You ever wonder how to hook into the minds of the people who vote for your articles on social media sites? The secret to writing a Diggable post?

Figure out what they like, and you’re halfway there.

There are three topics that are unbeatable in the world of social media, that almost never miss on Digg, Reddit, Delicious or elsewhere.

They are, in this order: Sex, Tech, and Politics.

Combine two or three of these, and you’ve got a winner.

If you take a look at the top articles on social media sites such as Digg and Reddit, you’ll find that almost all the popular stories fit into one of these three categories.

So it makes sense that, in order to catch the attention of Diggers, you have to appeal to their favorite topics. Now, I’m not saying that every post you write should be about one of those three topics. But if you’re going to write about these topics anyway, make them sexier, write a great headline, and see if you don’t have a shot at social media success.

Let’s take a look at a few tips that can help you find success with social media:

1. Sex sells.

It’s an unfortunate fact of life. A large part of the Digger population, for example, is made up of younger (under 30) males … and there’s no doubt that sex appeals to that demographic. Am I saying you should resort to pornography? Not at all. Just find things that are sexy that you can hook into. A sexy photo doesn’t hurt either.

2. Tech rules.

Let’s face it: the people who use the Internet the most tend to be tech lovers. Apple, Mac, Linux, Microsoft, the iPhone and other new gadgets … these topics are always sexy to Diggers and other social media users.

3. Controversy stirs things up.

And politics is just as controversial as anything else. Political scandal, a politician who dares to challenge the establishment, unusual political stands … these kinds of controversies are bound to catch some attention and get a discussion going. And if you can do these two things, you’ve already won.

4. Sexy headlines.

The only thing you have to catch the attention of a Digger is your headline. If it is about flowers and butterflies and kittens, you’re never going to get their attention. The headline, of course, has to match the article, but that said, there are headlines that are just so-so, and there are headlines that kill. Ask yourself if the headline will catch attention. Ask if it appeals to any of the topics that Diggers like. Ask if it has power, if it appeals to curiosity.

5. Pack the post with great info.

You can’t just have a headline that sells and a lame post that’s about a popular topic. People will see your article, bury it as lame, and never come back again. You want to be extremely useful, extremely informative, extremely packed with great photos or videos, or packed with controversial information. Whatever it is, make it worth the reader’s time to come and check out your post. Otherwise he will feel like he’s just wasted his time on nothing.