How to Get More Social Media Shares on Your Articles: The Complete Guide to Viral Content
Proven Strategies to Boost Article Engagement and Maximize Your Content's Reach Across All Social Platforms
Published: July 17, 2025
Getting more social media shares on your articles isn't just about luck—it's about understanding what makes content shareable and implementing proven strategies that encourage readers to spread your message. The key to increasing social media shares lies in creating emotionally compelling content, optimizing for each platform's unique audience, and making sharing as effortless as possible for your readers.
Whether you're a magazine publisher, newspaper editor, or content marketer, increasing social shares can dramatically expand your reach, drive more traffic to your website, and build a loyal readership that actively promotes your content.
Table of Contents
- Understanding Social Media Sharing Psychology
- Optimizing Your Headlines for Maximum Shareability
- Creating Emotionally Compelling Content
- Platform-Specific Sharing Strategies
- Technical Optimization for Social Sharing
- Visual Content That Drives Shares
- Timing and Distribution Strategies
- Building Community and Engagement
- How to Track and Analyze Your Social Sharing Performance
- Common Mistakes That Kill Social Shares
- Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Articles for Shares
- Frequently Asked Questions
Understanding Social Media Sharing Psychology
People share content for six primary psychological reasons: to look good, to help others, to express identity, to build relationships, to feel involved, and to support causes they believe in. Understanding these motivations is crucial for creating content that naturally encourages sharing.
The Six Drivers of Social Sharing
Self-Enhancement: Readers share content that makes them appear knowledgeable, funny, or insightful to their network. Articles that provide exclusive insights, breaking news, or expert analysis tap into this driver effectively.
Altruism: People share helpful, educational, or valuable content because they genuinely want to help others. How-to guides, tutorials, and problem-solving articles often receive high share rates for this reason.
💡 Pro Tip
Create content that makes your readers look smart when they share it. Include surprising statistics, insider insights, or expert quotes that add credibility to their social media presence.
Optimizing Your Headlines for Maximum Shareability
Your headline is the single most important factor in determining whether your article gets shared. Research shows that headlines account for 80% of the difference between high-performing and low-performing content on social media.
The Science of Shareable Headlines
Emotional Impact: Headlines that evoke strong emotions—whether positive or negative—receive significantly more shares. Words like "amazing," "shocking," "essential," and "breakthrough" trigger emotional responses that encourage sharing.
Curiosity Gap: Creating a knowledge gap that readers want to fill drives clicks and shares. Headlines like "The One Thing Most Publishers Get Wrong About Social Media" leverage curiosity effectively.
Creating Emotionally Compelling Content
Content that evokes strong emotions gets shared 3x more often than neutral content. The key is understanding which emotions drive sharing and how to authentically incorporate them into your articles.
High-Arousal Emotions That Drive Shares
Awe and Wonder: Content that makes readers feel amazed or inspired generates significant sharing. Behind-the-scenes looks at your publishing process or innovative industry approaches create this effect.
Joy and Humor: Positive, uplifting content naturally encourages sharing. Success stories, industry humor, and celebratory content perform well across all platforms.
Platform-Specific Sharing Strategies
Each social media platform has unique characteristics that affect how content performs and gets shared. Optimizing your content for each platform's specific audience and algorithm significantly increases your sharing potential.
Facebook Optimization
Content Length: Facebook's algorithm favors longer, more substantive posts. Articles that generate meaningful discussions and comments perform better than quick, shallow content.
Twitter Optimization
Thread Strategy: Breaking longer articles into Twitter threads can generate significant engagement and retweets. Each tweet should provide value while encouraging readers to continue.
LinkedIn Optimization
Professional Value: LinkedIn users share content that enhances their professional reputation. Focus on industry insights, career advice, and business strategy content.
Technical Optimization for Social Sharing
The technical aspects of your website and content can significantly impact social sharing rates. Proper optimization ensures that your articles look professional and appealing when shared across different platforms.
