The document discusses the emotional drivers behind successful viral content, emphasizing the importance of shared audience, conversion rates, and types of shares. It highlights that effective titles and thumbnails play crucial roles in improving engagement, and that emotional storytelling enhances sharing potential. Additionally, it explores different motivators for sharing and positions viral content as most effective for generating awareness, while noting the necessity of strategic planning over mere luck.

1. “The Emotional Drivers of Highly
Successful Viral Content”
Thoughts on presentation from Moz. Original webinar
available at moz.com/webinars

2. What is “Viral” content?
● K = P*C*I
○ Shared audience (P) - Avg. # of people exposed to
each piece of content per share (impressions)
○ Conversion rate (C) - % of people who see and click
○ Shares per viewer (I) - % of people who see, click,
and share
● Almost nothing called “viral” actually is — doesn’t mean
it’s not successful

3. Shared audience (P)
● The bigger this initial #, the better
● “Big seeds”
○ Popular/niche blogs, mainstream news outlets
○ Must combine info you think will go viral w/content
outlets see trending in their communities and
consider worthwhile

4. Conversion rate (C)
● Title is single biggest factor in improving C
○ Point out knowledge gap
○ Don’t give away punchline
○ Don’t overhype
○ A/B test multiple headlines
● Thumbnail is second biggest factor
○ Create a feeling of interest/intrigue
○ A/B test different images

5. Shares per viewer (I)
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The more shares the better
Types of sharers
○ Altruists - Helpful, thoughtful, reliable, connected; want to help by
sharing (FB, email)
○ Careerists - Business sharers; consider how sharing will impact their
careers (LinkedIn)
○ Hipsters - More concerned w/how sharing influences how they are
seen (FB, Twitter)
○ Boomerangs - Share to get reaction/feel validated; thrive on how
content can spur conversation/make connections (FB, Twitter)
○ Connectors - Creative, relaxed, thoughtful; sharing based on curating
helpful things; share content that is practically useful (FB, email)
○ Selectives - Resourceful, careful, thoughtful; informative/practical
sharers (email)

6. Broad vs. niche audiences
● Niche content more likely to go viral - Audience closely
connected, shared values and interests
● Broad content - Lower barriers to sharing and “big
seeds” more easily leveraged, but must be incredibly
broad

7. Audience type/accountability affects sharing
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Anonymous - No harm in sharing, no repercussions (4chan)
Accountable - Share content that reflects neutrally/well, feel audience will find
valuable; stand to gain and lose a lot (FB, why NSFW doesn’t go viral)
Casual - Fewer restrictions beyond how content reflects on them, lower risk
when things reflect badly
Professional - More and higher risks
Broad (or large cohesive niche) and accountable is a good target for viral
content
○ FB as example - Large, casual audience, less business-focused, P and
C are higher because of larger # of friends and shared interests

8. Evoking emotions is essential
● Emotions spread virally as an inherent part of the way
our brains work (mirror neurons).
● Can be transferred through images and video as easily
as from person to person
● High arousal — esp. pleasant — emotions spur more
sharing
○ Astonishment, excitement, delight, pleased, amused,
happy, excited
○ Cat images explained!
● And what evokes emotions?

9. Stories!
● Emotional arousal created/enhanced through empathy,
which itself is created through narratives and stories —
the better the story, the more it will spread
○ Love, loyalty, overcoming obstacles, raw human
moments, rights of passage, injustices made right,
heroes/selfless acts, human-animal bond,
nostalgia/reminiscing
● “Emotion stacking” - Build emotions with a series of
pieces, esp. in story form (Buzzfeed)

10. Other motivations for sharing
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Bring valuable, entertaining content to others
Define ourselves to others
Grow and nourish relationships
Self-fulfillment
Get the word out about causes or brands

11. Viral content & the sales funnel
● Best at generating awareness and interest
● Can be helpful lower in the funnel, but is more difficult
○ Branding influence (impressions, followers,
advocates)
○ Search influence (visibility, social sharing, improved
search ranking)

12. Personal thoughts
● I think it’s weird that so much math and research goes
into making and sharing something that needs to be felt
in the soul in order to be successful.
● For companies, requires more strategy and research
than dumb luck (“Double Rainbow”)
● I wish other content I’ve seen on “making viral content”
would focus more on storytelling than on the $