Blogging, Content Marketing
Buzzfeed, A formula for content people WANT to share
Mar 10 2014
A few weeks back we spent the morning learning about shareable content with Buzzfeed. If you’re unfamiliar with Buzzfeed, you probably don’t have a Facebook, Twitter, or an internet connection…
Buzzfeed articles have flooded hundreds of millions of newsfeeds over the last year. They employ cute cats, hilarious pictures, and fun quizzes to launch content into viral status across the social internet. Their measure for successful content places heavy emphasis on social virality, a tall order for any digital team, but they’ve been incredibly successful at achieving that goal, daily.
How do they do it?
The Buzzfeed team takes note of the subtle nuances between social networks that suggest what type of content is most likely to go viral on each platform. Facebook users love humor, cute cats, and niche quizzes. Pinterest users are likely to share timely DIY guides, recipes, and fun visual content.
Even though tons of strategic thought goes into the creative content plan at Buzzfeed, there are 5 very simple categories that they have identified as highly shareable:
Inspiration
Identity
Humor
Nostalgia
Animals
All these categories have something in common. It’s that no one is going to think worse of you for posting it. The understanding that the content in these categories is “safe” is why users are comfortable to recommend it to others via their public profiles.
Not convinced? Buzzfeed sees more than 130 million unique visitors each month primarily from social referrals, boasting content titled: “What Kind Of Cookie Are You?” and “The 17 Places Your Dog Loves Most”. The internet is getting content-crazy and Buzzfeed is here to keep it simple, light, and entertaining.
So remember, the next time you’re creating high-level brain-numbing content for your blog or webpage, take a few tips from buzzfeed. Keep it simple, inspire your audience to be great, or just make them laugh.
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