Social media usage has skyrocketed over the past few years, and many digital publishers have taken advantage of this surge in order to generate extra revenue and traffic to their main and companion sites. Unfortunately, as more and more people have gotten involved with social media, and as more and more changes have been introduced to these platforms, it seems that it’s harder and harder to capitalize on such sites. Thankfully, you can get a leg up on the competition by following social sharing trends. Below are three recent social sharing trends that can used to boost traffic and generate more interest in your publication business.

SEE ALSO: Social Media Drives Advertising for Publishers Now More than Ever

1. Know What, When, and Where to Post

In a recent study conducted by ShareThis, it appears that different social media sites receive attention from different types of web users. For example, the study found that people shared entertainment stories more on Facebook and sports stories on Twitter. Likewise, people were less inclined to discuss politics and controversial topics on social media as opposed to discussing such topics in person. Likewise, knowing when to post in order to get content shared is equally as important as knowing what and where to post. ShareThis found that social media users were generally more likely to post about and share content surrounding an event in the first five days of its occurrence, and this activity often peaks within the first 24 hours. As such, you need to strike while the iron is hot and know when to pull back and focus on other topics.

2. People Are Sharing During Events

Another interesting trend that is taking place related to social sharing is the practice of posting and sharing while an event is taking place. Because people have more access to smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices these days, they are often found to be using these devices to share socially while an event is taking place. For example, during a national football game, many fans will be watching at home, yet they will also be sharing their opinions of the game while it’s still taking place. The same goes for times shortly before and after an event takes place. Another common practice that many people engage in is sharing content surrounding a favorite television show while watching an episode.

3. Following Up

As mentioned, social sharing surrounding an event generally peaks within 24 hours of the event, but the rise in sharing can last for five days or more. Within this sharing, ShareThis found that younger users are typically found within the 24-hour group, while older users are found to be in the five-days-or-more group. What this means is that you can target younger users initially using social sharing tools like Snapchat, but then you can also follow up and target and continue to target older social media users for many more days using Facebook. This approach is one that ultimately maximizes your ability to leverage social sharing across multiple platforms through various targeted demographics.