This document discusses using viral principles for content creation. It provides examples of viral content and triggers that cause content to spread widely. Some of the key triggers mentioned include evoking emotions, being controversial, newsworthy, easy to consume and practical. The document also discusses how to identify your target audience and their attributes. It suggests creating content with questions, examples, charts and surveys that highlight unique data about specific audience segments. Finally, it emphasizes testing content on platforms like social media and with influencers, while also making the content scannable and emotionally engaging.

1. Using Viral Principles for Content
Creation
Civil Service College Singapore May 26th 2016
Eli Schwartz
Director of Marketing, APAC SurveyMonkey

2. Who am I?

3. • Direct – people typing your URL directly into
a browser
• Also includes missing tracking attributes
• Referral – other sites linking to you
• Includes social media
• Organic search – ranking high on search
engines for free
3 sources of free traffic
3

4. Everyone wants to go viral
4

5. What is virality?

6. • Evokes any emotions positive or negative
• Controversy
• Anger
• Joy
• Newsworthy
• Easy to consume
• Practical & useful
There must be an emotional connection for you to
engage
What do the experts say?
6

7. Who is your audience?
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GenderAge LanguagesEmployment
Status
ExerciseInternet Usage Marital Status
GamingHousehold
Income
LocationEthnicity EducationIndustry Devices

8. • Attributes – tie in to who people are (e.g students, patriotism)
• Tribes – make them a part of something (“Pissed off consumers”)
• Insights – confirm a flattering attribute (Yup, you are smart)
• Ego - Share to make yourself look good
• Topical – on the the relevant topics (Latest news)
• Competition – Can you beat me?
• Collaborative – Brings a feeling of togetherness
• Delight – LOL!
• Actionable – How to lose weight
Examples of viral triggers
8

9. • Bill is Stupid
• Ice bucket challenge
• Various infographics
• Videos
Examples of virality
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10. Virality can’t be forced or invented
10

11. But there is a way to try
1

12. • Male vs female?
• Where do you travel?
• How much money do you make?
• Bad habits?
• Where do you live?
• Where would you want to live?
• Which would you choose?
Ask questions to get ideas
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13. Paint your bullseye around your arrows
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Prewrite your headlines
___% of ____ want to ____ while
Jumping off of ____
16% of males want to take selfies
while jumping off of skateboards

14. • If A & B
• If A & B & C
• Examples:
• Women over 75 that use Android
• Males that use Safari on a PC
Think about double pivot and triple pivot
14

15. Unique data = Unique content
charts
articles
infographics
blogs
PDF
Surveys

16. FAQ’s
1

17. Where can you get results?

18. How many results do you need?
18
Lots of
people, but
the number
will vary by
audience

19. What about significance? Representative?
19
Who ever fact
checks the
“math” before
they hit
share?

20. How much will it cost?
20
Marketing isn’t
free but this
can be very
effective
DON’T BE
CHEAP!

21. You could say: 22% of mobile phone
users report they’re extremely or very
satisfied with their mobile service
provider.
Or, for a little more drama, invert your data!
Mobile Service Providers are in trouble!
Nearly 60% of mobile phone users
aren’t satisfied with their MSP.
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
Category 1
How satisfied are you with your mobile service
provider?
Extremely Satisfied Very Satisfied Somewhat Satisfied
Not So Satisfied Not Satisfied
Pro Tip: Invert Data to Make Compelling Headlines

22. Case study

24. 24

25. 25

26. 26
surveymonkey.com/r/sg-toilet-example

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28. 28

29. Painted bullseyes
29

30. Single dimensional view
30

31. Fun with filters
31

32. 2 dimensional view
32

33. Males vs females older than 45
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34. What was the other?
34

35. Turned in into an infographic
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36. Results
36

37. Toilets go viral, but so do lots of other topics!
37

38. Question Best Practices
3

39. Operationalize: An Example
• Smiles per day?
• Projects completed?
• Stress felt today?
How happy
are you?

40. Communicate Your Intentions Clearly
Jargon
“Who was central to your ontogeny?”
Complications
“What is the state of the cleanliness of the room?”
Double-negatives
“Which of these pictures is not unattractive?”
Double-barrels
“Do you like apples and pears?”
Leading questions
“How terrible is this for your health?”
Absolutes
“How successful is Obamacare?”
Keep it simple
“Who was central to your development?”
Be direct
“How clean is the room?
Pick a side
“Which of these pictures is attractive?”
Split it up
“Do you like apples? Do you like pears?”
Stay balanced
“Do you think this healthy, unhealthy, or neither?
Personalize it
“How successful do you think Obamacare is?”

41. Unipolar vs. Bipolar Scales
Unipolar
Bipolar

42. Make sure people can answer your questions!
Keep Questions Accessible
Don’t ask things they don’t know
How much will the new health care
law increase insurance premiums?
How worried are you that the new
health care law will increase your
insurance premium?
Don’t ask things they couldn’t know
How well does your boss budget his
money?
How organized is your boss?

43. Yes / no questions create problems they don’t account for gray areas
Don’t Take Shortcuts!

44. Open-ended questions create problems they’re unfocused, avoidable, and hard to
analyze
Don’t Take Shortcuts!

45. Practice Time
4

46. How satisfied were you
with your SuperRide
experience?
What’s wrong with this question?
46

47. What’s the problem?
How satisfied were you with
your SuperRide experience?
They have no idea You have no idea
No help with
deliverables

48. Let’s fix it!
How satisfied were you with your SuperRide experience?
Car
DriversApp
convenient
Fast
Comfortabl
e
Stay Specific Give Context
They Get It! You Have Deliverables

49. Think about the most boring topic and let’s
try to turn it into a creative survey
Brainstorm
49

50. Feel free to use any survey tool
you want, but I only know how
teach you to use SurveyMonkey!
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51. 51

52. 52

53. Make a 5 question survey
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54. Share the URL
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55. Analyze your data
55

56. • Can you make it a:
• Tweet?
• FB Update?
• Blog post?
• Infographic (Piktochart, Canva)
Where can you use your data?
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57. • Put numbers in the headline
• Use short URL’s
• Make the URL’s descriptive
• Use images above the fold
• Make it easy to scan
• Time it right
• Get it to influencers
• Be newsworthy
• Use paid social
• BUILD IN THE EMOTION
Next steps
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58. Email me for slides:
eli@surveymonkey.com
5
Q & A