Getting people to share your content is more crucial than ever. But how do we increase the chance that our content will hit the sharing sweet spot? For my talk at Social Media Day I developed this pragmatic framework.

1. SHO-TIME!
by @gerriesmits
17/03/16
A USER-CENTRIC TOOLKIT
FOR SHARING OPTIMISATION

2. • Ik help organisaties om meer
uit het internet te halen.
• Ik ben gepassioneerd door de
impact van het ‘digitale’ op
producten, op communicatie,
op communities, op gedrag,…
• Ik doe dat door zo veel
mogelijk te vertrekken vanuit
gebruikers en hun behoeften.
20 years experience in industries
that got disrupted by internet
Music
Industry
TV
Print
Media
Marketing
Govern-
ment

3. I even worked in government

4. • Ik help organisaties om meer
uit het internet te halen.
• Ik ben gepassioneerd door de
impact van het ‘digitale’ op
producten, op communicatie,
op communities, op gedrag,…
• Ik doe dat door zo veel
mogelijk te vertrekken vanuit
gebruikers en hun behoeften.
Now, I help organisations get
more out ofthe internet
+
Comms
Marketing
Business/
Product
Organi-
sation
Culture

5. Some organisations
I worked with/for

6. First
1

7. A story about clubbing

8. Omni-channel, fragmentation,…
There’s so much we need to do.
ACTIONS
TOOLS
ADVERT
CONTENT
PURPOSE

9. We need some
Sharing Optimisation
inspired by Faris Yakob
ACTIONS
TOOLS
ADVERT
CONTENT
PURPOSE
inspired by Faris Yakob

10. Social and the
sharing challenge
2

11. Create For
Limited
Attention!
Create forthe
Thumb Swipe!
Your competitors on social are not
just your industry competitors.
They are friends, media
companies, brands from other
industries.

12. You don’t reach
anybody
You earn(a fraction of attention from)
somebody

13. There’s a tax on irrelevance

14. Everybody likes a bit of
Free distribution
Viral reach is
increasingly important

15. Everybody likes the
added value of
Social Context
(recommendation, authenticity,…)
Viral reach is
increasingly important

16. From Pageviews to ‘Viral Lift’

17. “
“
Matt Stopera,
Sr Editor Buzzfeed
If something has a 1.5 viral
lift and 100,000 views
and above, that was
worth doing.
It’s a failure ifyou have
400,000 views and a 1.1
or 1.2 lift. That’s a flop."

18. So yet another challenge
Be where people care2.0
Be where people share3.0
Be where people are1.0
>>

19. User-Centric
Thinking
3

20. The amount ofyears running that
CEOs have pointed at technology
as the single most important
external force shaping their
organisations
4
IBM study

21. fact
Digital makes business uncertain
about relationship with user
?

22. Gartner Hype Cycle
Chase technology?
Impossible & tiring
fact
Peak of inflated
expectations
Through of
Disillusionment
Slope of
Enlightenment
Plateau of
Productivity

23. The only stable element in this
equation of uncertainty are people
!!
Human needs
and motivations
remain pretty
constant
Technology is
volatile and
changes rapidly
+ = ?

24. flip
Customer Experience
HR/
Talent
New
Products
Tech
/IT
Process
Marketing / Comms
By putting people
in the middle, it
becomes easier to
identify the impact
of ‘digital’ on all
aspects of the
business.
My user-centric framework

25. Atoolkit for SHO
4

26. !! In 1 model
Content
WHAT
Channels
WHERE
Form
HOW
User
WHO
Needs
WHY
Evaluation
DATA

27. Who >>
Personas + network
4.1
Let’s not just think
about personas/
characters in our
story.
Let’s also look at their
network, so we
understand the
person in a
networked context.
Strong ties
Weak ties

28. Why >>
Share Needs
4.2
Find out why people would share or pass
on a piece of content.
What’s in it for them?
If people use your product, ie. your
content, what job do theywant it to fulfil?

29. Why >>
Reasons to Share
4.2
Source: Buzzfeed

30. Why >>
Share Stories
4.2
I share this
with…
…in order to
achieve…
HELLO,
I am …
WHO WHY
(DIG DEEP!)

31. What >>
Overlap share needs + ourvalue
4.3
Our Mission
Our Value
Why People
Share

32. What can WE do/make/
mean/say so our
audience & clients can
fulfil their deepest
sharing needs?

33. What >>
Silly example
4.3
CONTENTv01
A list of training sessions relevant for teachers
WHO
Headmaster / school directors
WHY / SHARING NEED
I want to be seen as someone who cares about my
teachers.
I want to be seen as someone knowledgeable.

34. What >>
Silly example
4.3
CONTENTv02
A printable list of training sessions, with tickboxes for
the director to curate and select.
“I think this might be something foryou.”

35. Where >>
Fragmentation is reality
'Dark' social
74%
Other SM
7%
Facebook
19%
Sources of inbound web traffic
RadiumOne study
4.4

36. Where >>
Be where they (sh)are
4.4
I share this
with
…in order to
achieve…
…via
channel…
WHO WHY WHERE
HELLO,
I am …

37. How >>
Nudge forthe share
4.5
1. Think about Share statements. What
would people say if they forwarded/
shared/talked about this?
2. Are there phrases/words/images
which can trigger the sharing need?

38. How >>
Be where they (sh)are
4.5
I share this
with
…in order to
achieve…
…via
channel…
WHO WHY WHERE
… by saying
these words.
HOW
HELLO,
I am …

39. How >>
Silly example
4.5

40. Data >>
Understand sharing behaviour
4.6
Focus less on Reach and more on
Share ratio.
Use your data to understand the Why
better.
A/B test.

41. !! Impact goes deeper
Content Talent
ProcessCulture
Who
Why
What
Where
How
Data

42. Build this ‘WhyWould They Share’
workflow into your editorial/
content processes.
Way ofWorking
6 days
4.7

43. My audience shares because…
Way ofWorking
6 weeks >> Library of Share Needs
4.7
… I want to express
pride about my city
… I want to be the friend
who entertains
… I want to be seen as
generous
… I want my colleagues
to do a better job
… …

44. Number 1
attribute for
success in
digital world
according to
business
leaders?
Empathy
study University of South California
Skills4.8

45. Finally
5

46. Forget
Digital
Strategy
It’s about
Strategy for
a Digital Age

47. Companies and organisations that
really
really
really
understand their users,
their motivations & this needs
have a competitive advantage in solving
today’s complex problems.
It’s really not that much about technology.
It’s about people, living in an increasingly
digital world.
My belief

48. “If you have your face
towards the CEO,
you have your ass towards
the customer.”
-
Jack Welch, ex-CEO
General Electric

49. THANK YOU >>
gerrie@gerriesmits.com
+32 491 354 365
@gerriesmits