Table Of ContentSHAREOLOGY
Praise for
SHAREOLOGY
“If you want to become an authority on the marketplace you serve, the best way to do that
is to share others work. Kramer is the best at showing us how to do it and why.”
—Robert Scoble, Futurist, Rackspace
“The phrase ‘sharing is caring’ may seem trite, but in the new economy sharing is
everything. Those who seek to elevate others by sharing another’s content and messages are
the true influencers of the future. Shareology is the definitive manifesto for the “we”
generation and Bryan Kramer has demonstrated that he is the perfect person to carry the
torch. Read this book, and then share it with someone else!”
—Joel Comm, New York Times Best-Selling Author
“We all talk about sharing and engagement but in all honesty brands and marketers are
selfish and narcissistic. Sorry. Bryan Kramer though has a very human way of inspiring us to
be our best. And that starts with intention and deliberate acts of earning attention and
investing in relationships.”
—Brian Solis, Best Selling Author, Digital Analyst and Anthropologist
“One of the most profound ways to reimagine our future is by sharing our collective
experiences. From stories around a camp fire to a TED Talk or sharing a business blueprint,
our world is opening up to an infinite number of new and profound opportunities. No one
understands this better than Bryan Kramer, the ‘Guru of sharing’. His grasp of why sharing
matters more now than ever before is clearly laid out in this thought provoking book.”
—Juliet Blake, Curator and Producer of The Hundred Foot Journey
“There’s nothing more misunderstood than the concept of ‘influencers’ and ‘influencer
marketing.’ Kramer sets us straight on this, and gives us a MUCH better map towards a more
meaningful success.”
—Chris Brogan, CEO Owner Media Group
“Sharing isn’t just a kindergarten fundamental. It’s also a fundamental that the smartest
businesses are embracing.”
—Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs & Best Selling Author of
Everyone Writes
“Shareology makes a compelling business case for the competitive advantage we can
achieve by transparently and openly sharing knowledge, insights, methods, and especially
our authentically quirky human-ness. The lessons can work on a personal level, as an
individual professional, with an organization, and for entire businesses. Get the book! It puts
wisdom into practice by sharing what you learn through the reactions and outcomes you
experience.”
—Mark Yolton, VP Digital Strategy & Enablement, Cisco
“Social sharing is the new currency of online business. Discover how to mine for social
gold by digging into Bryan Kramer’s book, Shareology.”
—Michael Stelzner, Founder of Social Media Examiner and host of the Social Media
Marketing podcast
“Bryan Kramer has done a stellar job of blending today’s social technologies with the
vital soft skills so needed for success in today’s open and connected world. Technology has
evolved radically in the last few years, but at the core, humans want to share and be
acknowledged in order to belong, to connect, to know that we’re important, that we matter.
Entrepreneurs and mega brands alike are bound to see significant positive impact by studying
Shareology and applying the teachings. Two thumbs way up!”
—Mari Smith, Author The New Relationship Marketing, Thought Leader & Premier
Facebook Marketing Expert
“Sharing has always been an integral part of what we all do, but in the new world of
social platforms and instantaneous output of content, understanding the hows and whys is
essential. Bryan Kramer, in his inimitable fashion, lays it out for the reader… plain, simple,
and easy to understand and implement.”
—Ted Rubin, Author of Return on Relationship, Keynote Speaker, and Acting CMO of
Brand Innovators
“In a heartfelt and investigative way, Bryan helps decode the sharing economy and build
the justification for increased enterprise level sharing. Listening, sharing, and openness are
difficult concepts for many companies to promote, yet consumers are increasingly
demanding these attributes. Any organization that would like to develop impactful campaigns
with different stakeholders to increase and justify sharing would benefit from Shareology.”
—Ari Lightman, Professor, Digital Media and Marketing, The Heinz College, Carnegie
Mellon University
“My mission is to connect big companies with customers using new technologies, so
digital sharing is at the crux of what’s important to me. Shareology teaches us why mastering
the art and science of sharing is critical, and explains it in a way that’s easy to understand,
and actionable right now. For anyone else like me, who embraces sharing, Shareology is a
must read.”
