To be totally honest, I made up the statistic in the title. In fact, I have no idea what the actual percentage is of people who share articles without reading them. Although, I did try to find that stat... But, the actual number doesn't really change the purpose of my article.
My personal opinion is that too many people share articles on Twitter, and other social media sites, too much. They share to get reciprocal shares, they share to be "relevant" or "popular", they share because they have nothing else to say. That may sound harsh, but I'm sorry, this is my blog, and my place to share my opinion.
You might think I'm crazy, but I actually read every post that I share to every one of my social media sites. Disclaimer here, on the rare occasion, when it's a blogger or author that I inherently trust, I may not actually read the whole article. I may just skim it to make sure it's relevant and then share it. But I never share blindly to any of my social media sites.
Like I said, you might think I'm crazy. But I have made a commitment to you, my audience, to ensure that I always give you my best - the best of my responses, the best of my time, the best of my own blogs, and the best of the articles out there. I honestly want you to learn to be successful at social media. And if I'm consistently bombarding you on Twitter with irrelevant articles and poorly written pieces, why should you trust me anymore?
And, let's face it, not everyone shares my opinions. If I'm posting about doing A or making sure you use B, why would I share articles that directly contradict those opinions? I don't need to create confusion and more arguments by constantly sharing posts that advise you to do the opposite of what I recommend. I want to make things easier for you and sending conflicting messages does not achieve that goal.
So, as a result, I am very picky about what I share. And, as you are probably aware, this doesn't mean for lack of sharing. You can check any of my regular social media accounts and see the plethora of articles that I share daily. But I promise you that every article I share, I share because I think it will be of value to you.
I have received a few comments from bloggers on Triberr lately who want to know why I'm not sharing their articles. And it's simple. It's because their niche topics have nothing to do with my general audience. We happen to be in the same tribe on Triberr so I see their posts. But I'm not going to click blindly to approve every article in my stream. If I did that, my Twitter feed would incessantly pour out posts about beauty products, childhood diseases, real estate, parenting advice, outdoor activities, and a slew of other topics.
While I appreciate these bloggers and their desire to get their blogs more exposure, why are they in marketing tribes? If your content doesn't resonate with my audience, I'm not going to share it. Just like, if my content doesn't resonate with your audience, I don't expect you to share it either.
There are so many people who just blindly share their content for whatever purpose they deem justifiable. And if you're one of those people, that's fine. If you find value in it and you get benefits from it, I'm not going to sit here telling you to stop.
But, I think we should all be vigilant in who we trust online. If I know someone posts blindly to social media on a regular basis, I am less likely to click on their links for a couple of reasons. First of all, I know that frequently, the content will have nothing to do with what I'm interested in. Secondly, I don't know if I can trust the link. I don't know where that link is going to take me and if it's even a real post.
But, when I see posts from those people I trust, I almost always open the links. Because I know that they've taken the time to read, validate, and find value in that post. And, if it was valuable to them, I will likely find the same.
So, I ask you, are you one who shares blindly or do you read everything you share? Or do you fall somewhere in the middle? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!
Thanks for taking the time to write this as it’s something I’ve considered writing as well and I couldn’t agree with you more.
For everything I share within my social networks I have taken the time to read it, to ensure it will be of some use to the network I am sharing it to and if it won’t be then I simply don’t share it. I spend the first hour of my mornings just reading and catching up on great blog posts so that I can then share these throughout the day with my friends and followers.
The only time I go off tangent would be with my own personal twitter account where I share a good majority of social media but as a hockey addict and father I also share and engage in hockey and parenting topics but I do warn my followers of that beforehand.
Thanks Chad! I’m glad you liked and agreed with the perspective of this article. I think it’s great that you read everything you share as well and that you take time each day to read. I’m sure your audience is grateful for the time and energy you put into sharing valuable (and hockey-related) content with them! I think those side tangents are great – they are what make you, “you”.
