As an Odyssey content Creator, writing is half the battle. Once you have written an awesome story, you have to get people to read it. So, how do you get the most page views for your articles? Here are some tips that will help you succeed at getting the most eyes on your work.
When to post on social media
Which days of the week and what times do you mostly go online? Obviously, you’ll want to post at these times. According to CoSchedule, a website for social media scheduling, posting late in the week at 9 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Why? 9 a.m. is when people are either getting ready for the day or have just sat down at their desks, starting the day off by catching up. 1 p.m. is lunchtime or right after lunch for most people. 3 p.m. is the afternoon lull, where you need coffee and a social media break. The absolute best time to post, however, is weekends at 12-1 p.m.
Get creative with your posts
Don’t just write, “Check out my article!” Write something enticing that will make readers want to click on your article. State what your article is actually about. Ask writers if they agree with your stance. Give a short quote from your article. You want your friends/followers to become readers. Write a post that makes them want to interact with your article.
Post frequently
Post your article(s) once or twice a day, every day. This doesn’t mean you should spam your friends/followers. You should be using sites other than Facebook and Twitter to post your articles. Use Pinterest, Tumblr, Reddit, LinkedIn and/or StumbleUpon. While Muse has the option to schedule your posts to a few social media sites, I recommend using Hootsuite. It is a free and reliable social media scheduler. Set up your posts at the beginning of the week so you don’t have to worry about doing it when you’d rather be watching Netflix.
Pro tip: You can even use Instagram by posting your cover photo and writing a provocative caption, adding “link in bio” at the end. Keep in mind that the only place you can put a live website link on Instagram is in the “website” section of the bio. Don’t put the link in the caption. Followers scrolling through will not take the time to memorize the link and type it in their web browser.
Be creative with where you post your article
You know which social media sites to post on, but are you only posting on your timeline/feed? Try posting in relevant Facebook groups. If your school or class has a Facebook group or page, post there. Direct message people/groups/fan pages that pertain to your article.
Aside from social media, find websites or publications that relate to your article's content. For example, if you write an article about your state, search relevant websites. Find their contact information and send them your link. They might share it on their social media or even ask for permission to use your article. If you write an article about hiking, search for outdoors magazines, travel websites or hiking gear stores. Think outside the box when it comes to where you piece. The worst that could happen is no response. What do you have to lose?
The more friends/followers you have, the more page views you will get
It doesn’t seem fair, I know. But the more people you have in your network, the more people you have to read and share your article. Then their friends will read and share it, and the list goes on. If you haven’t already, friend/follow your Odyssey team’s fellow content Creators. Remember to share their articles if you find them interesting. They will more likely do the same for you. You are a team, after all!
Ask your friends to read and share your article
Send your friends the link when it goes live (or simply tag them to your piece). For a more effective share, ask your friends to share your post on their timeline. I like to harass my friends with the link until they actually share it. Make sure that they post a compelling status with the link; it doesn’t make people want to click on your article if they only share a link with no status. I always send my mom what she should say when she shares the link. Hey, it never hurts to make it as easy as possible for them to help!
Creating good content is the easiest part of being a writer. Sharing your article just may be the most challenging part of Odyssey. With these tips, you can have hundreds, maybe even thousands, of page views per month. Good luck, and happy writing!
