How much and how often do you analyze your article stats? I have to confess right here, right now that after I publish a post, I often sit and watch the social share numbers closely all day. For me, it’s not enough to see ’50 Twitter shares after 24 hours’. I closely watch to see where it gets shared, on what social media platform, and by whom.

When I think about what makes me share an article myself, I think about two things.

1. Readability (enjoyment of reading something new, good, interesting, formatting etc)
2. Share worthiness (will my audience read it, enjoy it and share it, too?)

When I publish my own articles, I optimize my articles for sharing and curation on two fronts and I divide them into Things I do Before and Things I do After I Publish.

As a new blogger, I often wondered what made someone share an article. I was looking for a ‘magic’ formula. After nearly four years of blogging and having written and published over 350 articles, I have a much better idea of what makes an article get shared and curated. I also know there is no ‘magic’ formula and ‘going viral’ is just that: a viral post, coming out of nowhere! However, knowing what types of articles get shared within your industry and knowing what to adjust before and after you publish makes your hard work have a much better shot of being shared and curated.

Here are the 15 Tips To Boost Curation and Sharing Numbers of Your Articles, divided in the BEFORE and AFTER publishing segments.

11 Tips to consider BEFORE you publish your next article:

1. Tempt with a Terrific Title – I imagine just like you want to catch my eye and have me curate and share your articles, I want to catch the eye and interest of my audience as well when I share your article. I highly suggest you read this article on putting some thought into your titles. Go for it: make your article titles catchy and irresistible, yet understandable and to the point. Misrepresenting your article by using an obscene word or phrase will have the opposite effect: I will never share another one of your posts, no matter how great they might be if you use that tactic.
2. Format For Easy Scanning – To me this means outlining your article in such a way, that if I scan it and see the thought process behind your article, clearly defined by the use of paragraphs, bullet points and a conclusion, I am much more willing to share it than if it was one, long, rambling article. We are all busy people and understanding the points you are making clearly and fast, makes me more likely to share it.
3. Date Your Article – If your content is evergreen, I do not mind sending out an article that is older. However, if you write about social media platforms and new features and updates, I would like to know instantly what date you wrote it. This will tell me the relevance of the article and whether I should share your article with my audience, or pass it over for a more updated piece on the same subject. If it has no date, I’ll pass, for sure.
4. Create Shareable and Pinnable Images – I personally will not curate an article to Pinterest and G+ without a picture. In fact, the only platform I will share an article without a picture to, is Twitter and only if it is really, really good or you are a trusted source. Images I like to share are pin-worthy and convey the article message in the image. It could be as simple as the title of the article in the image. Therefore, if you want your articles curated to Pinterest, plan accordingly with your image(s). The same is true for Google+. Links with great images get shared more frequently than those without.
5. Mention or Direct Quote an Influencer in your Article – Referencing an industry influencer by securing a quote from them is a great way to get more eyeballs (and shares) on your next article. You can do this by sending them an email or connecting on social media and requesting a quote. You can also reference a book or eBook they wrote and you read, by inserting a small quote that struck you and linking back, of course. In doing this, it shows you are keeping up with the industry ‘greats’ and the latest research, which is exactly what I am looking to share with my audience!
6. Add Links – When relevant, I link to one of my own, previously written, articles. You can also add links to relevant industry influencers or researchers by linking to an article they wrote. In doing this, it shows you are keeping up with industry influencers and the latest industry news and you know how to interpret and apply this information. The operative word here being ‘relevant’. Do not just add links that have no meaning or no business being in your article. Links should enhance the reader’s knowledge and understanding of the topic you are discussing. It should not send them on a wild goose chase!
7. Easy Comment & Sharing System – Make it simple to comment, simple to share and I will take a second look at your article. Meaning: If I can not leave a comment on your blog without much effort, I will not comment (of course) and I will not share it. If I can not share your article without much effort, I will not curate and share your article. If you’ve had complaints and people struggling with either while visiting your blog, change and update now. You are losing valuable readers.
8. Publish Article Series – I’ve published several series on my blog and it’s a fun way to create content and draw in readers for more. If you’ve never done a blog series, read this article on how to spot a good series idea for your blog. I also like the fact that a series connects different contributors which in turn helps your bottom line of getting the word about your article out.
9. Provide Evergreen Content – It’s tempting to write about the latest, greatest and newest industry developments. Tempting enough for me to say: Go for it! However, don’t forget that a good, evergreen piece of content has far more potential for sharing and curating because you yourself can reuse the content of an evergreen article to write and eBook, create a SlideShare, make a PowerPoint, create a visual quote; always link back to the original article for additional shares. It’s the piece that will keep on giving!
10. Write about Trends and Add Seasonal Posts – As much as evergreen posts will give you a lasting source of content to reuse, trending topics and seasonal posts can give you quick boosts in traffic and introduce you to new readers. These posts can be fun, inspirational, personal and highly opinionated pieces of content. Traffic might spike and then die down quickly, yet it might just be the catalyst to be discovered by a new audience.
11. Optimize for SEO – As this should be an obvious tip, I almost skipped it. However, I feel the need to add it here. I use the Yoast WordPress SEO plugin for my blog. It helps me adjust my title, meta tags and image descriptions to optimize for SEO. Don’t you want to be discovered in a Google search and grow your audience organically? Optimizing for SEO will help that process along.

