50 Ways to Get More Social Shares on Your Blog Posts

Social shares are the key to going viral. It’s a low-effort form of engagement users can do to show support for your content, your brand, and your business - it’s also a way they can share something they find interesting or helpful with their network, or something they feel deserves wider attention. You want your blog posts to fall into these categories. There are also ways you can improve your shares, passively and actively - and with AI now changing how content is found and distributed, some of the methods have evolved. I’ve compiled the 50 best here.

On-Site Optimization

These tips are all about optimizing the content on your site for sharing when a user reads it - how you get extra seeds for in-network sharing later.

1. Use OG attributes to customize meta data. Open graph attributes determine how your links show up on social networks even when you aren’t the one posting. In 2026, this matters more than ever - AI-powered feed algorithms on platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook use structured metadata to determine how content is categorized and surfaced.

2. Include social sharing buttons for every network you actively use. Conversely, if you don’t use a social network, don’t include a plugin for it. People might want to follow your page and won’t be able to find one. Focus your buttons on platforms where your audience actually lives.

3. Make it easy to share your images. Visual content drives dramatically more engagement - articles with images get 94% more views than those without. Use plugins or built-in share functionality to make your visuals shareable, whether that’s to Pinterest, Instagram Stories, or even directly to messaging apps. Sizing your images correctly for Pinterest can make a big difference in how often they get repinned.

4. Make sure your site is fully functional on mobile. The vast majority of social sharing now happens on mobile devices. If your website loads slowly, has broken layouts, or buries your share buttons on smaller screens, you’re losing shares at the moment of highest intent. A plugin can help make your WordPress blog mobile friendly without a costly redesign.

5. Use click-to-share prompts and formulate shareable snippets. It’s easy to kick-start a surge of traffic if you’re not making your readers be clever on their own behalf. In addition to click-to-tweet options (X/Twitter), consider native quote-sharing prompts optimized for LinkedIn and Threads. Vary your snippets: include a question, a data-based takeaway, a bold opinion, and other pull quotes - though it’s worth knowing whether using quotes in articles can hurt your rankings.

Content Publication Enhancement

These tips help you publish and promote your content more fluidly, without causing a data flow issue or swamping your users in content.

6. Share your own content more than once. There’s nothing wrong with sharing the same post several times - in fact, most successful blogs share their posts numerous times, with frequency determined by the network and audience size. Evergreen content especially benefits from being re-promoted months after its original publish date. Check out these blog post promotion tips that actually build traffic for more ideas.

7. Post on the right days and times. Numerous studies have been performed to determine the best day and time for posting, but it will vary based on your audience and platform. Most scheduling tools now offer AI-driven optimal timing recommendations based on your specific audience’s activity patterns - use them.

8. Post in small communities and groups. Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Reddit communities, and niche Discord servers can be excellent for focused sharing. Take time to identify engaged and relevant communities. Learn more about promoting your blog post in groups and aggregators. Provide value before you drop links - cold promotional posts in these spaces rarely work.

9. Post to every social network you actively use. If you use Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, and Threads, post to all of them. Don’t skip platforms without a reason. For LinkedIn specifically, there are smart ways to grow your blog’s reach on LinkedIn. Conversely, don’t post to networks you’ve abandoned - an inactive profile does more harm than no profile at all.

10. Avoid blatant automation errors. Cross-posting with no customization per platform is a red flag users immediately recognize. Each platform has its own voice, format, and culture. Tailoring your message per network - even slightly - signals that a real person is paying attention, which increases trust and engagement.

Influencer Networking and Outreach

These tips help you find who helps you the most when promoting your content, and how you can build relationships with them to your benefit.

11. Identify, follow, and genuinely engage with influencer content. A share from one well-connected influencer is worth hundreds of shares from people with no audience. Build real relationships by engaging meaningfully with their content before you ever ask for anything in return.

12. Offer exclusive opportunities to influencers. If you can give them early access to a tool, a preview of a report, or a unique collaboration opportunity, they can become powerful advocates for your brand. Micro-influencers in 2026 often drive better engagement rates than mega-influencers at a fraction of the cost.

