Giving It Away Can Pay

Gain publicity, credibility and more when you share documents.

by Josh Peters

Document sharing is an incredibly powerful tool for you and your business. I know firsthand the benefits, because it’s how I got a deal to write a social media guide book. Now, I’m a published author because a publisher found and approached me after I wrote and shared a free e-book.

This is the power of document sharing.

What is document sharing?

Document sharing is a simple concept: You create something of value and put it online for free. You can place it on your website or blog, or you can use online tools like Scribd, DocStoc or Yudu to spread your words even further and help your work be picked up by Google and other search engines quicker.

Why use document sharing?

When it comes to solidifying or even just building your voice in a niche, giving people something to download and share is a powerful way to spread your voice and build your influence. If you create a document that places you ahead of the curve, people will not only read it, but share it, visit your website and be more likely to engage you because they will know more about you.

Free documents can be used to create insertion points into your sales, marketing and lead generation funnels. The document needs to be engaging, solve a problem for the customer and convince the reader that you know what you’re talking about. If it’s a PDF or other dynamic document type, provide links to optimized landing pages so readers can learn more and be placed into your website’s lead generation or marketing funnels.

If people find value in what you have created, they will share it of their own volition via the likes of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Having it linked through websites like Digg and StumbleUpon will give you even more visibility; if it gets picked up, talked about and shared, you will get some relevant, user-generated publicity.

Dangers of document sharing

You need to be smart about how, when, where and why you deploy anything online. Do it with the understanding that it’s going to be there forever. You need to plan all of your online activities because you will be held accountable for what you do and the content you produce.

Accountability isn’t a bad thing, because it can help boost your reputation. If the documents you’re sharing describe how to deal with a situation or fix a problem, you will be held responsible for delivering what you promise. If you do, that’s great and people will respond favorably. If you don’t and instead create a thinly veiled brochure of your company, you can expect to be called out on it.
Understandably, you run the risk of people stealing your document and re-branding it as their own. That’s why it’s important to embed links to your site. Mention names of employees and the company, and adorn it with your logo. But you need to be careful not to come across as overly spammy or self-indulgent, so have someone outside of the company read it before posting it online.

Tips on creating documents

• Link to your company’s websites where appropriate.


• Include your logo throughout the document.


• Provide more information than what’s on your website.


• Discuss documents via your other social media outlets to help build interest prior to release.

Josh Peters is a social media consultant and trainer in Salt Lake City who has worked with companies ranging from Fortune 500 companies to single-owner small businesses. He co-authored TwittFaced and blogs at shuaism.com.