These slides describe why creating content that gets shared matters in today's online marketing environment, presents some high level tips for what types of content get shared and walks through a variety of different ways brands can create shareable content.

1. Awesome finds awesome!
Creating shareable content in a social world.
Sean McGinnis
Marketing GM, Director of Digital Marketing
http://SearsPartsDirect.com

2. About Me
Marketing GM Sears PartsDirect
14 years digital marketing experience
Dad, Husband, Son, Golfer, Gadfly, Lawyer, Leader, Lunatic
PLEASE Connect with me!
Twitter – @SeanMcGinnis
Facebook - @SMcGinnis
LinkedIn - @SeanMcGinnis

3. Agenda
• Why does share-ability matter?
• What types of content tend to get shared?
• Examples of share-able content + tips & tricks

4. Why Does Share-ability
Matter?

5. Direct Traffic
Massive traffic can come from direct share.

6. Links
http://moz.com/article/search-ranking-factors
Links remain the #1 search ranking factor

7. Direct Traffic Case Study

8. 12 Most Ridiculous Job Titles in Social Media
• July 26, 2011

9. 12 Most Enchanting Things About Google Plus
• August 1, 2011

10. 12 Most Compelling Reasons to Home School
Your Children
• February 12, 2012

11. What Types of Content
Tend to Get Shared?

12. Arousal is the key!
“Content that evokes either positive (awe) or
negative (anger or anxiety) emotions
characterized by high arousal is more viral.
Content that evokes low arousal emotion
(sadness) is less viral.”
- Social Transmission, Emotion, and the Virality of Online Content
Jonathan Berger & Katherine L. Milkman

13. ANGER

14. AWE

15. ANXIETY

16. Examples of Share-able
Content + Tips & Tricks

17. Don’t Just Share Your Own Work

18. Curate and Re-Share Content!
• Ads of the world
took content from
Neutron. Re-
packaged it.
• Links to Ads of the
World re-shared
post = 471
• Links to the original
post by Neutron = 2

19. Manage & Encourage Ongoing Re-Shares
• Ask for a link back if not provided.
• List yourself or site as creator of work.
• Embed links into content or other works. Many scrapers
take everything whole cloth, including links.
• Encourage sharing through social sharing buttons.
• Have an easy to find policy outlining and encouraging
sharing & re-use with attribution and links back.
• Build a kick-ass community (more on this later).

20. What Types of Content Get Shared?
• Anecdotal examples from my personal Facebook sharing
habits.

21. A Hilarious Spin

22. Subtle (from a branding perspective)

23. Flow Chart
• Can be very effective.
• Apply to both a B2C and B2B
context.
• Can be informative or
humorous.

24. Cheeky

25. Clarify the Complicated: With Style
• Hits home for
everyone who
spends any time in
social media.
• Funny, Rings
pretty
true, explanatory.

26. Create a Meme
Or just participate in one

31. About Us Page
Hat tip to the amazing
@ShellyKramer
for the find & share on
her blog
http://www.v3im.com
Be Creative! Dare to try something different.

32. Create a list
243 Blog posts listed in this end of year round up

33. Hold a contest

34. Contests have multiple benefits

35. …and more benefits.

36. And even more benefits

37. We don’t need no stinking ________!
• Let people BRAG!
• I bet we can come up with 20
right now!
• Brainstorm reasons to use a
badge with me!

38. Give of yourself first
Does anyone remember the Blogroll these days?

39. Engage in Your Community
Awesome isn’t JUST about sharing

40. Take a position
• Taking a position feels SCARY
as a brand.
• Fear of alienating half your
constituents.
• Find safe ground to test it out.
• Stay away from religion &
politics, unless that is your
core.
• Will help clarify brand essence
and vision of business!

41. Show emotion
• Be human.
• Do NOT be afraid to do
something different!
• Speak with a human voice
(no matter the company).
h/t Cluetrain Manifesto
• Be remarkable – that’s
what awesome is all
about!

42. Appeal to the Human Condition

43. Real Connections Matter

44. Real Connections Matter
Asked two friends
same question via
Facebook message.
Two answers within
10 minutes.

45. People Are Awesome!
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vo0Cazxj_yc

46. Questions?

47. Connect with me!
Twitter – @SeanMcGinnis
Facebook - @SMcGinnis
LinkedIn - @SeanMcGinnis