Great post! I’ve had people ask me if I really read all the posts that I share, and it’s funny because I do. Like you, if there’s a post from someone I trust, I may skim it and schedule it in Hootsuite, but then I add it to my Instapaper account, and each night I catch up on the rest of the blog while I’m running my kids to their activities. I have often wondered what the % is though of those who just share to share! That would be an interesting research project! Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! 🙂
Thanks Amy! I seriously tried to dig up that stat but couldn’t find anything on it. Maybe we could do an unofficial poll…. 😉
I am glad to hear, though not surprised, that you read everything too! I’m sure your audience appreciates it.
OMG yes! Yes yes! It drives me crazy when I see people say “RTs do not indicate endorsement”–not because I think you should only RT stuff you agree with, but because to me that means they’re not really reading it. I think you should read the whole thing if you’re gonna RT, and–while I have to admit I don’t do this every time–I think ideally you should reply to the person who first posted it with a thought about it, to show you actually read it and, like, have a brain and then quote the tweet and add your thoughts. [/soapbox]
Thanks Kimberly! Can I join you up there on that soapbox? 😉
You bring up a great point about RTs not equaling endorsements too. That is so true – if I don’t endorse it, I don’t tweet it! Not to mention, no one actually reads your profile after the first time they check your account so that statement isn’t going to be on the minds of people reading your tweets. Therefore, they’re going to think you endorse it because you tweeted it!
Right? Twitter is all about trust and relationships. If you RT something, it’s like you saying it. Basically. SO if you don’t believe it/endorse it/whatever, that means you’re…LYING to me!!! O.o You wanna do that kinda stuff, take it to some other platform where I don’t inherently trust you as much. Like G+. hehehe JK JK (don’t wanna make Big Searcher mad)! 🙂
Haha Kim! You don’t want to make my G+ loving readers mad either… 😉
I have to admit, I expect every type of sharer on Twitter – it’s gotten so big and tweets are shared with such velocity that you have to expect people to be all different varieties. It’s up to us to know who we can trust and rely upon. That’s why I love Twitter lists! They allow me to group everyone I follow into key lists so that I can focus my reading.
Sometimes I create goofy headlines just to see if more of my content is shared.
OMG, Josh, that’s just funny! Do you notice a change in the amount of shares?
Yes I do.
I would have shared without reading, but your title was interesting so I clicked and read.
I don’t have a problem with reciprocal shares. In fact, I believe in them very much. My blog has the traffic it does because of reciprocal shares. I’ve gathered scores of clients because of reciprocal shares. They wouldn’t have seen the promotional opportunity I was offering if they didn’t see a tweet from someone else. Did that person read my blog? I doubt it, and I don’t care.
There’s nothing wrong with choosing a share style to protect your brand. However, I’m not going to judge my audience and decide what they should read and shouldn’t. I therefore share just about everything. And you know what? Things that I would not have shared because they don’t match my personal interests get retweeted and commented on all the time. If you have enough followers, just about every tweet has value. Someone will like it.
And I’m not hurting because of the amount that I share, or at least not hurting enough that I care to stop it. If I stopped it, I wouldn’t be where I’m at today. I have over 20,000 followers on Twitter and the number grows everyday. Sure, some may leave because there are too many tweets, but that number is extremely low. My Alexa ranking for the blog is below 200K at the moment (though it does tend to fluctuate). Hundreds of people visit the site everyday. Most of those are from reciprocal shares.
This attitude about only sharing what you personally find interesting or of value is common, especially on Triberr. However, I’ve seen people on Triberr complain about not getting shares or their traffic isn’t improved much. Well, yeah, they only share a dozen posts a week. No wonder they aren’t getting shares and aren’t seeing a boost in traffic. Gotta give to get in this case. Not that one has to share 600+ times a week, but you have to share at a certain level to see results from reciprocal sharing. Few people are interested in sharing your stuff without a return share.
Thanks for your input, Mark. It sounds like reciprocal sharing is working for you, and that’s great. If your audience is used to this behavior and it serves you well, then who am I, or anyone else, to tell you to stop. I will agree with your point that the larger your audience, the more a diverse range of topics will be of value. With 20,000 Twitter followers, I’m sure someone will appreciate nearly every topic you could share or post.