—Jeremiah Owyang, Founder at Crowd Companies
“Brands, marketers, and anyone with a social media account are trying to find ways to
connect with their audience. But the focus has been on manipulating content to make it more
attractive. No one has taken us into the mind of consumers and what makes them want to
share. It is not about building a better mousetrap, it is understanding what makes the mouse
want the cheese.”
—Todd Wilms, Head of Corporate Communications, Neustar
SHAREOLOGY
HOW SHARING IS POWERING
THE HUMAN ECONOMY
BRYAN KRAMER
SHAREOLOGY
HOW SHARING IS POWERING THE HUMAN ECONOMY
© 2016 BRYAN KRAMER.
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by
any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews
or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published in New York, New York, by Morgan James Publishing. Morgan James and The Entrepreneurial Publisher are
trademarks of Morgan James, LLC. www.MorganJamesPublishing.com
The Morgan James Speakers Group can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event visit The
Morgan James Speakers Group at www.TheMorganJamesSpeakersGroup.com.
ISBN 978-1-63047-384-6 paperback
ISBN 978-1-63047-385-3 eBook
ISBN 978-1-63047-385-3 hardcover
Library of Congress Control Number: 2014946474
Cover Design by:
Rachel Lopez
www.r2cdesign.com
Interior Design by:
Bonnie Bushman
Caboodle Graphics
In an effort to support local communities and raise awareness and funds, Morgan James
Publishing donates a percentage of all book sales for the life of each book to Habitat for
Humanity Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.
Get involved today, visit
www.MorganJamesBuilds.com
DEDICATION
To Courtney, thank you for sharing your life with me.
To Emerson and Henry, never stop creating and smiling. Life is good.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgments
PART I The Shareology Backstory
Chapter 1 The Importance of Sharing
Digital and Social Technologies Are Making a HUGE Impact
Resisting the Cocoon
So Why Do We Share at All?
The Secret Sauce for Brands
The Shareability Quotient
Chapter 2 Sharing in the Human Economy
Taking It to the Next Level
Integrating Social
Chapter 3 The Importance of Context
What Is Context?
Contextual Shape-Shifting
Personalizing the Experience
Chapter 4 The Human Business Movement
Human to Human
Being a Leader in the Human Economy
The Giving Ratio
Do People Trust What You’re Sharing?
Being Delightful
The Power of Humor
Quantity + Quality × Consistency = Success
PART II The -Ology of Sharing
Chapter 5: Sharing: A Sensory Experience
Understanding Your Social Body Language
Early Lessons in Delivering Value
Listening: The Big Daddy of Social Body Language
Social Listening Tools
Build the Right Listening Team
The Importance of Active Listening
Voice and Tone
Demeanor
Chapter 6 Timing Is Everything
Test When You Share
Knowing When Not to Share
The TMI Factor: When Does Sharing Become Too Much?
The Blurred Lines between Automation and Human Interaction
Chapter 7 Redefining Influencers Inside and Out
Finding and Cultivating Influencers in Your Industry
Always Start with People
True Influence Is #H2H: The Leadtail and PureMatter “Influencers That Drive
Social Media for the Brands We Love” Report
Conversationalists
Amplifiers
Brand Champions
Who Are They?
Empowering Employees to Be Influencers
Seeking Influencers
Chapter 8 Connections and Conversations: Analyzing Social Platforms
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
Instagram
YouTube
What’s in Store for the Future of These Platforms?
Chapter 9 Creating Shared Experiences
What Are Shared Experiences?
Shared Experiences in Action: The Curious Case of Left Shark
Promoting Great Shared Experiences
Know Your Sharers and Why They Share
Hashtags
Chapter 10 Social Selling Helping
Chapter 11 What Makes Stuff Worth Sharing
Content Marketing, Social Sharing, and the Rule of Thirds
Create a Content Strategy by Thinking Like a Media Company
How Can an Agency Support a Campaign, and How Do You Know When You
Need One?
Leveraging the Crowd
The Secrets to Making Something Crowdworthy
