Do your blog posts look a bit awkward when you share them on social media? If so, then you must know how negatively that affects your following! Unattractive links can be deemed “suspicious” or “insecure” to many of your potential visitors. So, why does this happen? More importantly, how can you get your shared blog posts to look a bit more appealing to your audience?
It’s precisely what we’ll discuss in this article, so keep reading for more insight on the topic!
Ensure you set a powerful title
Making your title as interesting as possible is of the utmost importance for successfully promoting your blog on social media. Make sure it’s straight to the point, but don’t forget to add a bit of “spiciness” to it while you’re at it! Be as creative as you want, but never make it boring. It should reflect your message in all of its entirety while still evoking the need for additional information in everyone who reads it.
If your social media campaign hasn’t been as successful as you wanted it to be, we suggest you review your titles. Your blog will undoubtedly benefit from it, and it will take you less than 10 minutes to do it!
Stay away from clickbait-type articles
If you want your blog to be a success, you shouldn’t use clickbait titles too often. While this may get you some quick traffic, it won’t do much for you in the long run. In fact, it might even be damaging for your reputation as a blogger. Nobody likes clickbait content, as it only leads to a disappointing result at the end. So, don’t title your shared blog posts something too “bombastic” or “sensational”: it’s a two-edged sword.
Besides, being a blogger is more than just generating articles every day. Putting real thought into every single detail of your post (including the URL) is the only way to succeed as a blogger in 2024.
Add an engaging photo to the mix
People are more likely to click on your link if it includes an eye-catching photo. It should “capture” the essence of your message, while still being of high-quality resolution. Setting the link image can be done with a few lines of code (via meta-tags) or using the social media platform’s built-in features (depending on where you’re sharing your blog post). You can check this webpage for an in-depth explanation of meta tags and their usage. It’s nothing too complicated, but it’s still essential for creating a functional blog website. Therefore, make sure to take a couple of minutes to learn about it, and do it as quickly as possible!
Overall, make sure the photo inside of your link conveys your message properly, and choose something that will make your readers want to see more of your blog! If you’re taking your pictures yourself, ensure that the image size and resolution are suitable. Otherwise, credit the photographer somewhere on your website or make use of stock photos at websites like pixabay and freepik.
Facebook sharing
As we have mentioned before, every social platform has different ways of optimizing your shared posts. Facebook is no different. To be able to do this on Facebook, you’ll need to get accustomed to the OG metatags first (Facebook’s Open Graph meta tags). You can find everything you need to know on their official For Developers page. Once you do, make sure to update your HTML code so it fits Facebook’s guidelines and you’ll be able to make visually appealing shared blog posts!
Besides that, make sure to optimize the images as well! Facebook recommends at least 1080 px in width for the best results on high-resolution devices. The minimal dimensions that Facebook accepts are 600 x 600 px. You can find many useful URL debuggers for Facebook online, so check them out while you’re at it. It will help you get more comfortable with URL optimization on the platform.
Twitter cards
The 280 character limit used to be a nightmare for every Twitter link-sharing poster. As you already know, URLs can take up too much of your input space, which is not ideal for getting your entire message out there. Luckily for all of us, Twitter came up with an excellent solution called “Twitter cards”. Your URL will be automatically shortened, letting you fit more content into your posts. Optimizing these cards is also incredibly simple: all you need to do is alter your HTML a little bit. You can find examples and guides on how to do this everywhere online, and it will only take you a couple of minutes to get it all set up.
You can also use their Card Validator to preview your posts before they’re on your profile. Use this feature to your advantage, and you’ll have a beautiful twitter card in no time whatsoever!
Don’t forget about Google+
While Google+ isn’t exactly the most popular social network out there, posting your content on there can provide you with some exclusive benefits. Google+ shares are searchable by everyone on the web, which provides you with some free search engine optimization. It’s Google’s way of promoting their own social platform, and it’s also something you can use to your advantage with ease.
You can customize and create your entire post via the button creator, so everything is extremely straightforward. Lastly, if you’d like to get your code optimized for Google+ services, check out their Developers tutorial. Whatever you do, make sure not to underestimate the importance of Google+ for modern digital marketing and web sharing campaigns.
The bottom line
Improving the looks of your shared blog posts is quite simple. Every social media platform comes with its own meta tags, built-in features, and valuable tutorials to help you get started. Besides that, make sure to pay attention to your image files, and keep your content as engaging as possible.
While “you should never judge a book by its cover” a shared blog post that looks unappealing is simply not effective. Use the tricks and tips provided in this article to make your posts a bit more attractive, and you’ll undoubtedly see an increase in traffic on your webpage!