Social sharing shapes that work

Every tip on influencerTips suggests the same three lines. It is a good default when you are not sure where to start.

The three lines

1. The standing thing. One line of context.
2. One specific thing, today. Named and real.
3. The admission. Short, on its own line. This is the bit that travels.

Where it comes from

It is the shape of my most-read post on LinkedIn. Nearly 96,000 people saw it, 397 reacted and 44 commented. Most of my posts are seen by about 230 people.

Here it is, without the technical details:

The more I use a new tool, the more I learn from what it suggests.
I've only been doing this for about 40 years and I still love learning something new.
For example, today I'm trying a new way of working so I can get on with one job while another is waiting for approval.
Never done this before.
Always awesome to learn something new.

• The standing thing. "The more I use a new tool, the more I learn from what it suggests."
• One specific thing, today. "For example, today I'm trying a new way of working so I can get on with one job while another is waiting for approval."
• The admission. "Never done this before."

Why it works

The admission is the line people remember. Across 40 of my posts, the ones that admitted something did better than the ones that told people what to think.

I have noticed that when I post like this I get more engagement. Not always nearly 100,000 views, but these posts tend to get comments. Comments help a post get shown to more people on social media, so more people have a look.

It is a default, not a rule. If your answer wants a different shape, use it.

Not sure what to post? Pick from the big list of ideas →