In today’s digital age, shareable content is essential for businesses wanting to increase social media reach and engagement. The easier it is to share your content, the more likely it is to be shared by your audience, which improves brand exposure and attracts new followers. However, many companies must pay more attention to one critical element that makes their content shareable, resulting in missed opportunities to grow their online presence.
Featured Images–Why They’re Crucial for Shareable Content
One of the critical factors in making your content shareable is simple but overlooked by many— the featured image. A featured image appears when your content is shared on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. If your article does not include a designated featured image, a few things might happen:
- No image will appear when your link is shared, making it less likely to be clicked, commented on, and shared by others
- If your content has multiple images, one of them may appear or not.
- As in our example below, a random, unexpected image will appear—a missed opportunity!
As a result, your target audience may overlook or ignore your content, limiting your ability to grow your brand’s social media presence.
On the left is an example of a Facebook post with a link without a featured image set. On the right is the product image that should have been used.
Having a featured image can also make your content more visually appealing and engaging, which can help capture your audience’s attention and encourage them to read and share your content. A visually appealing image can also help convey your content’s message more effectively, making it more memorable and shareable.
Tools to check if your content is shareable
Use LinkedIn Post Inspector to see how your featured image will appear on LinkedIn when it is posted. Here is an example:
Social Sharing Buttons Can Boost Your Content’s Reach
Another way to make your content more shareable is to provide social media sharing buttons on your website or blog, allowing readers to share your content with one or two clicks. These buttons should be prominently displayed and easily accessible.
By making your content shareable, you can also increase the likelihood of it going viral. Viral content is shared widely and rapidly across social media platforms, often reaching millions of people within a short period. While going viral is never guaranteed, creating shareable content increases the chances of your content gaining traction and becoming a viral sensation.
Shareable Content is the Key to Growing Your Brand’s Online Presence
In conclusion, making your content easily shareable is essential for any business or brand that wants to grow its online presence and reach more people on social media. By ensuring that your content has a featured image, providing social media sharing buttons, and creating visually appealing content, you can make it easier for your audience to share your content with their own followers, increasing the likelihood of it going viral and helping to grow your brand’s social media presence. So the next time you create content, prioritize making it shareable and watch as your audience grows and your brand gains more exposure online.
