5 Ways to make insanely shareable Instagram content (like @greg_goya)

Recently, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri revealed that the amount of shares is the most important metric on Instagram, so we set out to find an Instagram account that was rolling in them. Greg Goya is a street artist with over a million Instagram followers. As part of his rise on the platform, several of his reels have racked up literally thousands of shares each and we’re here to unravel his success so you can apply it to your own Instagram content.

Here are 5 of the biggest ways you can blow up the shares on your content like @greg_goya did… 

1. Make it personal

When you think of love, you can probably picture a handful of people you love in different ways. There’s the passionate love of a romantic partner, the safety of the love of a parent and the joy of the love of a friend. How about when you think of heartbreak? You may be plunged into a memory of a love that didn’t work out, be it the infatuation of a first crush, a strained long-distance romance or the cruelty of unrequited love. 

Themes such as love and heartbreak are universal which makes them easy to use to connect with a vast amount of people. But beyond the wide impact, the nature of these human experiences makes them extremely personal on an individual level. Each person connecting with these themes can recognise and relate to them in a personal way, bringing their own unique histories, memories, thoughts, feelings, hopes, desires and dreams to the topic.  

The reels above use a simple prompt to spark a personal connection with the content. They use themes that most, if not all, people can relate to while sparking individual connection to drive engagement. The viewer is transported to a memory or a feeling that relates to another person in order to have maximum impact. Who do you think of when you look at them? That is the question you need to ask when crafting content to get more shares. 

2. Make it deep

The beauty of sparking personal connections with content is that it can cut right to the core of who we are as humans and help us connect with one another. But to make an even bigger impact, look to deepen that personal connection by colouring content with emotion. It’s in linking a personal experience with a strong emotional response that content resonates deeply with individuals and begs people to share it.

The reels above elicit emotional responses such as nostalgia, regret, lust, pain, grief and courage. The nostalgia of a childhood game can whip up feelings of being fun and carefree. The memory of a first kiss can be painted in several different shades of lust, love, regret, joy or loss depending on who is remembering it. The question, “What’s the hardest challenge you have overcome?” can evoke strong feelings of pain, grief and struggle alongside triumph and courage.

The magic in these examples is that they can stir up several different emotional responses. It’s as if the content transforms with the viewership; the response and the sharing of the content with other people is part of the art. 

Revisiting memories often happens with other people. Nostalgia is often enjoyed among childhood friends. Love is remembered among lovers. Triumph is celebrated with those who witnessed it. Can you see how these emotional responses drive shares? Emotional experiences are often shared experiences. These pieces of content are best enjoyed through sharing them with other people because viewers can reminisce and connect over a shared memory sparked by the content.

3. Make it recognisable 

Something @greg_goya does in the majority of his Instagram posts is he takes everyday items that are instantly recognisable by most people and he transforms them. Adding an unusual twist to ordinary street signs is a staple of his work. By taking something people are familiar with, viewers can connect easily with the content while waiting to see what will unfold. There’s something fascinating about taking the mundane and breathing new life into it. This is a great way to grab attention and get people talking (and sharing!).

Look at the three examples above. Take note of the recognisable objects and how differently you feel about them when they are presented in a new way. Can you picture who you would share these reels with? The unique way of viewing recognisable items is a reason to share in its own right. Paint in your own personal experience of the subject matter and an emotional response and you’ll have the shares stacking up in no time. 

4. Make it fresh 

Another way to increase the amount of shares on your content is to come up with something that hasn’t been done before. You could come up with something entirely new or put a new spin on something that already exists. It might feel like it’s impossible to be unique these days, with so much content being uploaded every day, but @greg_goya proves it doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming to come up with something unique. All it requires is thinking outside the box. 

At the heart of getting shares is giving people a reason to share. Continually put yourself in the position of the viewer and ask yourself, “Who would I share this piece of content with?” What’s going to make someone share your content instead of (or alongside) other content. Regurgitating content and ideas that are already out there isn’t going to give you an edge. Coming up with something fresh will.

5. Make it connect

When you’re aiming to increase a specific metric on social media it can be easy to get caught up in the numbers, but that’s not the way to approach increasing the amount of shares your content collects. Sharing starts with connecting, so treat people like humans instead of numbers.

If you want to get more shares on your content, you have to create content with shares in mind. That may seem overwhelmingly straightforward, but sometimes the most obvious strategies are easiest to overlook. There’s no point in creating your usual content and then trying to find a magic caption, filter or piece of music as a fix to an underwhelming amount of shares. 

People share content to connect with others. Crafting content that connects with others starts with an idea or a theme and creating a piece of content that facilitates the ability to connect. When a person can instantly picture someone else in their mind the moment they see a piece of content, that is the key to getting more shares.

Now that you have a proven 5-step strategy for getting more shares, watch them skyrocket with Minter.io - the social media analytics company with all the metrics worth tracking. Start your success story here!