Editor’s note: Here is the introduction of John Hlinko’s new book, Share Retweet Repeat. Care2 is giving away 5 copies! Leave your comment below for a chance to win.

Why do some online messages spread like wildfire, while others fall flat? Why do some people spread those messages far more effectively than others? And how can you combine the ideal messages and messengers to make your messages explode into ubiquity?

This book will show you how to craft, combine, and implement the components of a truly explosive viral campaign—even if you are working with a tiny budget, or no budget at all.

For most of the last twenty years, I have been knee-deep in the world of viral marketing, moving back and forth between public relations, advertising, comedy writing, technology, and political campaigns. This has included helping lead MoveOn.org, one of the first truly hyper-viral online campaigns, during its initial launch in 1998. It has also including helping lead the highly viral (and successful) DraftObama.org, an effort to build support for then Senator Obama prior to his entrance into the race. Finally, I’ve been fortunate enough to have worked extensively with a range of Fortune 500 companies, spanning from Walmart to Microsoft to Disney.

Some of the most successful viral efforts I worked on started not with huge companies or organizations, but with small groups or even a single individual. Seeing the way that they too were able to harness the power of viral marketing for incredible success taught me a valuable lesson: If you are an individual seeking to get your message out to the world, you now have the opportunity to do so in a way that was simply impossible a few decades or even a few years ago.

Throughout these efforts, the common thread of my work has been using online technology to build movements and spur buzz—and to do it as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

This has meant focusing on three key components that I like to call the Viral Trifecta: (1) crafting content that is “spread- worthy”; (2) identifying and engaging the people most likely to spread it; and (3) taking advantage of the technologies that lend themselves most effectively to spreading that content.

Often, when my work has been covered in the media, it’s been the technology that got the most attention, if not the sole attention. It’s understandable, since that’s the most obvious differentiator from the marketing efforts of the past, and frankly where the spotlight is shining most brightly. Let’s face it, cutting-edge technology is pretty sexy. It’s a huge part of what makes viral marketing even possible. But iTunes wouldn’t have listeners without the music, YouTube wouldn’t have viewers without the videos, and Amazon wouldn’t have readers without the books. Great viral campaigns may spread via cutting-edge technology platforms, but they are ultimately fueled by spread-worthy content.

Further, the content doesn’t spread itself—people do. Great content in the hands of the right people—what we’ll call “multipliers”— has always been the not-so-secret recipe for getting a message to spread ever since people started coming up with messages in the first place.

There is no doubt, however, that new technologies have dramatically increased the potential rewards for a successful viral effort. In the last few years, there has been a profound leap in the ability of multipliers to multiply. The emergence of the Internet— and especially social media—has given these individuals the power to quickly spread a message to thousands of friends and family members with a few keystrokes. They aren’t just message recipients, they’re micro publishers.
This is a profound shift. Never before in human history have so many people had the ability to spread a message so far, so wide, and so quickly. If you are trying to spread a message yourself, understanding this shift and how to exploit it is critical to maximizing your success.

And there’s another reason to exploit that shift. We’re in a time when consumers are more cynical than ever about the information they receive — especially from companies. According to a survey by Yankelovich, a research firm with a particular expertise in consumer attitudes, 76 percent of consumers don’t believe companies tell the truth in advertisements. Their friends, on the other hand, they do still trust (at least, more so than the companies).

If you want your message to penetrate beyond the 24 percent who are still blissfully receptive to advertising, a peer-to-peer spreading component is critical. We’re in a new era, an era where small companies and even individuals can harness the power of viral marketing to compete effectively with the biggest of the big boys. If you learn the rules, and understand the tools, the sky truly is the limit.

Intrigued? Share your thoughts on social media and new technologies below, and you could win a copy of the book. We will be giving away 5 copies to commenters at random.