That being said, I think we should all share off-the-wall, interesting, unusual, or other types of posts outside our normal niche. I think this keeps things fresh, interesting, and engaging. I choose, however, to still be selective in these types of shares and ensure that I read each post that I share. And the reason I do this was recently brought to light when I read an article about how social media can benefit female-owned businesses. To be fair, this was on LinkedIn, not Triberr, but the article sounded interesting and valuable. However, after reading the first portion, it was degrading, demeaning, and thoroughly disrespectful to women. It was written by someone from another country with a different perspective on females and how they run businesses. I would never want to share this blindly with my audience and have them think I endorse the tone and conduct displayed in this article. I was so glad I read this before just clicking “share”.
I do agree with you that a lot of people on Triberr complain about the shares they receive and they want more shares. As you said, they can write more and get more shares that way. Or they can join more tribes and expand their reach to get more shares. Or they can find other sites to share to as well. Or they can work on improving their grammar, content, and layout to be more esthetically pleasing. There are plenty of things we can all do to get more traffic.
My feeling with Triberr and other sites is that we should share how we want. If you want to share everything, go for it, but don’t expect the same in return. If you want to share selectively, do it. Either way, people are sharing your posts and generating more traffic for you. Triberr is great for all of us no matter how you look at it. 5 new visitors is still 5 new visitors.
First, great blog post and all great points! I have to say that it’s a matter of trust for me as well Jenn. I do read as much as I can, as I have the interests of my biz and the interests of my Clients in my hands. My Clients trust me to research, create content and post, and respond to comments on their respective Fan pages. So, if I am putting something out there that is contrary their values or mine, I’ll have a pretty irate Customer. Respective to your comment about articles, I find the same to be true for video as well. The beginning of a video can look fine, only to find an “F” bomb or some other obnoxious comment or situation interlaced somewhere in the video. Using something without knowing it’s content, is like eating something without knowing it’s ingredients. Both will make me sick and probably you as well. Again great post! Thanks!
Thanks Michael! And, yes, you bring up an excellent point about videos! It’s so easy to listen to the first few minutes, think it sounds good and valuable and click share. But without knowing what else is in that video, you leave yourself open to something like inappropriate language or discussion. Thanks for bringing this into the discussion!
A tweet brought me here, and of course I read your excellent post. I pretty much read everything (80%+ of an article) before sharing because I need to believe in what I’m sharing. It’s my reputation if I endorse something that I shouldn’t have.
The ones that you refer to as blindly sharing are those who believe that you get ahead by pushing buttons, and by following the crowd, without any feelings for the author or the recipient. I think a portion of the world (or the US) is turning into robots the past decade, in that they don’t listen (or read) anymore. They skim over everything and think they know the answer before hearing the question. Listening is becoming a lost art, (I think partly due to so many people now on prescription medications).
Well that’s my take on the subject!
Hi Donna! Welcome to the blog and thank you for your comments! You do bring up an interesting point about not reading and listening anymore. We are all caught up in a busy world with countless distractions and we want everything immediately. Whether it’s an answer to a question or the solution to a problem, we want it now! We do need to learn to slow down, read, listen, and digest the information around us before rushing to judgments and actions.
I’m happy to hear that you read so much of the information you share as well! Keep up the good work.
Hi Jenn,
Thank you for your reply. Yea I notice those things a lot actually. It’s all through society that we should get everything in a hurry. Drive through windows for prescriptions and meals (not that they are bad, but they are some of the little things that train our subconscious to needing or wanting everything fast).
The one that gets me though is when I see food advertised as “Grab and Go.” My parents taught me that grabbing for things, especially food, was bad manners and now it’s a way of life.
These subtle things adjust society’s consciousness to losing touch or feelings for others. For some people, everything is becoming a blur because they don’t slow down.
Jen, I can honestly say I read everything I share. I can just as honestly say that I read many things that, while I enjoy them and find personal satisfaction or information from them, I do not share. Many times I will leave a comment with the author, but that does not mean I consider it “share worthy”. My decision to not share is not a direct attack on the quality of the content in any way. It simply means it does not fit in with my message or what I want to say to my readers. I do, occasionally, post off-topic, but that is when I think it is something entertaining or very interesting (and those posts are often made on weekends).
I think you have every right, and even an obligation, to only share what fits in with what you want “out there” about you and your company!
