How to Get Shares on Facebook

Getting your content shared on Facebook is less about luck and more about creating something people feel compelled to pass along. If your posts feel like they’re shouting into the void, you're in the right place. This guide breaks down the concrete strategies you can use to create posts that your audience will not only love but will also eagerly share with their own networks.

Understand the 'Why' Behind the Share

Before you create a single piece of content, it helps to understand the psychology behind why people hit the share button. It's almost never random. People share content for a few core reasons:

• To Be Helpful: They see a great tip, a useful tutorial, or a deal-of-a-lifetime and want to share that value with friends who could benefit. Think of recipe videos or "life hack" guides.
• To Define Themselves: The content we share is an extension of our identity. Sharing an inspirational quote, a politically charged article, or a meme about a niche hobby tells the world, "This is who I am, and this is what I care about."
• To Entertain: This is the simplest one. If something makes them laugh out loud or stare in awe, they want to give that same emotional experience to someone else. Funny animal videos, incredible drone shots, and viral memes live here.
• To Foster Connection: Sharing content helps us connect with our social circles. Tagging a friend in a relatable meme reinforces an inside joke, while sharing a memory from a local event strengthens community bonds.
• To Support Causes: People want to show their support for causes, brands, and communities they believe in. Sharing a post from a local business or a non-profit is a public stamp of approval.

Keep these motivators in your back pocket. Every time you craft a post, ask yourself: Which of these reasons would've made me share this?

Actionable Strategies for Creating Share-Worthy Content

Knowing the "why" is the first step. Now, let’s get into the "how." Here are practical methods for creating content that people genuinely want to share.

1. Create Content That's Genuinely Useful

Value-driven content is arguably the most consistent driver of shares. When you solve a problem for someone or teach them something new, they'll want to pass that knowledge on. Your goal is to be so helpful that your audience feels an impulse to save your content for later and share it with someone who needs it right now.

What to Create:

• Step-by-Step Tutorials: Show your audience how to do something specific. If you're a decorator, create a Reel on "How to Hang a Gallery Wall Symmetrically." If you're a B2B professional, create an infographic on "5 Google Sheet Formulas That Save Me an Hour a Day."
• Quick Tips & How-Tos: Not every tutorial needs to be an epic. Short, digestible tips perform incredibly well, especially in video format. A short Reel showing how to properly clean a cast iron skillet can generate a ton of shares because it's a quick, common problem.
• Checklists and Templates: Offer a free "Spring Cleaning Checklist" or a "Weekly Content Planning Template." These are digital assets your audience can use immediately, making them highly shareable.

2. Evoke a Strong Emotional Response

Plain, factual content is easily forgotten. Content that makes people feel something is what gets shared. Data gets glossed over, emotion brings people together and prompts action.

Emotions That Drive Shares:

• Awe and Amazement: Think breathtaking photography, incredible drone footage of a landscape, or a video showcasing a mind-blowing skill. People love to share things that make them say, "Wow!"
• Laughter: Humor is a universal connector. Relatable memes, funny behind-the-scenes bloopers, or witty observations about your industry can spread like wildfire. If you can make someone laugh, they’ll want to share that joy with others.
• Inspiration and Hope: Uplifting stories of success, stories of overcoming adversity, or feel-good community initiatives resonate deeply with people. This content makes your brand feel human and gives people a positive reason to associate with you.
• Nostalgia: Tapping into shared memories can be incredibly powerful. A post about "classic cartoons from the ‘90s" or "snacks we all miss from childhood" will get people tagging friends and reminiscing in the comments, which often leads to shares.

3. Use Highly Visual Formats - Especially Video

Let’s be direct: in today's social media landscape, video is king. It grabs attention more effectively than static images or text, and platforms like Facebook are prioritizing it in their algorithms. More specifically, short-form vertical video (Reels) is the single biggest engine of organic reach and shares right now.

How to Leverage Visuals:

• Embrace Reels: Creating a simple Reel can have a massive impact. It doesn't need to be a Hollywood production. Record a quick tip, a satisfying "before and after," or hop on a trending audio clip that fits your brand's personality.
• Design Shareable Graphics: Don't just post text. Put a powerful quote on a beautifully designed background image. Turn a set of key statistics from your industry into a colorful, easy-to-read infographic. Tools like Canva make this accessible to everyone.
• Photo Dumps with a Story: High-quality photos still perform well, especially when they tell a story. Share a carousel of images from a recent company event, a customer success story, or the process of making your product. The narrative makes people feel invested and more likely to share.

4. Tell a Compelling Story

Humans are wired for narrative. We remember stories far better than we remember lists of facts. Frame your content as a story whenever you can, complete with a beginning, middle, and end.

Storytelling Ideas:

• Customer Spotlights: Share a story of how a real customer used your product or service to solve a problem. Make them the hero of the story. It provides social proof and creates a relatable narrative.
• Behind-the-Scenes: Show the process, the people, and the personality behind your brand. People love to see "how the sausage is made." It builds trust and makes them feel like insiders, which fosters a community that shares.
• Origin Stories: Why did you start your business? What problem were you trying to solve? Sharing your unique journey can resonate deeply with people who share your values.

5. Make It Ridiculously Easy to Share

Sometimes, all it takes to get more shares is to remove a bit of friction and make a gentle prompt.

• Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): It’s amazing what happens when you simply ask. End your post with a simple prompt like, "Share this if you found it helpful!" or "Tag a friend who needs to see this!" Don't be pushy, just make a friendly suggestion.
• Tag People and Pages: When you collaborate with another brand, feature a customer, or mention an influencer, be sure to tag them in your post. They'll get a notification and are very likely to share it with their own audience, amplifying your reach instantly.
• Use Reshare-Friendly Language: A post that frames a question, such as, "What's the best business advice you've ever received? Share yours below and share this post to hear from your friends," encourages participation that leads to more visibility and sharing.

6. Engage With Your Community

Finally, a lively and engaged community is more likely to become a community of advocates. When you build relationships with your audience, they become more invested in your success and are more willing to share your content.

• Respond to Comments: This is a non-negotiable. When someone takes the time to comment on your post, reply to them. Answer their questions. Thank them for their input. This basic engagement shows you're listening and makes people feel valued.
• Encourage User-Generated Content (UGC): Ask your audience to share photos or stories of them using your product with a unique hashtag. When you feature their content (with their permission!), it makes them feel seen and often inspires them to share the post with their entire network.

Final Thoughts

Getting more shares on Facebook isn’t about finding a secret algorithm hack. It's about consistently providing real value, connecting with people emotionally, and wrapping your message in a compelling format like a story or a video. Approach your content with generosity, aiming to help, entertain, or inspire, and the shares will follow naturally.

Consistently creating share-worthy content can feel like a heavy lift, especially when you’re busy. We built Postbase to streamline that process. With our visual calendar, you can plan all of your posts and videos ahead of time to spot any gaps. And once they're planned, you can trust our reliable scheduler to get everything published on time, right when your audience is most likely to be online and ready to share - no more checking to see if your posts actually went live.