4 Tips to consider AFTER you publish your next article:

1. Introduce your Article on One Social Platform at a Time – This is a skill many people haven’t mastered. Someone might publish an article and then send out the link to their article on all platforms at the same time with the same introduction. If I follow you on all platforms, it becomes annoying. This is also where you miss many opportunities. Mastering the platforms and your unique voice on each platform, as well as knowing when to share to each platform is directly related to the number of shares you’ll see.
2. Tag Contributors and/or People You Quoted – If you used a quote or you linked to an article, make sure to follow and connect with that person first and then tag them on your Facebook Page, in your tweet, in your G+ post or on Pinterest or LinkedIn when you share your article.
3. Include a ‘Pin It For Later’ link – Peg Fitzpatrick introduced us to ‘Pin It for Later’ on G+. In this article 8 smart tips to maximize your blog content, she explains how it works. I’ve used it for Facebook and Google+ and if you change the URL of the pin to a bit.ly link, you can even track the clicks. Pretty neat!
4. Reshare to Hit Different Time Zones – Just because you shared your article once on all your platforms does not mean everyone in your audience saw it. Resharing your article at different times to the same platform will guarantee different people have a chance to see it. This is especially true for Twitter. If you have uploaded several pictures to the article, you can pin the same article several times with a different image each time.

I realize not everyone can implement each tip every time they write an article. However, being aware of the possibilities is the first step in improving your chances of getting shares, and your article being curated by others. I wish you much luck on your blogging endeavors and I would love to know from you what successes you might have had getting your content shared and curated. Let’s hear it!

Image attribution: Copyright: ‘http://www.123rf.com/profile_nk2549‘ / 123RF Stock Photo

http://www.searchenginejournal.com/maximize-content-shareability/109805/

http://blog.straightnorth.com/how-to-create-evergreen-content-for-your-website/

http://pixgood.com/social-media-marketing-png.html

The following two tabs change content below.

• Bio
• Latest Posts

Dorien Morin

Nice to meet you! I am a blogger, social media consultant, business owner and mom to four kids and three dogs. In my spare time, I love to read and run marathons. Born in The Netherlands, I might see things a bit differently through my orange glasses.

Latest posts by Dorien Morin (see all)

• How To Get More Pinterest Followers For Your Brand - March 1, 2015
• Is Blog Commenting a Lost Art? - February 1, 2015
• 15 Great Tips To Boost Curation and Sharing of Your Articles - January 12, 2015