Why How to Make a Post Shareable Is Not About the Algorithm Anymore

Stop obsessing over the "best time to post" on a Tuesday. Honestly, it doesn't matter if you drop your content at 9:00 AM or midnight if the actual substance of that content is boring. We’ve all seen those robotic, corporate updates that get zero traction. Then, some random person posts a blurry photo with a caption that hits you right in the chest, and it’s everywhere by lunch. That's the core of how to make a post shareable in a world where everyone is screaming for attention.

Shareability isn't some secret lines of code. It's psychology.

When someone hits that share button, they aren't doing it to help you. They’re doing it to signal something about themselves. Jonah Berger, a professor at the Wharton School and author of Contagious, calls this "social currency." Basically, we share things that make us look smart, funny, or "in the know." If your post doesn't provide that currency, it's going to rot in the feed.

The Discoverability Problem: Google Discover vs. Social Feeds

If you want to rank on Google, you need keywords. But if you want to land in Google Discover—that highly coveted feed on the home screen of millions of smartphones—you need engagement. Discover is a different beast entirely. It doesn't care as much about what people are searching for; it cares about what people are reacting to.

Google’s own documentation on Discover emphasizes high-quality images and content that provides a unique take on current interests. This isn't just about SEO. It's about "click-worthiness" without the "clickbait" stench. You have to find the bridge between search intent and emotional resonance.

Think about the last thing you shared. Was it a dry list of facts? Probably not. It was likely a "wow" moment or a "finally, someone said it" realization. To master how to make a post shareable, you have to stop writing for bots and start writing for the person who is scrolling while waiting for their coffee to brew.

Emotion is the Engine of the Share

High-arousal emotions are the holy grail. Research from the Journal of Marketing Research found that content that evokes "awe" is significantly more likely to go viral than content that is just "pleasant." But here’s the kicker: negative emotions work too, but only certain ones.

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Anger and anxiety? Very shareable. They get people fired up. Sadness? Not so much. Sadness is a "low-arousal" emotion; it makes people want to retreat, not reach out. This is why "outrage culture" is so prevalent. While I wouldn't recommend being a jerk for the sake of views, you do need to take a stand. Neutrality is the death of shareability. If you’re trying to please everyone, you’ll end up interesting to no one.

Let's look at a real-world example: the "Dumb Ways to Die" campaign. It was a safety message for trains in Melbourne. Instead of a boring PSA, they made a catchy, hilarious, and slightly dark song. It worked because it was unexpected and funny. It gave people a reason to say, "You have to see this."

Visuals That Stop the Scroll

You can't talk about shareability without mentioning the "eye-tracking" factor. Nielsen Norman Group has been studying this for years. People scan in an F-pattern, but on mobile, that's changing to a more focused "center-of-the-screen" gaze.

• Use high-resolution, original imagery.
• Avoid stock photos of people in suits shaking hands. Everyone hates those.
• Use "alt text" not just for accessibility, but to give context to the AI that categorizes your images.

A 1200x630 pixel image is the standard for social sharing, but for Google Discover, you really want images that are at least 1200 pixels wide. This is a technical requirement that many creators miss. If your image is too small, Google simply won't feature you in the large-image card format, which is where the bulk of the traffic lives.

The "Social Currency" Framework

If you want to understand how to make a post shareable, you have to look at what the sharer gets out of the deal.

1. The Expert Status: "I found this super niche thing, and now you know I’m smart for finding it."
2. The Tribal Signal: "I belong to this group, and this post proves our point."
3. The Helper: "This is so useful that I’d be doing my friends a disservice by not sharing it."

Most business content fails because it's selfish. It's "Look at our new product" or "We won an award." Nobody cares. Instead, try "Here is how our new product solves the annoying problem you deal with every morning at 8:00 AM." See the difference? One is about the company; the other is about the user and their peers.

Why Your Headlines Are Killing Your Reach

Writing a headline is an art form that people treat like an afterthought. You spend ten hours on the article and ten seconds on the title. Big mistake.

The "curiosity gap" is a real thing. It’s that space between what we know and what we want to know. Upworthy famously used this to explode their traffic, but the internet eventually got tired of "You won't believe what happened next." Nowadays, people want clarity mixed with a hook.

Instead of: "Ten Tips for Better Sleep."
Try: "The One Habit I Quit to Finally Stop Being Tired."

The second one is personal. It’s a story. It’s relatable. It’s shareable.

The Technical Side of Shareability

Don't ignore the plumbing. If your site takes five seconds to load, no one is sharing anything because they’ve already bounced back to TikTok.

• Open Graph Tags: These tell Facebook and LinkedIn what image and title to show. If these aren't set up, your share will look like a broken link.
• Twitter Cards: Same thing for X.
• Schema Markup: This helps Google understand the "entity" of your content. Use "Article" or "NewsArticle" schema to give yourself a leg up in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages).

I've seen incredible pieces of journalism fail to gain traction simply because the "Share" buttons were buried at the bottom of the page behind a wall of ads. Make it easy. If someone has to work to share your content, they won't do it.

The Power of the "First Comment"

On platforms like LinkedIn or Facebook, the algorithm often throttles posts that contain external links. A common tactic is to post your content as text/image and put the link in the first comment. But there’s a better way: "The Edit."

Post your content without a link. Wait ten minutes for the algorithm to start pushing it to your followers. Then, edit the post to include the link. This often bypasses the "link penalty" while still getting your traffic where it needs to go. Is it a bit "kinda" hacky? Maybe. Does it work? Absolutely.

Actionable Steps for Viral Potential

Building a shareable post is a process, not a fluke. You have to be intentional.

First, identify your "hook." What is the one sentence in your article that makes people stop? If you can't find it, you haven't written it yet. This is often the "counter-intuitive" take. If everyone is saying "A," you should explain why "B" might actually be the truth.

Second, optimize for mobile. This sounds obvious, but go look at your site on a five-year-old Android phone. Is the text readable? Are the buttons huge? Most shares happen on mobile devices while people are "in-between" tasks. If your site is a clunky mess, you're dead in the water.

Third, use "Social Proof." If people see that others have already shared or commented, they are much more likely to join in. This is why the first 60 minutes of a post's life are so critical. Tag people you mentioned. Send the link to a few colleagues. Get the ball rolling manually.

Finally, remember that Google Discover and search rankings are a marathon, not a sprint. Consistency tells the AI that you are a reliable source of information.

Next Steps for Your Content Strategy:

1. Audit your last five posts. Ask yourself: "If I didn't write this, would I share it to look cool or helpful?" If the answer is no, you need to rethink your angle.
2. Install a "Heatmap" tool. See where people are stopping on your page. If they aren't reaching your share buttons, move them up.
3. Update your Meta Tags. Ensure every post has a dedicated "social image" that is different from your "blog header" image. The social image should be designed specifically to look good in a feed.
4. Rewrite your headlines. Take your next three articles and write 20 different headlines for each. By the time you get to number 15, you'll start getting to the actually creative stuff.
5. Focus on "Awe" or "Utility." Every post should either make someone say "Wow" or "This saves me twenty minutes." Anything in the middle is just noise.