13. Mention influencers in posts to gain their attention. These people probably won’t be watching your site closely, but they’ll notice when you reference them by name or cite their work. A genuine mention with real commentary gives them a reason to respond and share.

14. Work out mutual guest post and sharing arrangements with influencers. Any form of mutual relationship - shares, co-authored content, podcast appearances, or interviews - can be extremely effective at combining audiences and expanding reach in both directions. Just be aware of the risks that come with paid guest post arrangements.

15. Create content that responds to or builds on popular influencer posts. There’s no better way to get noticed than contributing to a conversation that’s already generating traction. Just make sure you’re adding genuine value - respond, rebut, or expand on what was said. Don’t just echo their point and hope for exposure.

Social Network Optimization

These tips are all about using each social network to its fullest and avoiding cross-network mistakes.

16. Pin your best content for maximum exposure. Pinning a post or update to the top of your profile on X, LinkedIn, or Facebook ensures it’s the first thing new visitors see. Use this strategically for your highest-performing or most important pieces of content.

17. Respond to comments to encourage conversation. If you ignore comments, people who want to engage will feel dismissed and stop bothering. Platforms also reward posts with high comment activity by showing them to more people - your replies count toward that signal. Learn more about how comments can improve your blog post rankings and traffic.

18. Tag relevant people to get more attention. If you mention someone in your post, tag them and let them know. They might have something to say in response. This can be the start of a beneficial dialogue that exposes your content to their entire audience as well.

19. Make certain the post preview is attractive. If it’s not, you either have an issue with your OG attributes, or you haven’t set them at all. Don’t forget that while you customize what your link looks like when others share it via OG tags, you can also manually edit the preview when posting yourself on most platforms. A compelling image and headline dramatically increase click-through and share rates.

20. Use hashtags appropriately and strategically. Don’t hijack unrelated tags. Research tags before you use them to understand the existing conversation around them. Over-tagging is penalized by algorithms on most platforms in 2026 - fewer, more targeted hashtags consistently outperform shotgun approaches.

Encouraging Communication

These tips are geared towards improving your relationship with your users and building the personality of your brand on social media.

21. Ask questions of your readers. Nothing drives comments quite as reliably as a simple question with lots of possible answers. Questions in headlines also generate around 23% more social shares on average - a stat worth keeping in mind when you’re writing your titles.

22. Ask for user submissions for contests. Inspiring the creativity of your audience, particularly when you feature their contributions, is a reliable way to drive shares. User-generated content campaigns are especially powerful on Instagram and TikTok, where creative participation is already baked into the culture.

23. Offer prizes or giveaways tied to sharing actions. People love a good contest or giveaway, and will jump through a number of hoops - including sharing - to get a chance to win something for free. Keep the barrier low and the prize relevant to your audience.

24. Offer discounts or perks upon reaching certain share thresholds. “If this post reaches 1,000 shares, we’ll run a 10% discount all weekend” is a proven strategy that creates a shared sense of purpose among your audience and generates significant organic reach in the process.

25. Simply ask for shares, likes, and comments. Sometimes all you have to do is ask. Research consistently shows that explicitly requesting a share can increase engagement by up to 40%. Don’t be shy about it - readers who enjoyed your content often just need a small nudge. You can also see who has liked and shared your blog post to better understand who your most engaged readers are.

Risky Business

These tips have the potential to serve you well, but can also backfire if implemented incorrectly.

26. Gate your content behind a social locker. This can be a good way to force shares, but it can also drive users away entirely - especially in an era where readers have more content options than ever. Use sparingly and only when the content behind the gate is genuinely exceptional.

27. Purchase additional social shares. Buying engagement is riskier in 2026 than it’s ever been. Platform algorithms have grown significantly more sophisticated at detecting artificial engagement spikes, and penalties - including reach suppression - can be swift and lasting. If you go this route, low-volume and sustained is far safer than a single spike.

28. Write compelling, curiosity-driven titles. Headline formulas that spark curiosity or promise a clear benefit still work - just make sure your content actually delivers on the promise. Platforms increasingly measure read time and engagement depth, so a clickbait title attached to thin content will hurt more than it helps.

