Case Study: Fractl achieves data-driven insights on which content types earn the most social shares with BuzzStream

2 Content Types That Will Earn the Most Shares in 2015

BuzzStream and Fractl set out to help marketers plan their 2015 content strategies by identifying which content formats drive the most social shares. Using BuzzSumo, they tracked 220,000 pieces from 20 domains over six months (June–November 2014) to compare five formats—how-to, lists, what-posts, why-posts, and videos—and pinpoint which formats are reliable and which carry more risk.

Their analysis showed lists and why-posts are the most evergreen and consistent: lists averaged about 21K shares per month with under 1% variance, while why-posts rose from ~18K to ~24K/month with less than 2.5% variance. By contrast, what-posts were highly volatile—peaking at 29K shares in October but showing >13% variance overall—making them a high-reward, high-risk format (favored in tech). The takeaway: prioritize lists and why-posts for steady social performance and use what-posts selectively for potential spikes.

Fractl

Andrea Lehr

Promotions Supervisor