Thanks Kim! You’re right, it’s your reputation out there and you should share what you want to. If it’s not something you would talk about or engage with offline, why should you share it online? Comparatively, if you’re comfortable sharing tons of varietal content and that represents you and your brand/reputation, then why shouldn’t you?
I am like you, though Kim, and I want to create a certain representation of me and my brand. So I share what depicts and enhances that. And for me, that means being selective in what I share. You are also really good at this and all of the posts you share have direct value to your audience. I know I appreciate the information you share and I know that if you’ve shared it, it will be quality information that will be of value to me.
Wow. Thanks! The feeling is mutual! #grouplove #nottheband
Thanks Jenn! I knew you “got me”!
THis is so helpful Jenn!
Here is why:
1. It helps me understand why my stuff isn’t being shared. As Kimberly points of it might not be that the content isn’t good (which i assumed they thought) just doesn’t fit.
2. Helps me realize i have to be a consistent brand online. My followers follow me to hear about communication in relationships, not for beauty tips or workout advice.
Hmmmm maybe I should write a post on how to decline a share request. Jenn, now you’re giving me blog post ideas!
Thanks!
Yay! I owe you at least one blog post idea after all you’ve given me, Julia! 🙂
I’m so glad you found this helpful though. I have some posts that get a lot of conversation/comments but few shares. It doesn’t mean that they didn’t like it or find value in it, it just means it served a different purpose than some of my other posts. In all reality, not all of our posts are meant to be shared. Some posts I write purely for my blog and social media audiences. If they get shared, great, but most of the people who read those shared posts don’t have the background to really understand the message or story behind the post.
If you keep working on producing quality, consistent posts, you will get the shares. It doesn’t happen overnight and some people’s success takes longer than others. It doesn’t mean one is better than the other. It just means you have a different audience and a different lane of traffic. If every blogger had 100,000 views a month, no one would ever have time to do anything but read all day! Measure your success based on your goals and your audience. Keeping that focus will lead to success beyond what you could have imagined!
Great article Jenn. I dedicate time to searching for and selecting the right articles for my audience (as I’m doing right now). I find I learn something new in the process myself through the articles, blogs and research I read.
Daniel Sharkov wrote an excellent article based on research called “Why You Won’t Finish this Article or How People Read Blogs [Research]” You may find this compliments your initial question.
Daniels article can be found at:
http://www.reviewzntips.com/how-people-read-articles-online/
I spend a minimum of 2-3 hours a day researching the right content for my audience, nice to see others doing the same 🙂
Thanks Jason! You bring up an excellent point about learning! We learn by reading other’s posts. I certainly don’t claim to know everything (how boring would that be?) and I learn something literally every day by reading new posts. Then, when I find posts that are educational and valuable to me, I can assume that they will be equally valuable to my audience.
Thanks for sharing Daniel’s article here. I have read that one before and it does bring up some excellent points about people’s online reading behavior. I definitely recommend others read his post as well!
And good for you for spending that much time reading and researching! Keep it up. I know I appreciate the posts you share and I’m sure the rest of your audience does as well.
Thanks Jenn, good to see you know Daniel’s work.
I have noticed one huge difference since you moved Jenn’s Trends to self-hosted – the number of comments! 🙂
Yes, I really enjoy Daniel’s blog. He’s actually one of the ones I tried to model my blog after because I really liked his layout, content, information, conversation, etc.
And, yes, I think there’s been a lot more comments since going self-hosted! I had a feeling this one would generate conversation but it’s still kinda crazy!
Great point about Triberr, Jenn. My stream is flooded with non-relavent posts. I join fitness related tribes and see posts for all kinds of crazy stuff. I hate to hurt their feelings, but those non-relavent folks are on mute.
Right, Stephen?! I have to admit that there are a few people who I just automatically skip. I’ve read/skimmed enough of their stuff to know it’s not of relevance to what I choose to share with my audience. Sometimes you have to wonder why they joined certain tribes. I think they join any tribe that will have them just so that they can get more shares.
That being said, I always love seeing new tribe members come in. I love finding new bloggers to follow and support with shares. I have met amazing people through Triberr and I think it’s provided so much value to so many people.
Oh Gawd… I completely agree. I, like a lot of people, signed up on various sharing platforms thinking I would give my readers interesting content when I didn’t really have anything important to say.
