The 7 Factors That Make for Viral Content
1. Evoke high-arousal emotions.
A study titled “What Makes Online Content Viral” by Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman from the University of Pennsylvania analyzed nearly 7,000 New York Times articles. They noted a key factor among viral articles was evoking "high-arousal emotions'' including awe, excitement or amusement. Content and copy that left readers awe-inspired, excited, or amused were more likely to be shared than low-arousal content that evoked contentment or sadness.