I had that idea in mind when I read an article on Adweek‘s site last week — “3 tips for creating original social content your audience loves.”

Be sure to click through and read it — it will help. Simply substitute “book” for “company” or “brand” and you’ll have no trouble seeing how it can help you promote your book.

One of the three tips hit home with me because I experienced how that works just a few weeks ago on the Build Book Buzz Facebook page. It’s the third tip from Larry Alton, to “continuously gather ideas.”

A small success story

Simply by always being on the lookout for what I can share that will be interesting to authors, I created a Facebook Page post that has generated more comments than anything I have ever posted on my business Page.

Here’s the story behind my success with this simple concept.

A couple of sunny Saturdays ago, I visited my friends at their cottage on Keuka Lake in New York’s beautiful Finger Lakes region. We decided to start the afternoon with a drive south along the lake shore to a cute little town called Hammondsport, where we wandered in and out of the town’s shops to see what was new and fun.

In one particularly spacious antique store, I spotted a bookcase in the back with an impressive collection of Nancy Drew books for sale. Any of you who grew up on Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books will appreciate my delight!

I captured the moment with this photo below.

A few days later, almost on a whim, I posted the picture on my Facebook Page with a short caption: “Does this bring back memories for you, too?”

Boy, did it!

In addition to generating an unusual number of comments, that single random image also shot up to second place in terms of post “reach.”

Continuously gather ideas

And it happened because I’m continuously gathering ideas.

What surprised me as much as the “likes” and number of comments was who commented — some of them are people who haven’t even “liked” the Page. There’s no question that Nancy Drew speaks to many others in the same way she spoke to me that sunny Saturday.

The comments were fun to read — who doesn’t like being reminded of the Cherry Ames and Vicki Barr series? And let’s not forget the Hardy Boys — the antique store had a shelf of those books, too.

It was an important reminder to me to always be looking — and to share what I find, too.

Attract readers with your content’s originality

Are you always looking for ideas? Think about about how you can attract readers with your content. When you have your readers in mind, it will be easier to identify what might be interesting.

Originality definitely helps. Nobody sees things through the same lens as you. Your unique view matters.

Whether it’s a photo of your work space, a tweet about something you overheard in a coffee shop, or a blog post about how you overcame an obstacle, share something that’s uniquely you.

If all you have time for is sharing content that others post, be certain to add your own spin to it with a comment. To paraphrase the “American Idol” judges, that will make it your own.

This adds value to your readers while it gives them insights into who you are — and people like to know that. It’s how you attract readers and make the connections that turn followers into fans.

How do you use content to attract readers? Tell us in a comment!