outcome is to CONSISTENTLY provide valuable content for your ideal audience. 

 

So, let’s dive into how you can use this information to create more shareable content to propel your Instagram growth! 

 

7 Tips for Super Shareable Instagram Content 

 

At the core of shareable Instagram content is a compelling topic.

 

“People share great content that ignites something in their hearts and minds. It prompts a response that makes them want to include and inform other people.” 

 

A study conducted by a team of UCLA psychologists found that people have an inherent desire to dispense information. We’re wired to share—and there are certain ideas that we’re most likely to share.

 

Here are 7 ways to increase your Instagram post shares. Make your content more: 

 

1. Trending – some examples might include social media challenges or any viral content that is relevant on the internet right now. 
2.  Practical – this includes tutorials, DIY’s, tips and tricks that people can share with their like- minded community of followers
3. Motivational/ inspirational – Instagram peeps LOVE motivation. Humans always strive for excellence, so a good motivational quote definitely deserves a share! 
4. Funny – Most people are on social media to be entertained…So, if you can mix your educational content with some humor,  that typically makes for a winning post. 
5. Trigger emotions-  One of the BEST ways to get more engagement and shares on your post is to trigger emotions. This doesn’t mean you have to write a sad, sappy post,  just be real, vulnerable and relatable. When you post something super relatable to your audience, they’re going to be wayyy more likely to share it because it resonates with them. 
6. Timely- Current events ( hello 2020) are typically a great way to spark conversation around your post, and encourage shares from those who agree with your sentiment on the issue.
7. Controversial – not always a crowd favorite, but effective. Those who love you and agree will share, and those who don’t.. eh , I wouldn’t stress about them anyway, because they’d probably never be a client or customer to begin with. 

 

But don’t forget …..

 

Instagram started and still is a visual platform, and having a great visual is a big part of its shareability. 

 

Your Visual is what GETS people’s attention as their scrolling in their feed. 

 

Visuals are the videos, images and graphics that you post along with captions. 

 

Graphics are a powerful tool for increasing shares because most people won’t share your pictures to their audience, but they will share compelling graphics.

 

And, as you know, more shares = more reach = more followers (and therefore, more conversions – as it drives more traffic to your website)

 

While visuals are the most important part of a post, they are also the greatest area of opportunity we see for most people.  

 

You could have the same content on a graphic designed by two different people, and one will flop and one will soar. 

 

Why? Because the design is EVERYTHING when it comes to high performing graphics. 

 

We also know that as a busy entrepreneur running a business, you don’t have hours to spend fiddling around in Canva or Adobe trying to make your visuals.

 

After numerous requests from our community and Social Butterfly Students, we decided to make our highest converting graphics available to you in our Infographic Pack, which we created specifically for health and wellness experts. 

 

We want to help those of you who have an important message to share, but don’t have dozens of hours every week to spend on creating content.

 

Click HERE to learn more about  Infographic Pack for Health and Wellness Experts.