Following on from Monday’s post about getting your content read, we have learnt that the psychology of a certain subject is key. We have also learnt that exposure, awareness and motivation drives people to share. Your audience is looking for validation. Some things haven’t changed since primary school. We are want our mates to think we are brilliant. The way we do that online is through the content we share.
68% of The New York Times study participants said they share content as an advertisement for themselves. They want to give others a better sense of who they are.
If you share highly valuable content and links that will give your fans access to information that will enable THEM to look good in the eyes of their friends you are onto a winner! This means sharing stuff that you may not initially want to. The stuff you may have wanted to sit on because you didn’t want others to know your secrets!
Come on, really. You can find out ANYTHING online. Anything at all. Everyone is an expert in something. I am not telling you anything that you couldn’t have found out elsewhere!
Have you got your audience right?
The New York Times study found there are six sharing personas for online fans. If you get this, you will know who to look for and who to share your stuff with online!
Altruists— share content out of a desire to be helpful and aspire to be seen as a reliable source of information. Preferred tools: Facebook and email.
Careerists—are well-educated and seek to gain a reputation for bringing value to their networks. They prefer content that is more serious and professional in tone.Preferred tools: LinkedIn and email.
Hipsters— are younger sharers who have always lived in the “information age.” They use Twitter and Facebook to share cutting-edge and creative content. They share content to build their online identity.Preferred tools: Facebook and Twitter.
Boomerangs— seek validation and thrive on the reaction of others to their content, even when it’s negative responses. Preferred tools: Facebook, email, Twitter and blogs, wherever people will engage them.
Connectors—see content sharing as a means of staying connected to others and making plans. They are more relaxed in their sharing patterns. Preferred tools: Facebook and email.
Selectives— are more thoughtful in what they share and with whom they share it. They personalize their sharing and expect responses to their content. Preferred tool: email.
I found the New York Time’s article on this really interesting.
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