12 Most Winning Ways to Find Fabulous, Must-Share Content

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Ideas to turn into wonderful content swirl all around us. The trick is to notice, seize and transform them… and then send them out on the social web.

Here are some of the ideas I use to craft content to share.

1. Bloopers you want your clients to avoid

These abound. And it’s always easier to find the #fail when it’s someone else’s. No need to be mean, just honest. This is a recent example I really liked.

2. Real-life client successes

This offers obvious promotion for them and for you. But if the idea or outcome is truly great, others will want to know about it. So, share away — especially if you can document the success!

3. Examples of when you were stuck, but got yourself going

Humans are so similar that we tend to lose our creative mojo for some of the same reasons. And we get it back in some of the same ways, too. Just think of a time or two you got yourself going, and share how you did it. That’s the basis for this post — 26 little jump starters.

4. Examples of when someone else showed you the light

We’ve all relied on colleagues, mentors or other inspirers for insight about the best way forward. Recall one of those times, explain it and share. Others surely could benefit, too.

5. A fabulous new tool or trick you use

New tools, technology and apps are appearing faster than any one person could possibly keep up with by him- or herself. So take one that you found recently and let others know about it. Like this!

6. Something that you figured out, but that’s got others still stumped

Once they’ve mastered something, most people seem to forget the amazing amount skill and work it took to get there. Others who haven’t yet mastered that skill know very well how hard it is to successfully execute it. So take something you do well, and break it down and explain how you do it. Then share it.

7. Your own bloopers, as long as you can relay a lesson

These can be really instructive, but you don’t want to beat yourself up publicly. Share something that went awry but wasn’t devastating — something, for instance, you overcame or learned from. That can be the basis for great content.

8. A tool or “tip” that left you underwhelmed, and why you steer clear and use something else, instead

For every person who falls in love with a new app, there’s someone else, somewhere, who’s grumbling about another one. This is apparent in the consumer ratings so ubiquitous online. Instead of just giving the new technology or product “one star,” say more about it — add some context and share it.

9. Life lessons that translate deftly into the social media realm

Done well, social media is just that — social! Often, our interactions IRL can be used as the basis for SoMe content. Customer relations and marketing examples are especially good for this because, whether real or virtual, customers want to be treated, valued and engaged with in similar ways.

10. Patterns you notice that are share-worthy

Just because you cottoned on to something doesn’t mean most other people have, too. Something routine to you can still count as news to your followers.

11. Ideas that establish your credibility, but don’t give everything away for free

This one can be threaded into some of the other examples on this list, such as #5. In showing how something works, you establish credibility. That makes your followers more likely to share your content. A caution, here: Share the “what” but not all of the “how” — you want to establish credibility, not to give trade secrets away!

12. Moments you least expect can yield incredible blog post ideas or other must-share content

If you keep your mind on the look out for them, share-worthy ideas will come to you when you least expect it. My most recent instance of this was when another blogger lifted a post of mine without any attribution. I blogged about it!

There are so many other ways to come up with ideas for great content to share. What are some of yours?

Featured image courtesy of Darwin Bell via Creative Commons.

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Becky Gaylord

http://www.gaylordllc.com

Becky worked as a reporter for more than 15 years in Washington, D.C.; Sydney, Australia; and Cleveland, Ohio for major publications including the New York Times, Salon.com, Business Week, the Wall Street Journal, and was Associate Editor of the Plain Dealer's Editorial Page before she launched the consulting practice, Gaylord LLC. The company helps clients improve their external relations and communication and increase their influence and impact. Becky blogs about that (a few other things) at Framing What Works.