The New York Times Completes Research on 'Psychology of Sharing'

NEW YORK, Jul 13, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The New York Times Customer Insight and Advertising Groups have completed a study on "The Psychology of Sharing," which examines the motivations for why people share online.

While there has been much discussion of social media and how people share, "The Psychology of Sharing" is the first of its kind to examine why people share. The study provides insights to help marketers align their content-sharing strategies with the reasons people share online.

The Psychology of Sharing study is a comprehensive multiphase research study, which was conducted by The New York Times in collaboration with Latitude Research. The findings are based on two qualitative research phases and a quantitative online survey of more than 2,500 medium-to-heavy online content sharers. Key takeaways of the research are:

-- Sharing as Information Management -- With more content, more sources and more people to share with, many users find sharing is a useful way of managing information. 85% of respondents said that reading other people's responses helps them understand and process information and events. 73% said they process information more deeply, thoroughly and thoughtfully when they share it.

-- Motivations for Sharing -- The study identifies five primary motivations for sharing. Each of the five motivations has a common theme: sharing is motivated by the relationships users have with one another. Therefore, marketers should be focused on providing content that enhances consumers' relationships with one another.

-- Personas -- The study identifies six sharing personas. Each persona is defined by emotional motivations, desired presentation of self, role of sharing in their life, and the value of being first to share.

-- Getting Content Shared -- Based on the common motivations and personas, the study offers guidelines and best practices for marketers to get their content shared.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-new-york-times-completes-research-on-psychology-of-sharing-2011-07-13?reflink=MW_news_stmp