It's no longer good enough to publish ordinary content on the online universe - that content needs to be compelling to your audience. Compelling enough that they want to share it. 

A new study released by ShareThis explains how content is shared, what kind of content is shared and what platforms are being used to share it.

If you're not getting as many shares as you'd like on Facebook, maybe that content would be put to better use on Twitter or vice versa. Lets find out.

Read on to learn what your garden brand should be sharing and where.

Devices

It should come as no surprise that desktop sharing is dropping while mobile sharing is sky rocketing.

Mobile apps and platforms accessed through tablets and smart phones count for a large percentage of digital media used.

While Pinterest, Twitter and Facebook are the leaders in overall social shares, Twitter and Pinterest surpass Facebook in mobile social shares. 

What you can do: First, ensure that your garden brand’s content is formatted for mobile. Next, place social sharing icons near the top of your website and blog so users dont have to hunt for them when they want to share your content.  

Did you know?: Twitter users are more active on smartphones while Pinterest users are more active on tablets. And, it turns out that Android users flock to Facebook and iOS users take to Pinning and Tweeting.

Content

ShareThis discovered that the shares a social media post receives is directly related to the social platform it is hosted on and the kind of content being shared.

For example, Facebook posts receive the most shares when the content is specifically related to politics or parenting.

Twitter shares increase when users are talking business or sports.

Meanwhile, Pinterest is for shoppers! Up 226 percent to last year, Pinterest shares focus on e-commerce, food and fashion.

What you can do: First, ensure you are posting content relevant to your audience. Just because Facebook is the place for politics, don't go ranting off on your garden business page. Next, market your relevant content on the platform where it will receive the most shares.

Do your research, figure out what works and what doesn’t and be consistent when it comes to posting.

Users

This mobile shift not only marks the Millennials flourishing on social channels, but we also see the increase of other generations and nationalities.

Tablets especially are becoming more popular with older generations.

With social engagement growing in both African American and Hispanic groups, ShareThis saw a major contribution from African Americans on mobile growth and a bump in tablets among Hispanics.

Sharing across channels is still dominated by Facebook, but Twitter and Pinterest. Sites like Blogger and Tumblr are also gaining popularity.

What else can you do? 

Just as media channels are continually evolving, as should your garden brand’s content. With the rapid pace of social media, your brand needs to be able to keep up with the latest changes and updates in order to surpass competitors.

People already have their phones and tablets attached at their hip, encourage mobile use while customers are in your store!

Make your brand a reason for them to take out their mobile device. With mobile barcode coupons, it’s easier than ever to give your customers a discount when all they have to do is take out their phone and have it scanned.

Make your brand relevant and make it easy for your customers to share what they love about you the most!

Click below to learn more about social media.