I shared blindly… and with gusto – never really looking at what I was passing along.
August, I started previewing what I was sharing… non-stop sponsored posts, blatant praises for products I’d never use, ranting tirades about practices I don’t endorse.
I was embarrassed for my readers that I’d subjected them to that onslaught, and humiliated that I’d let myself be taken in by the promise of relevant material.
I’ve since scrapped every tribe on Triberr, and severed ties with all those other sharing platforms. I’m taking a sabbatical to sort things out… I’ll be smarter the next time around.
Wow Toby! But it is good that you were able to see what happened and look to correct it. To be honest, I love Triberr and a lot of the bloggers that share their content on that site. Some of my top posts every week come from posts I read on Triberr. It’s a great platform with enormous potential. But, like most things in life and social media, it’s up to us to know how we want to use the tools we have. For me, it’s about reading and being selective in what I share. Also, just because I share something to Twitter doesn’t mean I’ll share it to my other sites. It depends on my audience and the value of the article.
I hope that your sabbatical serves you well and that you come back to Triberr soon. I’m sure you’ll do great the next time around!
Totally with you on this, Jenn! If it’s not relevant, why Tweet or share it? I hate having to sort through a bunch of unrelated posts or tweets on someone elses account to find one that’s relevant to what the blog or site is supposed to be about. Why would my blog readers want to do that either? I read each and every thing I share. If it’s related to my blog, I share it on the blogs various social accounts. If it’s not related but still interests me and is share-worthy, then I send it to my personal pages. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks Marcia! I think you’ve got a great process for determining what goes on personal social media accounts versus professional ones.
I share a lot, but like you, I am reading (if at least skimming well) the material which I am sharing.
Like you, I will not share content that is irrelevant to my audience, but have never received an ill remark from Triberr. So your experience comes as a very unfortunate surprise. You are doing the right thing.
Sharing a lot might mean that I read a lot, but I worry that since I share a lot that peoples’ perception is that I don’t read what I am sharing. VERY CONCERNING to me.
Thanks Paul! I’m glad to hear you’re much the same in how you approach what you share from Triberr. And I think it’s great that you haven’t encountered any negative comments about what you share. That’s how it should be!
And yes, those of us who share a lot probably have followers who assume we don’t read everything. But as long as you’re honest with your audience, and if you’re constantly sharing relevant and valuable information, then they’ll trust you.
I, like you, read everything I share. Yes, if it’s someone I know well, I might just skim, but I never just automatically share anything. Your title rocks! Cheers! Kaarina
Thanks Kaarina! So glad you enjoyed the post (and the title)! And I’m happy to hear that you follow the same methods for reading and sharing 🙂
Since you’re on Triberr, I find this slightly hypocritical. I don’t say this to be antagonistic, but because it’s my opinion, and I have sound reasons for it. The entire purpose of Triberr was to facilitate and streamline the sharing of content by bloggers that you trust. If you weren’t around in the early days (and I was) you might not know that Dan and Dino’s advice was to ONLY tribe up with people you trust. The idea was reciprocal, simple sharing of content. Obviously you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) tribe up with someone whose content you had to vet everyday.
In these days of super-tribes, that has gone out the window. People are tribing up with people they don’t know, don’t care about, don’t want to promote, just so they can get their content shared. It is impossible to even vet all these tribe members even once, nevermind each post, and in fact no one in those tribes has the capacity to even share all those posts – but in that environment, vetting becomes a necessity again, because you can’t know and trust all the members. This has completely warped the original intention of triberr.
I am in a handful of small tribes. I know all the members really well. I know their content and I trust their content. New members are added rarely, and usually by consensus of existing members. I don’t always read the posts (lack of time) but I don’t need to because I already know they are top quality and relevant to my audience.
For a while there I was a member of a tribe where I found I needed to vet posts. I left, and now life is much simpler.
If you feel you need to vet your tribe member’s posts, then I would venture you are in the wrong tribe.
Ciara, thank you for your honesty and your comments. I completely appreciate where you’re coming from and I’m happy to hear from an early adopter of Triberr.