29. Newsjack popular trends and topics. Just make sure whatever you’re doing isn’t violating some social taboo or co-opting something sensitive. Lighthearted and culturally relevant topics work best. Avoid newsjacking tragedy unless you’re genuinely contributing something meaningful to the conversation.

30. Incentivize your shares in some way. Incentives can be surprisingly effective depending on the offer. Keep them aligned with your brand and relevant to your audience. Arbitrary or low-value incentives tend to attract low-quality engagement that doesn’t convert to anything meaningful.

Understanding Social Psychology

These tips are all about what drives the urge to share content online, and how you can design for those urges.

31. Use your content to help readers connect with each other. People share content that reinforces their identity or helps them relate to others. Content that validates a shared experience, opinion, or struggle tends to travel far. The more your content says “this is us,” the more it gets shared.

32. Build trust through consistent, high-quality content. Trust is a prerequisite for sharing. Readers won’t put their name behind a piece of content from a source they’re not confident in. The more you demonstrate expertise and reliability over time, the lower the barrier to sharing becomes.

33. Keep your content accessible and easy to skim. Most readers share content before they’ve finished reading it. Clear subheadings, short paragraphs, bold key points, and strong opening lines make it easy for someone to grasp the value of a post quickly - and share it with confidence. That said, long-form content consistently earns more shares than short posts, so depth matters once you’ve hooked them.

34. Lean into the emotions of awe, curiosity, and surprise. Awe drives “can you believe this?” shares. Curiosity powers the irresistible pull of a great headline. Surprise keeps readers engaged and compelled to tell someone else. Emotionally resonant content dramatically outperforms dry, purely informational content in shareability. Social proof also plays a key role in reinforcing those sharing impulses.

35. Remove every barrier between reading and sharing. Every extra click, every buried button, and every confirmation prompt is a point where someone decides sharing isn’t worth the hassle. Minimize friction ruthlessly. The same philosophy that applies to opt-in forms applies here - fewer steps means higher conversion.

Using Unconventional Traffic Sources

These tips are all about pulling in traffic from outside the social networks and using that momentum to drive wider sharing.

36. Learn to post your best content on Reddit. Reddit remains one of the most powerful unconventional traffic sources available if you understand its culture. Find the right subreddits, contribute genuinely before promoting, and the payoff can be enormous. Reddit users are also active on every other platform - a well-received Reddit post can cascade across the web.

37. Repurpose content into formats native to visual platforms. Short-form video on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels has become the dominant content format for organic reach in 2026. A blog post that gets modest traffic can explode when its key insight is turned into a 60-second video. Think of your written content as raw material for multiple formats.

38. Don’t overlook niche communities on Discord, Slack, and Substack. While Tumblr has declined significantly in relevance, newer community platforms have filled that space. Private Discord servers, professional Slack communities, and Substack Notes are increasingly valuable distribution channels for the right content and audience.

39. Don’t discount niche forums and online communities. Web forums may seem old-fashioned, but communities built around specific topics - from hobbyist boards to professional networks - still generate highly engaged, targeted traffic. That engagement often leads to shares from people who are exactly your target audience.

40. Experiment with AI-powered content discovery platforms. Tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT browsing, and AI-generated newsletters are now active content distribution channels. Optimizing your content to be cited and surfaced by AI tools - through clear sourcing, structured data, and authoritative writing - is one of the most forward-looking distribution strategies available in 2026.

Avoid Earning the Spammer Label

These tips are focused on keeping you on the right side of platform policies and audience goodwill.

41. Don’t post more often than your audience can handle. Understanding your audience’s tolerance is essential. Larger accounts with highly engaged followings can post multiple times daily. Smaller accounts that post too frequently often see a drop in engagement per post - quality and consistency matter more than sheer volume.

42. Spread out your updates rather than stacking them. A content calendar is the most practical tool for maintaining an even posting schedule. Most social scheduling tools in 2026 offer AI-assisted scheduling that optimizes timing automatically based on your audience data.

43. If you share the same post more than once, vary the message. There’s no excuse for running the same caption twice. Test different angles - a question one