BuzzSumo has released a wonderful document on Content Trends (pdf) that reveals some interesting shifts in the social media marketplace. The insights include:

  • The Increase In Content Publication Means Greater Competition For
    Engagement
  • Facebook Changes Make It Harder to See And Share Publisher Content
  • A Rise In Private Sharing
  • Social Shares Are Not Evenly Distributed
  • Growth in LinkedIn Sharing
  • Backlink Trends: If you can get more than Zero, You’re Doing Well…

What are the key takeaways? Content, really good content remains king. How you share that content hasn’t changed either. If you wish to leverage your social media strategies then you have to be–well–social. Strong brands build trust and tribes listen to what they are sharing. The art of selling hasn’t shifted, albeit the tactics have. People want to be wooed into belonging and value, not sold something they don’t need.