Content Sharing Success Recipes From six of the most socially-shared (and a seventh bonus expert).

Brought to you by the Fusion Marketing Experience and the contributors to this eBook who were kind enough to share their views and advice.

“Share your knowledge. It is a way to achieve immortality.” ― Dalai Lama

Good marketing content serves a purpose and strives for mutual value: for the audience and the business. It requires a clear understanding of what people want. However, just creating content isn't enough, no matter how effective and enchanting it is. Distribution - to use an old broadcasting term - is key. The right content and information in the right format across the right channels to the right audiences. Ideally at the right time… Social plays a huge role in the ways content gets shared and seen. As Brian Solis said at a Fusion Marketing Experience event: "talk to and though your audiences". Understand the needs of the audiences of your audiences first. So, how does content get shared? There is no simple answer.

Introduction

We asked six of the most socially-shared marketing experts ( + 1 bonus).

Clarity, real needs and terrific headlines Two tips here. First, understand with extreme clarity for whom you are creating content, and what their REAL needs are. For example, nobody needs socks, they need their feet to be less cold. That's why much of the best content isn't about products and service precisely, but is about larger (yet still relevant) topics. This is the magic of marketing sideways. Second, the unit of attention continues to shrink. If you want your content shared, you need to invest considerable time in crafting terrific headlines.

Jay Baer

'The unit of attention is shrinking'

NY Times best selling author, marketing consultant, keynote speaker. President of Convince & Convert. - @jaybaer

First, understand with extreme clarity for whom you are creating content, and what their REAL needs are. (Jay Baer)

Jay Baer

The four steps of getting your content shared First, create content worth sharing. Content that is thoughtful about providing useful information for a specific audience is far more likely to be shared. Second, it's important to develop networks and channels of distribution. Social Media provides opportunities to develop these types of networks, but it takes time as does the growth of an email list. Third, you can pay your way to exposure through search and social advertising as well as sponsorships and editorial based advertising. Fourth, connect with individuals and communities that already have an audience and find a way to use your content to create value for them. If you can accomplish that, they will share like nothing else.

Lee Odden

'Connect with Individuals and communities'

It's important to develop networks and channels of distribution. (Lee Odden)

CEO: @TopRank Online Marketing. Author, Speaker & Consultant Focused on Content Marketing, Social Media, PR & Search - @leeodden

Lee Odden

Build relationships with information In 2006 there were 35 million blogs, today there are 237ish million. There's a lot of noise and everyone is clamoring for attention by way of content. What I tell people is that writing content is the easy part, getting anyone to read it takes skill -- today more than ever. Start by building your networks before you need them. A great network is exponentially more valuable than a killer blog post that nobody knows exists. Also, remember two things when it comes to the creation of and sharing of content: that you get what you give and nobody wants to be marketed to. Write to serve your audience, build relationships with information, put people first. That's a winning equation.

'You get what you give. Nobody

wants to be marketed to'

Shelly Kramer

A great network is exponentially more valuable than a killer blog post that nobody knows exists. (Shelly Kramer)

Marketing/brand strategist, idea generator, digital content magician, scribbler, information junkie. v3im.com - @shellykramer

Shelly Kramer

Focus on the real goals of your content I have found that focusing just on getting your content shared can be a tricky and even dangerous proposition. I think it’s important to focus on the real goals of your content (engaging a new audience, driving your brand affinity for a topic, etc.). Then social sharing should be an outcome of creating content that matches the goal, not the goal itself. So the answer is really simple: create content your audience wants and if they like it, they will share it.

Michael Brenner

'Social sharing should be an outcome

of content that matches the goal'

Create content your audience wants and if they like it, they will share it. (Michael Brenner)

Vice President of Marketing and Content Strategy @SAP. Managing Editor for @Biz_Innovations. Speaker, Author and Blogger @Forbes and @B2BMKTGInsider - @BrennerMichael

Michael Brenner

Don’t overlook the “network” dimension It is a very complicated question because there are so many factors that weigh into a decision to share content. Obviously, the content must be share-worthy. But beyond that, you must actively, systematically, and continuously work to build an audience who has a propensity to share your content. That is not a quick or easy thing to do. Most people get "content," but few understand "network" -- the second critical component of a social media strategy.

Mark W. Schaefer

'Work to build an audience who has

a propensity to share your content'

Most people get "content," but few understand "network" -- the second critical component of a social media strategy. (Mark W. Schaefer)

Chieftain of the blog {grow} and social media bouncer. Consultant, educator, podcaster, author of Return On Influence, Born to Blog, and The Tao of Twitter - @markwschaefer

Mark W. Schaefer

Religiously track If you want to learn how to make your content that gets shared more often then you need to create more content. I can give you many tips on creating more shareable content, but the best way for anyone to learn how is to do. You need to start creating content, the sheer act and repetition of content creation will lead to many insights on why some content gets shared and most does not. For example you may write 25 blog posts and none of them get over 5 retweets on Twitter, but that 26th post gets over 100 RTs. Why? You need to look at that 26th post and try to figure out what caused it to get shared while the other posts did not. My advice is to start creating content and religiously track how that content is shared.

Mack Collier

'Track how that content is shared'

The sheer act and repetition of content creation will lead to many insights on why some content gets shared and most does not. (Mack Collier)

Helping companies Think Like a Rock Star & with a Southern accent. Founder of #Blogchat - www.mackcollier.com - @MackCollier

Mack Collier

How SlideShare presentations go viral We asked Doug Kessler what makes his SlideShare presentations go viral in an interview at the occasion of the Content Marketing Conference Europe where Doug was a keynote speaker. Doug Kessler: I could post-rationalise and make all our lucky moves sound like strategy, but — what the hell, I will: • Grab a timely issue that your target audience really cares about

(it helps if you ARE your target audience. WE write for fellow content marketers).

• Focus on one story within that issue. One angle. One spin. • Give it some attitude and energy. • Have fun. • Do a dozen or so rewrites to tighten it up. • Get a great designer to make the story leap off the page. • Most of all, treat SlideShare like a medium not a place where

decks go to die.

Bonus: Doug Kessler

'Grab a timely issue your target audience

really cares about'

Focus on one story within an issue your audience cares about. One angle. One spin. (Doug Kessler)

Creative Director & Co-founder of Velocity, B2B marketing agency to the stars. I tweet on content marketing, B2B copywriting, social media, tech marketing...@dougkessler

Doug Kessler

#fusionmex Content Marketing Conference Europe 2014 Creating business value through customer value using content marketing.

By J-P De Clerck - founder Fusion Marketing Experience Vector image: Shutterstock - Copyright: venimo