You bring up great points, and I honestly wish I was in more tribes where I didn’t need to vet the other bloggers. And I have left some tribes because of the inconsistent tribe members who shared awkward content. However, some of the tribes I am in, I really like a majority of the bloggers, but there are still those occasional ones who sneak in with odd content. Every one of my tribes is either marketing or social media related (obviously my target niche) and yet there are bloggers with no affiliation to either of these topics in the tribe. Yes, this comes down to tribe management and I can leave any of those tribes at any time I choose. But I still enjoy the other bloggers in those tribes.
And, I do share a LOT of content from Triberr because there is such good content in my tribes. But, I will still not share blindly. First, because of the issue I just mentioned, but second, because I want to actually know what these bloggers are writing. I would hope that they’re reading my content too – I do publish it to be informative, not just for sharing. I want to learn from them just as much as I hope they want to learn from me. This is the type of reciprocal relationship I want from Triberr and other bloggers.
I take my recommendations seriously … when I share something, I’ve read it and feel it’s worth passing on to my followers. I read everything that I share both for pertinent content and to be sure that it doesn’t compromise my ethics. I think that we all owe it to our readers and followers to share with integrity.
Thanks for your comments and I’m happy to hear that you read and validate what you share! I agree that we owe it to our audience to share responsibly.
Hey Jenn, I think it depends on your profiles and audience, size and appetite for information. It is the battle for relevance and variety. I don’t read every article because I have only so much time and I share a lot of content with my audience. That being said, I control quality in a different way. I check out all the sources. If I find a source where the blog posts content I would always share because the quality is great then I will keep them in my feed. I mute users whose content is not good enough for my standards. If I see a new blogger in a tribe I am in I check out their whole blog and look for source quality. If I don’t like it or the site I mute them from my stream. This way my stream is mostly high quality sources. From there I select the titles I find interesting for my audience. Anything in the feed is already from a site where I know the quality of articles and then it comes down to topic. I have a double filtering process so that I don’t have to read every post to know what I am sharing with my audience. I also spot check and read many posts but don’t feel the need to read every post before sharing but as long as you have a system of quality control that is the key. I build mine for leverage so I can share more content than I read.
Thanks Ross! That is a great system. I might have to look into getting more controlled like you with my stream. I know which bloggers post content I don’t want to share and I typically just hide their posts immediately in order to move on to more relevant posts. When I see new bloggers in a tribe, I’m always happy to read their content and determine the level of value they would bring to my audience.
I like your double filtering system and I’m going to spend some time seeing how I can implement something like that more formally into my system.
I agree that when someone has content that I know and trust, I am confident sharing their information without hesitation. But if I like and trust them, I WANT to read their posts as well. I know we’re all busy and it’s hard to read everything we’d like, but I make sure to leave time every day to actually sit down and read other blog posts.
I try to read every article I share. I’d say I read about 90% of them. I don’t often comment on articles, but I try to comment on ones that I actually have an opinion. If I’m sharing an article, usually it is because I’ve read it and triberr is great because I have access to many blog posts rather than just a few to keep going back to.
(But I will admit to sharing a handful of articles without reading).
Thanks for your comments Kat! I think that if you’re reading 90% of what you share, that’s a great ratio. If the other 10% are from trusted sources, then you’ve essentially already vetted them and know they are going to be quality posts, so it’s easier to share those without reading them first.
Definitely. I eventually get to the last 10%. Sometimes I tweet things to bookmark articles I want to read in the future. I know I should probably be just bookmarking or pinning them, but I use twitter the most :-p
The stat you’re looking for is 16% 🙂
http://www.adigaskell.org/blog/2013/06/12/you-will-probably-share-this-without-reading-it/
Nice! Thanks Adi!!
And 16 and 60 at least sound the same, right!
So, my number was off, and on the (slightly 😉 ) high side. I have to admit, judging by all the comments here, and not that this is a solid study, it seems a lot of people really do read what they share. Thanks for sharing that article. It definitely has some good information!
Great Title and I read everything I share – I might be in the minority but I share several topics and not always related to my field, actually I share more not exactly directly related but quality articles that I feel others may enjoy.
I’m a photographer so I share my own work and also travel related posts since I love travel and fits nicely into photography. I share social media and web information since I also work with business owners who are always looking for related information.
