21 Types Of Content That Audiences Like To Share (Are you creating any of these?)

It’s easy to get overwhelmed as a content creator.  Unless we stay away from our computers & phone then every day we are inundated with content from all sides.  

Logically we assume, if there is so much content out there, then how is my content going to get seen.
By applying a little bit of pre-planning, you will greatly increase your odds. 

The benefit of having so much content produced is that we also have a lot of data available about what works and what doesn’t.

Content creators which use case study’s, research & data tools to their advantage will win in today’s content marketing world. 
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Check through this list and see how many of these content types you create on your blog. 
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1. Quiz Results

Sharing a result like “I am 65% left brain and 35% right brain”, is a piece of information you will be proud about and which connects you with your friends & family.  It opens up a conversation & will very likely get them to try the quiz too. There are tons of quiz building tools out there.

www.tryinteract.com/ is a tool I tried for several months, they have tons of templates and it's very easy to use.  


2. Secret information 

Placing “Don’t share this” at the beginning of your content usually has the opposite effect. This is why secret bars & restaurants become so popular so fast. 

Credit thrillist.com for image

And the reason many platforms start on an invite-only basis.   

The idea that you have information or access that someone else doesn't, is powerful and it is very difficult not to share that. 

3. Book Reviews & Summaries

I’d like us to start creating content on this.  Not only will it encourage me to read more, but it is very useful for our audience to access summaries of books they don’t have time to read. 

It’s a win, win, you get more knowledge, your audience gets content they love to share.   Tai Lopez built a lot of his audience on this premise, as have many other successful entrepreneurs. 

4. Research & Original Data

Carrying out small surveys and sharing the data makes high-value content. Neville from Kopy Course does this really well. He creates mini-experiments on a topic and then shares the results. Check out his latest: Do Tattoos Affect How People View You In The Workplace. 

5. How to’s

As human beings, we are obsessed with learning about the quickest way to get the result we want. 

Searching “How to XXXX” is a route many of us take before carrying out any task.  How to lists make great evergreen content which can be updated over time. 

Just make sure that you don’t change the URL when you update the post and insert a small piece of text at the top saying “post updated XXX” to alert Google to the freshness of your content. 

6. Infographics

No doubt you are probably rolling your eyes at this one. Sure, they have been around for a long, long time. I've included infographics because well thought out and high-quality infographics still work.   

​Infographics are really easy to consumer & share.  Just make sure that your infographic focuses on data visualization or telling a story in a unique way (like above).  It is more than grouping a bunch of icons in one space. 

7. Big Lists

Lists, like this make fantastic pillar posts - posts which over time can gather many social shares and links. If put together well, with solid advice, pictures and resource links then you’ll find them to be a very popular type of content to create.

Research your topic and find out the size of list your competitors have created - then double it. You can even reach out to the people who have linked to those previous links with your updated & improved version to see if they will link to yours instead.

8. Life Updates

Everyone has a different stance on how much of their personal life they like to share. But one thing is clear, audiences like life updates. 

Announcing your wedding, a new baby, a move to a new country etc is a way to connect with your audience on a human level.

Most people have experienced these types of life events and so you have the opportunity to engage & connect with a huge chunk of your audience. 


9. Long Form Content

In my opinion, this type of content is getting kind of ridiculous now. It started off that 1,500 - 2000 words were long form. Several years later with so many people competing, some blogs are writing posts the size of mini e-books. 

My advice with this form of content is don’t go overboard. Cover your topic comprehensively, but be careful about going over 5000 words.  You are still writing for your audience so make sure you are delivering the information in the best way. 

10. Statistics

People like to share statistics that back up their own beliefs. If there is new research released in your industry, create a visual post highlighting the statistics from the study in image format.

Share this post on social media with the images embedded and watch your share count rise.   

11. Quotes

Everyone enjoys reading an inspirational quote.  Well, we think so, which is why we have our quote of the month featured on the footer of Ginger Marketing website & email signature. 

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​We also share a lot of quotes on our Instagram too.  Grouping together some inspirational quotes on a given topic can make a great post.   

This post, for example, takes the topic of stoicism (which I’m also a big fan of) and applies it to sales using a quote format. 


12. Trending Content

A great way to get shares is to capitalize on already trending topics. Check twitter for trending hashtags, or check Facebook trends for what’s hot at the moment. 

Find a way to add value to the conversation and QUICKLY create a post on it. 

Speed is the key here! You need to get your post up & published stat to enjoy the rewards of this type of content. Check here for more info on how to find trending topics on social media.

13. Image Quotes

Posts grouping quotes as images do really well and are easily share through social media channels.  Make sure they are on brand and sized correctly for Instagram & share them there too.

You could post one image per day with a call to action to click on the link in the bio to see the rest of the quotes. 


14. Lifestyle Photos & Videos

If you are a digital nomad working from exotic locations take advantage of that.  Producing original content about the life you have created for yourself inspires others to do the same & is very shareable. Videos like this can pick up millions of views and thousands of shares.  

(note, make sure sharing content like this aligns with your own values first & is a true representation - in my opinion some of these videos about traveling & growing a business can be overly optimistic & make other people feel as if they have not “made it” or are not successful.

This is from personal experience being a digital nomad & growing a remote business.  So, be careful on this one that you are sharing with integrity.  If you have created your dream life, you owe it to other people to explain exactly how you got there because they will likely tred a similar path)

15. Coupons & Money Off Deals

Everyone likes to save money and many people like to pass on those savings. You will find that coupons and money off deals get shared if you put a simple call to action & make it easy for your audience to do so. 

16. Content which makes them go AWWW

It’s pretty much impossible not to share videos of cute fluffy cats, especially if your friend loves cute fluffy cats. 

The idea that you have information or access that someone else doesnt is powerful and it is very difficult not to share that.

​17. Content which makes them go WTF

On the flip side, people like to share content which shocks them or is totally unbelievable. When sharing this type of content the person sharing has the upper hand. 

They have seen something really amazing that the other person hasn’t seen. When you have a dynamic of power like this, sharing is on the cards.

18. Emotionally Charged Images

This is a sensitive form of content creation and so should only be used for certain types of institutions.  I.e. charities of government bodies who need to deliver a serious message.  Images like these (careful, these are upsetting)  can travel around the entire world and cause real positive change. 

They cut straight through to us and cause severe emotional reactions which put us into action.   We are likely to share these images with those closest to us because we want someone else to speak to about what has happened.

19. Content with more Images

The more images you place in your content, the more likely it will be shared (in general).  Ideally, place an image every 250 - 300 words. 

A helpful tip, the space underneath the image is prime estate, something I learned from Ogilvy - one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. 

Readers naturally look below the image, use this space to write a caption or to pass over some important information about the topic (don't use the space underneath to give credit).


20. Content with a tweet this button embedded

Making it easier to share your content means that people inevitably will.  Tweet this buttons are super easy to embed now, make use of them & watch your share count increase. Free traffic - yay!

21. Content shared via an influencer

Influencers have an engaged audience who like to consume the content they share.  If you have friends in the blogging space, make sure you share your content with them! A tweet, email or Facebook share from them could create a huge boost in free traffic. 

We hope this list has been helpful and sparked some ideas! Have some more content types to add? Let us know in the comments below.