If you want to grow on Instagram, creating content people want to share is one of the most important things you can do. In a recent episode of Social Media Marketing with Michael Stelzner, Instagram growth coach Brock Johnson dives into what share-worthy content is and how you can use this tool to grow your Instagram. To share content on social media is to send a post to a friend or repost it to an Instagram story. This tactic is how brands can easily go viral and reach new audiences. Shares connect real people to your content.

In the episode, Johnson discusses how he could spend hours scrolling and seeing posts with mediocre humor that cause him no reaction. Meanwhile, if his wife sends him a post she thinks is funny or relatable, he’s way more likely to have a positive reaction to the post and engage with it. The key to reaching new audiences is through real people and real connections. You can achieve that by making your content share-worthy.

Before we jump into what makes your content share-worthy, let’s highlight some popular content that is not share-worthy. The main type of content Johnson mentions that is not share-worthy is promotional content. Although this type of content—such as advertisements and brand deals—is essential for your business, it holds little to no value to the Instagram user and often gets scrolled past. Therefore, a content mix is ideal in order for your brand to grow. Johnson states that he typically uses a mix of 60% share-worthy and 40% valuable/promotional content.

Johnson and Stelzner discuss five different types of share-worthy content. First is motivational content. This type of content is something people will always have a need for. Motivational content ebbs and flows—it’s useful no matter what your niche is. It causes people to be inspired, which leads them to share it because they feel that it aligns with their values.

Next, challenge or community-based content. We all remember the viral ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. This challenge was so popular it made a return nearly a decade later for mental health awareness. Creating a challenge for a cause creates a “call to arms,” leading to community involvement because people want to help. This type of share-worthy content is extremely powerful when used sparingly.

Moving on to the third type: relatable humor content. This one may seem obvious, as many of us share funny memes or videos with our friends, but there’s a special trick with this type of content. Johnson emphasizes the importance of specificity. For example, an image of the Anger character from the Disney-Pixar movie Inside Out with the meme caption “me when I’m angry” is not particularly funny. But using a very specific example, such as “me when my boss sends back my post for the 17th time for revisions and the trend is already old,” is funnier because it’s relatable and niche—which makes it more shareable.

The fourth type of content mentioned is controversial opinion posts. Now, this doesn’t mean posting something hateful or something that will get you canceled. Instead, think hot takes. For example, Johnson and Stelzner discussed a shared post that stated something along the lines of “forever an em dash user.” This statement not only caused people to share the content because they found it relatable, but it also opened up the comments for lengthy discussions—boosting engagement even more.

The final type is timely or niche-adjacent content. This doesn’t necessarily mean just trends but also moments in pop culture. Johnson discussed how the Super Bowl halftime performance is a key example of this type of content. Each year, there are iconic memes or images that people turn into shareable content, and you can relate those moments to your niche while still being timely.

If you’re serious about growing on Instagram, this is your sign to start creating with sharing in mind. Focus on value, stay consistent, and don’t be afraid to get specific.

Source: Creating Share-Worthy Instagram Content That Outperforms