When we share things in person, whether it is a bouquet of flowers, a pizza, or a book we tell the person why we want to share it with them. “These were in my garden and made me think of you… this gluten-free crust is the best… I couldn’t put this book down.” Online, we are encouraged to share links, posts, and videos with our followers and connections. We are also tapped out on time to do “all that we should” on social media, and for businesses, we simply click “share,” or “like,” or forward it via email. I admit I’d rather a bunch of people like something of mine rather than receive only 1 comment on it. A like can equate to “I see you, I like you, I respect you,” and all that. A share is a quick way to help out a friend or colleague, help a charity, help a family member build a following, ask for prayers, and good thoughts. What is missing in our rush to help, share, and be of value is the reason BEHIND the share.
LinkedIn is my favorite social venue. I learn the most about people, technology, trends, and companies that affect my life and, specifically, my businesses. I have clients I want to support, colleagues I respect, and people I admire. What I’ve experienced is that when the people I follow give a REASON as to WHY they are sharing an article, their take on a post, or key points adds way more value to the share, and it encourages me to click, watch, listen, and eventually also share it on my own timeline.
Here are four tips to help you be more valuable to people you are connected to:
- Verify the link you are sharing. You’d be surprised how many people just quickly reshare, assuming we can all open the link, the link doesn’t require a subscription and is on a reputable site.
- Watch the link or read the article to discern what you find as value points. Pro tip: If there is a transcript – read that; it’s faster.
- Find your favorite points – 1 or 2 are plenty. Make a note of the timestamp if it’s in a video or podcast.
- Share it on your social profiles and @mention companies or people in your connections that may find the article/post helpful and tell them WHY from those points.
BONUS POINTS:
If it’s a GREAT post, or episode, consider using the embed code for the video or audio and do a commentary on it – whether or not you agree with it. When you do this, it adds to the counts of the author or host. Tag the original author and then go through steps 1-4 again.
Photo by Mikhail Nilov: https://www.pexels.com/photo/people-sharing-a-pizza-9543813/