Why Your Content Isn't Going Viral (Infographic)

You create good content, so why isn't anyone sharing it? This infographic explains why and offers ways you can tweak your content so people can't wait to pass it along.

learn more about Kristin Piombino

By Kristin Piombino

This story originally appeared on PR Daily

You wrote a kick-butt blog post.

You worked for days on that video.

You stretched all of your graphic design muscles to make an infographic.

And no one shared any of it.

Ouch. You have good content, but it just can't seem to get any shares.

It doesn't have to be that way anymore. Who Is Hosting This has an infographic that explains why your content won't go viral, and how you can make it do so next time. Here are a couple of the infographic's tips:

1. Appeal to emotions.

People share emotionally charged content. To make your content appeal to people's emotions:

Write a headline that gets people to question themselves or their habits.
Present a new angle on an old topic.
Touch your audience's pain points, and offer solutions.
Example: The "Charlie Bit Me" video went viral because it was funny and featured children. Parents could relate to children biting each other, and the things kids do tend to make people laugh.

2. Ensure your content is shareable.

Creating share-worthy content is easier than you probably think. Here are a few ways to do it:

Provide social currency: People will share content that makes them look good to others.
Tell a story: Make your content part of a larger story or conversation currently taking place.
Make people feel special: People like to feel as though they are insiders. Giving them information others don't yet have can make them more inclined to share.
Example: The time-lapse video of a woman being transformed by Photoshop went viral because it played into a larger conversation about the ethics of Photoshopping ads.

For more ways to make your content go viral, check out the full infographic:

Click to Enlarge+
Why Your Content Isn't Going Viral (Infographic)

Kristin Piombino

Kristin Piombino is associate editor of Ragan.com

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