I share what I enjoy and read and if others can find some useful information than I’m glad to have helped.
Thanks Ed! Glad you liked it.
It sounds like you’re doing pretty well. Nothing says we have to share a select topic or small range or posts. If you are consistently sharing those topics and articles with your audience, then you have grown your audience based on those preferences, and that’s what they expect. And, I think it’s great to be a little bit diverse in what we share – we’re human and we all have more than one interest in life.
And, as long as you’re reading everything and ensuring that it’s interesting and of value, then I’m sure your audience appreciates it!
Good lord it took me an hour to get to the comment section lol.
Fantastic article and I appreciate your boldness and honesty when addressing this subject. I once was guilty of just sharing but I’ve found that there is some lucrative and helpful information being shared. I’ve learned and benefit more by reading than the sharing the article themselves.
Thanks again for your input and look forward to your post.
Thanks DeKesha! I know, the comments have gotten a little long on this post! But I love the conversation and information that has come out of them. Thanks for scrolling and reading all the way though and leaving your thoughts 🙂
I think it’s great that you’ve learned to be more proactive in your reading and less aggressive in blind sharing. We really do learn from what we read so if we’re sharing information with our audience, we should really “know” what we’re advising them to do.
Thank you again and welcome to the blog!
I agree. I read every article or I don’t approve it. I also (almost exclusively unless something really gets me going) only accept for things that are relative to me. I feel that when I “accept” that I am putting my seal of approval on the article and that is not something that I take lightly. Good points!
Thank you Laurie! And I’m happy to hear that you feel this way. It is true that by sharing something, we are in some way admitting that we agree/support/like/condone what is written. I would rather take a few minutes to read the content then have to spend days apologizing for something inappropriate.
Thanks for your comments!
Nice article. I have found twitter to be Great tool. But like you said too much sharing of content you Probally did not read. I is hard for me to believe that someone can post a new article link every couple seconds.
Thanks Steven! I’m glad you liked the article. And, yes, it is hard to believe that they are reading what they’re sharing if the tweets go out in less than one minute intervals!
Absotootinlutely-right, Jenn! I think you are spot-on (& for sure, I’m going to be sharing this one!) – why share content if it doesn’t “fit” with you or audience? *shrug*
Love your soapbox – do you have room for another on there?!
Thanks Callie! I so appreciate your enthusiasm! And, yes, we have plenty of room up here on the soapbox 🙂
I also read everything that I share. I know that Twitter is full of people that will blindly retweet others in hopes of getting that reciprocal mention or retweet. I won’t do that. I won’t necessarily say that every link I share is relevant to self-publishing or social media (which is what my blog focuses on other than my own books). It may just be something that made me laugh. Or made me reflect on things. Hey, I’m a reader, too.
I do feel as though sharing and retweeting is a reflection upon you. I may not always agree with everything that I share – it may be a counterpoint to a blog post that I’ve written myself – but it will be well written and respectful. I’ve found that I frequently retweet the same bloggers and that the same bloggers often retweet me. After a while, you build up your mutual admiration societies.
One thing I’m very careful about is tweeting links to others’ books. Here I feel like it really is an endorsement and I’m darn sure going to really like it before I post it.
Thanks Alicia! You bring up some great points and I agree that many people share and retweet just to get reciprocal engagement. I, like you, am just not that kind of person. I think that by finding quality sources and connections and sharing their content, I’ve created a great community, just like you mentioned. I’m happy to hear that you are finding success in this fashion!
When I first joined social media I didn’t share anything I hadn’t read or thought my followers might enjoy and find interesting. Then I joined Triberr and for months I only shared articles that I actually read and thought my followers would find interesting, but unfortunately I got lazy and I didn’t feel I was providing my tribe with the support they needed, so I began to blind share. So I guess I’m in the middle. I do however plan to get back to my old read first share maybe habits. By the way, I do plan to share this post!
Jae Mac @ I’m Just Sayin’…(Damn!)
Thanks for your comments Jae! I know it’s hard and we feel like we need to provide a certain level of support in Triberr. If you trust those in your tribe then it’s probably ok to be sharing their content. But I think it’s good that you want to get back to a read first policy. And thanks for sharing this!