Open Graph and Twitter Card Optimization
Open Graph Tags: These HTML meta tags control how your articles appear when shared on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other platforms. Essential tags include title, description, image, and URL.
Content Management System Integration
For publishers using comprehensive platforms like Magazine Manager or Newspaper Manager, integrating social sharing optimization into your editorial workflow can streamline the process.
Visual Content That Drives Shares
Visual content receives 40x more shares than text-only content across all social media platforms. Creating compelling visuals for your articles is essential for maximizing social sharing potential.
Types of Visual Content That Perform Well
Custom Graphics: Original infographics, charts, and branded images that summarize key points from your articles generate significant shares.
Quote Cards: Highlighting compelling quotes or statistics from your articles as shareable graphics can significantly increase engagement.
Timing and Distribution Strategies
When you publish and promote your articles can be just as important as the content itself. Strategic timing and distribution can significantly increase your social sharing potential.
Optimal Publishing Times by Platform
Facebook: Peak engagement occurs Tuesday through Thursday between 1-3 PM and 7-9 PM. Weekend posting typically receives less engagement.
Twitter: Monday through Friday from 8-10 AM and 7-9 PM generate the highest engagement rates.
Email Integration
For publishers using email marketing platforms like Mirabel's Marketing Manager, coordinating social media promotion with email campaigns can create a powerful amplification effect.
Building Community and Engagement
Active community engagement can increase social sharing rates by up to 300%. Building relationships with your audience and other publishers creates a network effect that amplifies your content's reach.
Engagement Strategies That Drive Shares
Respond to Comments: Actively responding to comments on your social media posts encourages more engagement and signals to algorithms that your content is valuable.
Ask Questions: End your social media posts with questions that encourage discussion and sharing.
How to Track and Analyze Your Social Sharing Performance
Measuring your social sharing performance is essential for understanding what works and optimizing your strategy. Comprehensive tracking helps you identify your most shareable content and replicate successful approaches.
Key Metrics to Monitor
Share Volume: Track total shares across all platforms to understand your content's overall reach and viral potential.
Engagement Rate: Measure likes, comments, and shares relative to your audience size to understand content resonance.
Analytics Tools and Platforms
Publishing platforms often include social media analytics that can help you understand which articles generate the most social engagement over time.
Common Mistakes That Kill Social Shares
Avoiding common social sharing mistakes can significantly improve your results. Understanding these pitfalls helps you create more effective content and distribution strategies.
Content-Related Mistakes
Overly Promotional Content: Articles that read like advertisements rarely get shared. Focus on providing value and insights rather than promoting your products.
Clickbait Headlines: While curiosity-driven headlines work well, misleading clickbait damages trust and reduces long-term sharing potential.
Technical Mistakes
Missing Social Meta Tags: Articles without proper Open Graph and Twitter Card tags appear unprofessional when shared, reducing sharing likelihood.
Slow Loading Times: Social media users expect fast-loading content. Slow websites kill social sharing potential.
Step-by-Step Guide to Optimizing Articles for Shares
Step: Research trending topics in your industry and identify content gaps that your audience wants to see filled
Step: Write 10-15 different headlines for your article and test them for emotional impact and curiosity
Step: Create custom graphics, quote cards, and featured images optimized for each social platform
Frequently Asked Questions
Include 4-6 of the most relevant platforms for your audience. Too many options can create decision paralysis, while too few limit your reach. Focus on the platforms where your audience is most active.
Yes, but do it strategically. Include subtle calls-to-action like "Share this with someone who needs to see it" or "What do you think? Share your thoughts." Direct requests can increase sharing by 20-30%.
Optimal timing varies by platform and audience. Generally, Tuesday-Thursday between 1-3 PM and 7-9 PM work well for most platforms. Use your analytics to identify when your specific audience is most active.
Extremely important. Visual content receives 40x more shares than text-only content. Always include compelling, high-quality images optimized for each platform's specifications.
