The ever-remarkable Jeff Martin passed along an item this morning with a four word caption; “the end is near.” He shared a link to a site where inbound marketing software maker HubSpot is offering seventeen customizable templates free to anyone looking to “…create social media content that your audience will want to share with their friends.” The copy cites a social media statistic regarding how people are 44% more likely to engage with social media content that contains pictures. Which is true. But that can be a challenge if you don’t know advanced graphic programs like PhotoShop, so HubSpot made the templates in PowerPoint. Now anyone can click, customize text, save and post to their Facebook feeds. Yeah!

Essentially, HubSpot is promoting clip art for social media. Will it work? Probably, kinda, for a bit. But this kind of ‘advance’ is emblematic of the creeping tactical obsession that cheapens too many digital platforms. Instead of telling big, brand building stories, we reduce online tasks to hits and shares and likes. And the web gets a little more crowded and a lot less interesting.

The content people really want to share with friends is personal. It’s opinionated. And it’s deeply emotionally compelling in one way or another, whether it’s joy or hilarity or anger or wonder.

Shareworthy Content is not stock. It’s not off the rack. It’s creative. Informed by anthropology and serving a strategy, yes, but ultimately, creative.

Because before anyone shares anything, they must first be inspired.

By Dennis Ryan, CCO, Olson