We are surrounded by content. It is everywhere, all over our social networks. But we are never satisfied, we always want more.
But how do we decide to share something over something else? What is it that really grabs our attention and share the motives behind sharing?
Also Read: 2015 Social Media Traffic Trends From The Bitly Index [Infographic]
Gone are the days when you stumbled upon an interesting post and just shared it with no second thought. Most of us are now more reserved when it comes to sharing a post: it has to fit it into our standards of what makes a post really shareable.
We don’t all have the same thoughts before sharing a post, but as a general consensus, people tend to share a post as a way to:
- – inform others (and show that they’re up-to-date)
- – define their identity through sharing
- – maintain (and build) relationships
- – feel involved in the world (posting something that will gain likes or increase their social status)
- – support a cause they care about
- – feel (socially) connected
- – brag about themselves (from a habit to an achievement)
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Social posting usually comes with an expected acceptance among our friends, which leads to a bigger question:
[quote]Do we really post what we like, or do we only post what our friends like?[/quote]
There is sometimes a feeling of self-censorship that derives from the analysis of our audience. Although this may turn out to be a common phenomenon, it’s time to remind ourselves that we are responsible for what we’re sharing.
If you like what you’re sharing, what’s the reason to think of the outcome of the share (and the number of likes)? Isn’t it time to be yourself and also reflect it upon the content you’re sharing?
No more self-fulfilment through others’ validation, let’s stay authentic!
If you like our stories, there is an easy way to stay updated:
Follow @wersm
If you like it more visual, here is an interesting infographic created by CoSchedule.
Read next: The Simple Secret Behind Getting Your Content Shared
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