What Does it Take for Content to “Go Viral?”

Ever wonder why certain content generates extreme amounts of traffic and gets shared by millions? Unfortunately, there’s no one particular golden rule. But there are a couple of keys that can help. Derek Halpern summarized in a post on Social Triggers about how to create “contagious” content:

– Generate positive content, or content that triggers positive feelings. This tends to go viral quicker than negative content.

– Evoke emotions: awe and anger are two of the top-shared content types. It makes sense – people want to share content when it makes them feel, and they feel like someone else just has to see this. The 7 highest arousal emotions for content sharing are:

1. Awe
2. Anger
3. Anxiety
4. Fear
5. Joy
6. Lust
7. Surprise

– Make something useful. Content that people have learned something from, or can use to teach others something, is more likely to get shared.
Read the rest of Halpern’s article for more great tips on creating viral content. If you’re looking for social media marketing from a company that understands how to write content with these viral principles in mind, contact us at Applied Interactive.