Regularly delivering quality content via your social media platforms is the meat and potatoes of catching and holding the attention of your online audience. There is a veritable universe of content out there that ranges from hilarious memes and GIFs, to in-depth infographics and eBooks, and every piece of content can be defined as either sharable or linkable content. Today I’m here to explain how linkable and sharable content are both important parts of your advertising strategy, and how each fills their own respective niche in the social media ecosystem:
What is Linkable Content?
Linkable content doesn’t get nearly as much instant appreciation as sharable content, but in a nutshell, linkable content includes informational items that people will want to share and reference as a resource. Infographics, eBooks, podcasts, academic research, tutorials, and case studies are all instances of linkable content. While this form of content will not get as much engagement as sharable content, linkable materials are seen by your audience as credible sources of info that will always hold value. Linkable content is for the long game, especially since the in-depth informational material that you provide serves a set purpose for a niche audience that is likely to use your evergreen content as an informational reference point.
What is Sharable Content?
Chances are pretty good that you are already well-aware of sharable content and how it is used to instantly connect with people. Sharable content is trendy, quickly consumed, and intended to move people to retweet, comment, and share your content as soon as they see it. Memes, short videos, quotes, GIFs, surveys, and lists are all common types of sharable content. If you find something that is fun and attention-grabbing on social media, it’s likely sharable content. Content like this gives followers a great reason to engage with your brand, and to share your entertaining content themselves. If you understand what your audience likes and you have plenty of creativity up your sleeve, there are unlimited ways to engage people with sharable content.
How to Utilize Sharable & Linkable for Social Media
You should know your audience better than anyone, so your goal is to deliver both sharable and linkable content that they will find useful and captivating. Many successful social media profiles do an excellent job of delivering a steady stream of fun sharable content, and while that GIF of a baboon shoving a laptop off of a desk will never stop being hilarious, fans won’t return to your one tweet to share it in a week, much less six months from now. That’s where your invaluable linkable content comes in; by taking some time to craft a tutorial video, dedicated FAQ, or an eBook, you will have a permanent resource that people will always consult with as long as its content remains relevant. There is no set formula that dictates how much of each kind of content you should create and post to be successful, but you will likely make much more entertaining short-term sharable content, as timeless and valuable linkable content often takes time to meticulously craft for your viewers. Just don’t stop creating! Not only will fans come to recognize you as a valuable authority, but search engines tend to favor creators who regularly upload useful linkable content over time.
The perfect balance between goofy memes and helpful infographics lies with your unique brand, but a combination of both linkable and sharable content is a win-win for engaging people, while demonstrating that you are an authority in your field. TLDR? Need something to keep people hooked until your graphic designer wraps up your latest infographic? Tweet some GIFs! Everyone loves GIFs!