Interesting post. I have to be careful about what I’m sending out because of the different audiences I cover. I wouldn’t want to be tweeting erotica to people who follow kidlit, so it does take a little while to weed through, but I at least make certain of what it is I’m sending out and that I know the writer/s in question.
Yes, Joy, that would be an awkward exchange of content! All the more reason to be vigilant in what you share.
I read about 90% of what I retweet. I’m a new blogger and trying to find my way. Since I share recipes, I don’t always read the entire recipe, but if it looks appetizing and the ingredients are easy to find, I’ll retweet. That means I click their website and check out the recipe. Does that count as reading? LOL
The reason I will follow you even tho you’re not in my niche, is because I’m always looking for relevant info on blogging and how I can be successful. That mean that I cannot only follow people in my niche. You just happen to be in all our niches because you write about social media and blogging. And you should follow me because you have to eat. Ha A food blogger is everyone’s friend. But, I don’t expect anyone to just retweet for the sake of it. I want to know that you actually liked what I posted. Otherwise, how will I know what my audience is interested in.
So, since I have actually read your article, I’ll go back to twitter and RT it because it is relevant to me. Thanks for posting.
Well, now that we’ve talked about RT, I realize that you posted that on Google+. So it is now shared.
Thanks Sylvia!
Thanks Sylvia! I appreciate you sharing this.
Yes, if you’re going to the sites and verifying the recipes, that definitely counts as “reading”.
And, I totally agree that we should have a diverse audience. I follow a lot of people that aren’t social media experts or who are in niches of personal interest (art, baking, couponing, etc.). But the key, is that I am their target audience, they are not my target audience (although many of them are in my audience because they want help with social media marketing). So, just because I have couponers in my audience doesn’t mean I should blast a bunch of coupon blogs to my other audience members. A side note here, this is why G+ is great – I CAN share those coupon posts to those in my Coupon circles on G+ without badgering my other audience members.
But as you said, if we understand that not everyone will retweet our content, that doesn’t mean we didn’t enjoy it. And this is where comments on the blog post can confirm our appreciation rather than sharing it.
Thanks for answering. I’m just getting used to Google+, but I like what I see so far. It’s moving toward the top of my list of social media sites.
I tend to read everything I share just because I want to make sure that hat I am sharing doesn’t go against my values and beliefs
That’s a great policy Daphne!
A great post and I DID read your article, and I shared it. I’d be lying if I told you I read every article I share, but try to only “blind” share with bloggers that I am familiar with, like you said, a blogger I trust. My Twitter traffic to my site has been my best traffic staying on my site for 2x – 3x times more than any other source.
Thanks Adam! I’m glad you liked the post and thank you for sharing it! It sounds like you have a good practice in place for sharing and that your Twitter traffic is a great source for you.
Hi,
I am regular user of linkedin! I see almost 50 – 70% member sharing things in quick intervals. I agree with your statement “60 Percent of You Will Share This Without Reading It”. Members really do that to get attention or thinking that by posting regulary they would get more visitors or invites or show that they know a lot about being social :-).
And I have read your article and Sharing it as soon I post this!! 🙂
Appreciate your content!
Regards,
Rahul
Thanks Rahul! I’m glad you enjoyed the post and appreciate you sharing it.
LinkedIn, much like Twitter, can be one of those places where articles get shared so frequently that you have to question if the person read any of the posts. Fortunately, there are lots of other good connections who share only after reading and who share quality content. Focus on following them and watching for their posts!
Thank you for this article and the opportunity to comment on it, I’ve often asked my self that question do these people read what they are posting or simply Re-tweet to remain relevant. In short I take the time to read every article before posting to my social media sites, Yours I take to heart and I trust you and your brand enough to post without reading, but since I love your articles I read them anyhow :). I have done some research online and asked some people about their posting habits and my guess is that the % is between 15 – 19 %. Any how great article and I’m looking forward in reading more from you. Until next time.
Luis A. White 🙂
Thanks Luis! I’m so glad to hear that you are one who reads what you share as well. Thanks for chiming in with your thoughts – your estimation of 15-19% is probably closer than 60% 🙂