This document discusses the science of virality in content sharing. It notes that for content to go viral, similar to disease transmission, on average each person must spread the content to more than one other person. Factors that make content shareable include appealing to public identity and self-enhancement motives, while being surprising, interesting, and useful. Factors that make content clickable include private curiosity and information or entertainment value in appealing to the actual self and self-verification motives. The viral coefficient measures whether content will spread widely with a value above 1.0 indicating viral transmission.

1. BEYOND THE LISTICLE: THE SCIENCE OF VIRALITY
Marc h 14, 2016
JESSICA NOVAK
Content strategy director
Zoe media group
@Jessicarnovak
ABIGAIL POSNER
Head of strategic planning
Google
@Aposner
DEVIN GAFFNEY
Phd student
Northeastern university
@Dgaff
SEAN WOJCIK
Research scientist
Upworthy
@Seanpwojcik

2. “Going Viral” in Epidemiology
On average, each person spreads
disease to more than one other person.
“Going Viral” in Media
On average, each person spreads
content to more than one other person.
Viral coefficient above 1.0 = VIRAL
# clicks
impression
# shares
click
# impressions
share
CLICKABILITY SHAREABILITY SPREAD
CONTRACTION TRANSMISSION EXPOSUREx x
x x
x x
#VIRALCODE

3. VIRALITY
SHAREABLE CONTENT
Public
Identity Expression
“Ideal Self”, “Moral Self”
Self-Enhancement Motives
Surprising, Interesting, Useful
Positive, Activating, Dominant Emotions
CLICKABLE CONTENT
Private
Curiosity
Information
Entertainment
“Actual Self”
Self-Verification Motives
CLICKABILITY
SHAREABILITY
#VIRALCODE

4. SYNAPTIC PLAY
ENERGY
EXCHANGE
FASCINATION
WITH THE
FAMILIAR
#VIRALCODE

5. What matters in the exploit?
👎 👍 ✨👍✨
#VIRALCODE
What matters in the exploit?

6. Answer 4#VIRALCODE

7. VIRALITY#VIRALCODE
The SIR Model

8. µ=0.3, β=0.1 µ=0.3, β=0.5
Dynamics & Structure
😱😅
🎉🎉
#VIRALCODE
😨
µ=0.3, β=0.3

9. #VIRALCODE

10. #VIRALCODE

11. #VIRALCODE

12. VIRALITY#VIRALCODE

13. VIRALITY
SHAREABLE CONTENT
Public
Identity Expression
“Ideal Self”, “Moral Self”
Self-Enhancement Motives
Surprising, Interesting, Useful
Positive, Activating, Dominant Emotions
CLICKABLE CONTENT
Private
Curiosity
Information
Entertainment
“Actual Self”
Self-Verification Motives
SHAREABILITY
CLICKABILITY
#VIRALCODE

14. #VIRALCODE
“Going Viral” in Epidemiology
On average, each person spreads
disease to more than one other person.
“Going Viral” in Media
On average, each person spreads
content to more than one other person.