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Content Marketing: How to Create Content People Want to Read and Share

By now you've already heard me talk about the importance and benefits of organic SEO. One important thing involved in creating organic SEO is to create quality content that people want to read and share.

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It's one thing to get people to read your content. But it's also another thing to get those same

people to share it across their networks. To get people reading and sharing at the same time, these are the things you have to do

How to get people to share your content

1. Human Beings are social and not commercial entities

People share content that they read because they feel it is something that adds value to them

and to the other people they know. What this means is that you need to put the reader over SEO.

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I'm saying this because you don't want to write stuff that only a computer wants to read. Luckily, you can please both readers and search engines at the same time.

Avoid redundancy - using the same key words or key phrases 10 times in the same

post is likely going to turn people off. Using different variations of your keyword or phrases like "create content that people want to read" and "create readable content"

is natural and conversational.

Your content should also be helpful in a sense. People like to be viewed as resourceful to their peers so if your content is helpful enough they will be sure to share them.

2. Build trust with your readers

People share content from a source that they trust and that's a fact. If your readers feel you're untrustworthy or believe other people would share that sentiment they won't share your content. So build your credibility.

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Making references to or putting links to expert views can help you build credibility in your posts. Consistently updating your blog or website also builds credibility with your readers. Post

content twice a week, three times a week and so on.

You should also try to relate with your readers. Try and form more personal connections with your readers. If your business is about adopting stray animals, your content should reflect the

good things you do. You will attract other animal lovers who will share their love for animals with other readers as well as promoting your business.

These expert tips will help you build trust with your readers

5 Scientifically-Backed Tips to Build Trust with Your Blog Readers

14 Ways To Gain Trust and Turn Your Readers Into Customers

How to build trust with content

3 Ways to Build Trust with Your Audience

Building Trust with Your Readers In Less Than 8 Minutes

3. Jokes

Now you don't want to be too funny. But just funny enough to lighten the mood.

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With tons of content being published on a daily basis, you want to stand out and differentia te yourself from the rest. Humor is probably the best way to establish a quick emotiona l

connection with your readers.

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It expresses your personality and more than convinces your readers that what they're reading was written by a human being and not some robot. Some of the most shared content on the

internet comes from humor centric websites like Buzzfeed and Funny or Die.

To get your jokes right, you have to know your audience. Knowing your audience will help you determine what kind of humor to use (if any at all) that your readers will find funny. The

humor you use should also be relevant particularly if you decide to use current events.

You can capitalize on major sporting events, holidays or pop culture and make your content more appealing. If you want your content to stick around much longer than make sure the

humor you use will also be relevant in the future.

These expert guides will tell you more about using humor in your content

How to Build Your Brand With Humor So You’ll Feel Like A Human

How to Include Humor Tastefully In Your Content To Engage More Readers

How to Include Humor in Your Content, but Still Be Taken Seriously

A Serious Look at Adding Humor to Your B2B Content Marketing

Using Humor in Branded Content

4. Just ask

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Sometimes all people need is just a little directive. Asking your readers to like or share your content at the very end will prompt them to share your content.

If you can, you can also reward your readers who share your content by giving them due

recognition for example responding to their tweet and thanking them. You should also make the process of sharing easy and accessible for your readers.

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Include access points for popular social media networks and email clients to your content so that sharing them is just a few clicks away.

5. Use images

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I can't stress the importance of this enough. Always try to include images and visual aids in

your posts. Images maintain your readers' interest in your content and also serve as a good tool to break up large chunks of text.

They capture your readers' attention even if they are simply scanning through. This is also

particularly useful when your readers share your articles on social media.

As your content contain images, it is likely to attract more attention. Infographics are also great to use. Everybody loves them

Don't stop with just images. You can also use videos in your content. Some readers will

understand videos a lot better than reading the post itself. So look to insert videos in areas you feel is relevant in your content.

6. Compelling Titles

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Readers skim through thousands of content on the internet everyday. Having a catchy title to pique interest is important if you want people to read your content. People respond to titles like

"How to" "Top ten tips for," "The definitive guide for."

At the same time try to keep them simple and make sure the rest of your content is consistent with your title. Your headings will also be useful when readers find your content on search engines.

A study on copyblogger revealed that 80% of readers won't make it past the headline. So it is

imperative that you capture your readers' attention. There are a lot of things competing for our attention, so your headline must awaken curiosity and pique interest to your benefit. According

to wired the perfect headline can increase traffic by over 500%.

These expert guides will help you write compelling blog titles

A Simple Formula for Writing Kick-Ass Blog Titles

5 Ways to Write More Compelling Blog Titles

Secrets to Writing Blog Post Titles That People Click

15 Ways to Rework Your Next Blog Post Title

How to Write Compelling Titles for Blogs & Content

Conclusion

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What better way to drive awareness of your business than word of mouth? Getting people to read and share your content is paramount to creating exposure and a followership for your

brand.

Your content should have a compelling title, be created with your readers in mind, contain visual aids, just a little bit of humor and of course needs to be trustworthy.

All these things combined in your content will give your readers a compelling reason to want

to read and share your content.

In that regard, why not share this article with your friends? Do you more tips to get people to read and share your content? Please let me know in the comments below!