If you were a painter, would you want someone to take your art piece and resell it under their name? Of course not! Reusing someone else’s content without permission would be stealing! The same goes for social networks. If you’re wanting to repost content on social media accounts, there are important rules for you to follow.
[bctt tweet=”User-generated content is one of the top ways to engage your audience on social media. Are you reposting content fairly?” via=”no”]
How to Share Another User’s Content
More than ever, influencer posts are becoming the top way to grab user’s attention and add variety to your feed. This can be done through a complete account takeover or simple resharing of posts. Whatever the avenue, reposting is a piece of content worth considering, especially to help build your follower base. Learn how to repost original content the right way on your social media channels.
- Always give credit
- Get permission to repost
- Share relevant information
- Find engaging content
- Don’t alter the original post
1) Always Give Credit
If there’s one rule you should follow, recognition is key. Whether you’re posting on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter, be sure to tag the original creator in your caption. Not only will this give credit where its due, but highlighting influencers within your niche will help grow your audience organically.
2) Get Permission to Repost
Depending on the piece of content and how you intend to reshare, specific terms of service should be considered. Many times, this information may be hard to find or decipher. To make sure you’re reposting correctly, get in touch with the specific user, and ask for permission. More often than not, they’ll appreciate the extra steps taken to respect their original content.
3) Share Relevant Information
When sharing content, it’s important to keep your brand’s focus in mind. Your users follow your account to get information related to you and your business. Thus, posts steering your audience away from you or against your ultimate goals is counterproductive. Develop a strategy to make sure your account is always sharing relevant information, no matter who the content creator was.
4) Find Engaging Content
Knowing what pieces of content are worth resharing is directly related to your industry or niche. Think about your brand, and start following active social media influencers through your business’s account. By curating your social media feed, you can help build your follower base and create a place for finding content.
Pro Tip: Discover trending influencers in your market by looking at the type of accounts your competitors are following.
5) Don’t Alter the Original Post
Last but certainly not least, consistency is key. If you’re resharing a blog post or graphic on your social media platforms, keep the original content as/is. Unless you have complete ownership, any alterations would be inappropriate, especially in the eyes of the original creator. Use a repost app if necessary to ensure there isn’t any quality lost through resharing.
Do You Use Reposting Etiquette?
In the world of social media, reposting another user’s content can be a valuable tool in your content marketing strategy. Without the proper parameters, however, you could lose a level of trust and recognition within your niche.
How’s your social media marketing fairing? Connect with our team for best practices related to your specific business.
Ashlee Visser is the Content Manager at ITVibes, Inc. She holds a B.A. in Humanities from Thomas Edison State University. With a strong focus on organization, she excels in content management and website writing. Ashlee’s passion for writing is evident in every project she undertakes. When she’s not busy managing content, she enjoys spending time with her husband and their growing family.
