Going Viral

The 9 factors that make content go viral

Going Viral explains what makes digital content go viral, using a careful analysis of the nine principal factors that cause people to want to share an image, an article or a video. Drawing on various disciplines, such as maths, psychology and economics, Brent Coker reveals the human mechanisms hidden behind a simple click or an innocent like.

Read in 14 min.

Listen in 18 min.

Many useful tips to:

Understand that the factors that push people to share content are actually predictable.
Appreciate the importance of “social currency” in viral marketing.
Recognise that people’s actions are guided by their emotions.

The author of the book:

Brent Coker is a digital marketing pioneer, researcher and professor at the University of Melbourne, who has dedicated years to researching and studying what motivates people to share content on the internet. He holds a PhD in consumer psychology and was the first to develop an algorithm that can predict the spread of memes and advertising videos.

IDEA CHIAVE 1/12

We need to be motivated to share content

Content becomes viral when, thanks to the use of digital media, it is spread fast, far and wide. Just like a virus, the more content is exposed to a multitude of people, the greater the chance that it will expand and “take root”, virtually, without limits. Sharing is what makes content go viral; but this is not a new concept, it is simply the evolution of word-of-mouth. What is revolutionary, compared to the classic marketing methods used in the past, is the speed with which content can spread, thanks to the digital world. By bringing together knowledge from various disciplines, such as mathematics, psychology and economics, it is possible to explain not only why certain content goes viral, but also to predict strategies and techniques that allow images, information and videos to reach millions of people in just a few seconds. At the root of this dynamic, there is only one factor we need to consider: motivation. Viral marketing studies and analyses what motivates people to share content.

The key ideas of " Going Viral"

01.

We need to be motivated to share content

02.

What is “social currency” and why is it so important?

03.

When we communicate on social media, we are driven by the need to increase our self-esteem, to feel superior and to show a positive image of ourselves

04.

Emotions are very powerful because they motivate us to act and they are highly contagious

05.

Our expectations make us more communicative and eager to interact

06.

Leveraging people’s passions to create a sense of identification is an excellent strategy for creating content that can go viral

07.

Our innate sense of justice makes us feel called to action when we see disadvantaged people struggling

08.

We tend to follow the crowd when we are afraid of making bad choices and prefer to believe that other people know what they are doing

09.

As human beings we have an innate need to affirm our belonging to a group

10.

Content must have a positive and transformative impact on the viewer

11.

Quotes

12.

Take-home message

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