6 Reasons Why Ideas Go Viral

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Today’s Read

Overview

Jonah Berger starts with a question: Why do some ideas, products, and behaviors catch on?

Virality isn’t random. It’s scientific. It’s a formula.

Berger’s approach to answering this? The STEPPS Framework—a set of six ingredients you can use to create “contagious” ideas. Get the book here.

The STEPPS Framework

The framework is organized into six principles:

• Social Currency

• Triggers

• Emotion

• Public

• Practical Value

• Stories

Each principle gives a specific insight into why people share and what makes things stick.

1. Social Currency: Make People Feel Cool for Sharing

Social Currency is all about status. People share things that make them look good, smart, or unique.

Example: Think of a hidden bar called Please Don’t Tell (PDT) in NYC. It's not easy to find—it’s behind a phone booth in a hot dog restaurant.

Because of its “hidden” status, people feel like insiders when they talk about it. Sharing becomes a way to look cool.

How to Apply It:

• Offer “insider” information.

• Make your audience feel like they’re in on something special.

• Give people something to talk about that boosts their own image.