• By michelle
• In Copywriting
• Posted Apr 10, 2013

3 Traits of Sharable Content

Think about the last blog post, email, or article you’ve read that truly floored you. One that moved you to leave a comment, forward the message, retweet the link, or inspired you to think differently.

Great writing will only take a content topic so far. But if you want your content to excite, engage, and move readers to action, you need a little boost from these 3 elements:

Be vulnerable. In order to connect, you have to allow yourself to be seen—to show who you are, imperfect and authentic. This transparency in writing is one of the foundations of content that spreads because it engages readers on a wholly human level.

The best blog posts I’ve read have been the ones that don’t hide behind a persona or put on airs. They are the articles that allow the audience to fully experience what the author has experienced by laying it bare, providing value, and telling a compelling and humanizing story.

Tell a story. There’s a reason we keep bringing up storytelling when it comes to content. At its best, good storytelling in marketing copy feels like a heart-to-heart conversation with a friend. Also, when you deliver information via a story, your reader is better equipped to recall that information later because storytelling engages us on several different emotional levels. We’re just hardwired that way.

Answer the why? Communicating company values and vision is never a waste of your time or words. These are the traits that help humanize your company and give prospects a broader sense of why they should trust you and do business with you.

In order to move others to take action—whether you want them to sign up for your ezine, buy your products, or share your message—you must clearly communicate why you do what you do.

Just look at the best brands on the market today. Did Google get to where they are by reiterating what their company is over and over? Of course not. Instead, they show the world they value progress, collaboration, and widespread communication, and demonstrate these values in their brand messaging, products, services, and even the interior design of their offices.

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