why we share
TRANSCRIPT
Why We Share: The WebinarPresented by: Kate Davids, Senior Research Analyst at Face
Image by Flickr User Carlos Maya
What We’ll Cover
Sharing and Marketing Together
The Personal and Social Roles of Sharing
Where Content Fits In
How To Optimize Your Content
Sharing and Marketing Together
Image by Flickr User Carlos MayaImage by Flickr User Sean MacEntee
“a marketing strategy that focuses on spreading information and opinions about a product or service fromperson to person, especially by using unconventional means such as the Internet or e-mail”
- Dictionary.com
Image by Flickr User coolio-claire
But how do you get people to share your content?
Image by Flickr User Jonathan_W (@whatie)
Most discussions about sharing focus on the content being shared
– what makes it shareable.
Today, we’re going to focus on why people share in the first place.
Image by Flickr User lowjumpingfrog
Personal & Social Roles of Sharing
Image by Flickr User abbybatchelder
Shhh….. Here’s a Secret
Sharing Is Social!
Image by Flickr User Leo Reynolds
Four Big Reasons:
To Gain Social Currency
Tell Others Who We Are
To Help Shape Our Identities
Build Stronger Relationships
Social Capital relies on this giving cycle
“Social capital refers to the collective value of all "social networks" [who people know] and the inclinations that arise from these networks to do things for each other ["norms of reciprocity"].”
- BetterTogether.org
Image by Flickr User katerha
In a way it’s like accumulating favors from people. Like favors, social currency can be transformed into reciprocal favors – and even money.
Image by Flickr User Tony.L.Wong
How Content Can Help Us Gain Social Capital:Passing on content that is useful to their audienceSharing entertaining content that makes them look like they’re interesting and fun
Passing on something new so they look like they’re in the know
The goal is to look good
68% of respondents claimed to share content as a way to give people a better picture of who they are and what they
care about.
Another role of sharing is to tell others who we are, like a badge, proclaiming to others what groups we belong to.
Image by Flickr User portmanteaus“The Psychology of Sharing”The New York Times Customer Insight Group
This allows us to play with our own identities.
Developing ourselves even as we tell others who we are.
Image by Flickr User lissalou66
Sharing also helps us build stronger relationships.
78% of people shared information because it let them stay in touch with people they wouldn’t see normally, and 73% said it helps them connect with
others based on interest.
“The Psychology of Sharing”The New York Times Customer Insight Group
Sharing is complex!
Image by Flickr User michael.heiss
As humans we like to share in order to help satisfy these four needs:
Look better in front of our peers
Understand ourselves better
Tell others who we are
Grow closer to others
Where Content Fits In
Image by Flickr User Bogdan Suditu
Look better in front of our peers
Understand ourselves better
Tell others who we are
Grow closer to others
Share new, interesting, or entertaining content
Content that describes who we are, what we like and our
opinions
Content that others can
comment on, starting a
discussion or further sharing
The content we share has to satisfy at least one of these needs.
Share new, interesting, or entertaining content
Look better in front of our
peers
“I like Dragon Ball Z and he [my avatar] looks like someone from Dragon Ball Z.”
Content that describes who we are, what we like and our opinions
Tell others who we are
Understand ourselves better
Image from: http://j.whyville.net/smmk/whytimes/article?id=13764
6th grade Whyville player Bev: “[My second account] is a boy! And it’s called
cuteguy and I just made it for more clams, but sometimes when I am bored I hang out in that
account.”
Content that describes who we are, what we like and our opinions
Tell others who we are
Understand ourselves better
Image from: http://j.whyville.net/smmk/whytimes/article?id=13764
Grow closer to others
Content that others can comment on,
starting a discussion or further sharing
Image by Flickr User WonderlaneImage by Flickr User ErgSap
We feel like we belong when our friends engage with our social posts.
We feel like we don’t belong when our friends
ignore our posts.
Image by Flickr User WonderlaneImage by Flickr User ErgSap
As marketers we can use human nature, creating content that fulfills these needs -
And people WANT to pass on
@josef
Here’s How
Image by Flickr User V31S70
Make content that will help sharers gain status
Burberry’s Art of the Trench • Shanghai promotional
event• Shared photos of the
event on Sina Weibo. • 99% increase in user
reposts of content
http://www.marketmechina.com/burberrys-powerful-weibo-strategy-and-the-benefits-of-weibo-campaigns/
Make content that helps people describe themselves to others
Skittles Facebook Page• Weird and quirky jokes• Wacky images• Consistently high engagement per post
Make content that helps people engage with each other
Coca-Cola’s Share A Coke• Facebook traffic increased 870%• #1 most talked about Facebook page in Australia, 23rd globally
• 76,000 virtual Coke cans shared online
http://www.nature.com/srep/2012/120329/srep00335/fig_tab/srep00335_F1.html
Thank you
Kate Davids, @katedavidswww.facegroup.com
www.pulsarplatform.comImage by Flickr User Scott McLeod