Fake news is an ugly topic for those (politicians & celebrities) affected by it, but a goldmine for digital marketers who excel at it. Whether you like this sort of content or not, the marketing strategies and talent behind such schemes provide fascinating lessons in advertising, publishing, content, social media gamification and viral growth tactics. We'll first explore what exactly fake news is, what the incentives are for creating fake news stories, understanding the technology backbone that makes this a lucrative endeavor, and what we can do to to fix or limit the effects of this social media driven phenomenon.