BFW: Unleashing Virality: Unlocking the Secrets to Crafting Contagious Content

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Dear Reader,

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Greetings, Brain Food enthusiasts! In today’s edition, issue 199, I delve into virality. How do you create content that goes viral? And how do you create products and services that people want?

Introduction: Crafting Contagious Content
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Crafting content that not only resonates with your audience but also spreads like wildfire is a challenge that many content creators face. In this article, I’ll explore the art of virality and how to create contagious content that captures the attention of your audience.
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The information is based on three books I read on virality.
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Understanding Virality
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Before we delve into the strategies for crafting contagious content, it’s important to understand what virality really means. Virality isn’t just about the quality of your content, but also about creating content that spreads organically. To achieve this, it’s crucial to understand the psychology behind sharing and the factors that make content, products, or ideas “sticky” and shareable.
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Key Principles of Virality
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To help you craft contagious content, we’ll draw insights from three insightful books: “Contagious” by Jonah Berger, “Hooked” by Nir Eyal, and “Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness” by Dan Zarrella. Let’s explore the key principles they highlight:
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1. Contagious by Jonah Berger
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1. Social Currency: Craft content that makes the people who share it look good or feel like insiders. People are more likely to share things that enhance their image.
2. Triggers: Create content or products that are linked to everyday triggers, ensuring they are top-of-mind for your audience. This increases the likelihood of sharing.
3. Emotion: Emotionally resonant content is more shareable. Identify the right emotions for your audience and evoke them through your content.
4. Public: Make your content accessible and shareable to a wide audience. The more people who can access it, the greater its potential to go viral.
5. Practical Value: Solve problems or provide value to your audience. Practical content that addresses their needs gets shared.
6. Stories: Wrap your content in compelling narratives. Stories are inherently memorable and easily shared.
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2. Hooked by Nir Eyal
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1. Trigger: Understand both external and internal triggers that prompt action. Know what drives your audience and create content that aligns with those triggers.
2. Action: Simplify actions to encourage habit formation. The easier it is for your audience to engage with your content or products, the more likely they are to do so repeatedly.
3. Variable Reward: Keep your audience engaged by offering them novel rewards and experiences. This keeps them coming back for more.
4. Investment: Encourage your audience to invest time and effort into your content or product. This fosters long-term engagement and increases the likelihood of sharing.
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3. Zarrella’s Hierarchy of Contagiousness by Dan Zarrella
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1. Exposure: Increase your reach by growing your audience. The larger your audience, the more chances of your content going viral.
2. Attention: Capture attention with engaging headlines, subject lines, and content. Make sure your content stands out from the noise.
3. Motivation: Include a clear call to action that encourages sharing. Motivating your audience to take action is crucial for virality.
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Process to Go Viral
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Now that we’ve explored the key principles of virality, let’s outline a process to help you create and promote contagious content:
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1. Audience Understanding:
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• Research and understand your target audience’s desires, emotions, and pain points. Knowing what motivates them to share content or engage with products is essential.
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2. Content Creation:
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• Evoke Emotions: Craft content that stirs emotions within your audience. Emotional resonance increases the likelihood of sharing.
• Tell Stories: Incorporate storytelling into your content. Narratives are memorable and engaging, making it easier for people to share your content as they can relate to the story.
• Provide Practical Value: Develop content that offers practical value to your audience. Content that solves problems or adds value to people’s lives is more shareable because it addresses their needs and interests.
• Use Triggers Effectively: Employ triggers, both internal and external, to prompt action from your audience. Triggers serve as reminders for people to engage with your content, increasing its contagiousness.
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3. Testing and Adaptation:
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• Continuously experiment with different triggers, content formats, and distribution timing.
• Analyze data and feedback to identify what resonates most with your audience.
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4. Audience Growth:
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• Dedicate time to growing your audience on various platforms. Exposure to a larger audience increases your chances of going viral.
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5. Engagement and Relationships:
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• Regularly engage with your audience to build relationships. Strong relationships increase attention and motivation for sharing.
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6. Measurement and Optimization:
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• Regularly assess the performance of your content or products. Use analytics to identify strengths and areas for improvement.
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7. Iterative Improvement:
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• Based on data and feedback, iterate and enhance your content or products. Continually improve their contagiousness.
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8. Timing and Consistency:
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• Experiment with content distribution timing to reach a broader audience. Maintain consistency in messaging and interactions.
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9. User-Friendly Approach:
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• Make it easy for users to take action. Ensure that your content and products are user-friendly and accessible.
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10. Value-Oriented Content:
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• – Focus on providing value to your audience. Address their needs and interests in your content or products.
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11. Social Sharing Elements:
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• Include social sharing buttons and encourage users to share your content.
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12. Collaboration and Cross-Promotion:
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• Collaborate with influencers or partners to expand your reach.
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Conclusion: Crafting Contagious Content
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By following these strategies and principles, you can significantly increase your chances of creating and promoting content or products that have a higher likelihood of going viral. Remember that achieving virality often requires consistent effort, adaptation, and a deep understanding of your audience’s growing preferences and behaviors. Keep experimenting, learning, and adapting to maximize your chances of crafting contagious content.
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Stay tuned for more Brain Food next Wednesday!
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Warm regards,

Avil Beckford

Brain Food Wednesday Editor

Avil Beckford, Founder, The Invisible Mentor & Art of Learning Leadership Academy

​theinvisiblementor.com artoflearningleadershipacademy.com​

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