Unlocking Shareability: How Representation Is Changing the Game for Social Media Content
The Pressure of Creating Shareable Content
Are you a communication director, content creator, or digital marketer feeling the pressure to make your content more shareable? In today's fast-paced digital world, it’s not enough to just create engaging posts. The challenge is to craft content that not only reaches your audience but gets them to hit that all-important share button.
We all know the first layer: content needs to be engaging, speak directly to your target audience, and be easy to digest. But there's more to it than just hitting these basics. With the world in flux—elections, societal shifts, and personal beliefs influencing everything—we’re in a new age of shareability. It’s not just about connecting with your followers anymore. It’s about something deeper. Representation.
The Old Rules of Shareability
Let’s start with what most of us already know. For content to be shareable, it needs to check off a few boxes:
It has to be engaging.
It needs to resonate with your target audience.
The message must be clear and digestible.
And the imagery or video must feel authentic and connected to what you’re saying.
You’re talking to two groups: your followers and non-followers. The content should engage both, whether you’re appealing to an inner circle or casting a wider net to an outer circle. These are all familiar, right? But let’s go deeper. What makes someone take that extra step and share your content?
The New Layer—Representation
Now, here’s the breakthrough: Shareability isn’t just about how engaging your post is anymore. We’ve found a much more influential factor in today's climate: representation. The idea of representation has shifted from a passive element to a major key in making content shareable.
Let’s break it down:
Who’s speaking? People need to feel comfortable representing that person. Are they okay with how the speaker looks, talks, or acts? Do they align with this individual’s beliefs or actions? Or do they feel like they don’t fully represent this person?
What’s being said? Does the message resonate with the sharer’s values? Is it delivered in a tone they feel comfortable sharing with their network? Even if they agree with the content, are they comfortable standing behind the way it’s presented?
Where is it being said? Context matters. Do they feel comfortable representing the setting where the message is delivered? Does it look too polished or too raw? Does it come across as an ad, or does it feel genuine?
What page is this content coming from? Is the person okay being associated with the account sharing this post? Does the overall tone of that page align with their beliefs? What else does this page post, and does that affect their decision to share?
Who does this page interact with? Are they comfortable aligning with the community that follows and engages with that page?
These are the layers of representation that people subconsciously consider before hitting “share.” It’s no longer just about agreeing with the message or liking the content—it’s about whether they’re willing to align themselves with the entire ecosystem surrounding that post.
Testing and Breaking Down Barriers
We’ve tested this theory. We posted videos without a person speaking—just words on a screen—and saw a spike in shareability. Why? Because there was no need to "represent" a person, setting, or tone. The focus was purely on the content, and people felt comfortable sharing because there were fewer obstacles in the way.
But representation doesn’t stop there. Think about captions: Do you add them or not? Does the amount of text influence shareability? Is your post too long, too short, or hitting the right balance? These questions matter.
At the end of the day, representation creates barriers to shareability. The more obstacles your audience has to clear, the less likely they are to share. And these obstacles don’t just come from the content itself—they come from the entire ecosystem surrounding the post.
How to Make Shareability Work for You
Here’s the big takeaway: Shareability isn’t just about how engaging your content is. It’s about how easy you make it for someone to represent everything within your ecosystem. The person, the message, the setting, the account, the community—all of it matters.
As a content creator or digital marketer, you need to be thinking about these layers every time you create a post. Ask yourself: Am I making it easy for my audience to represent what’s in this post? If you reduce the barriers, you’ll find that your content becomes not just engaging, but truly shareable.
And this doesn’t just apply to a single post. Start thinking about your brand’s entire ecosystem. The more aligned and thoughtful your content is across the board, the easier it becomes for people to share without hesitation. It’s not just about creating a great post—it’s about creating a shareable ecosystem.
Ready to see your content start spreading faster? Start thinking about who your audience has to represent with each post, and you’ll unlock a new level of shareability.
