Just what causes a story to go viral? New York Times Science writer John Tierney reports today on a new in-depth University of Pennsylvania study that found:
- People share articles that inspire awe
- Positive stores are more likely to be shared than negative
- More emotional stories are emailed more often
- Stories about anxiety travel, but no where close to those that inspire awe
Having done my own studies on what people like to share and the power of meaning making (Beyond Buzz, 2007), I found this new study validating and insightful — especially learning more about what the heck is awe inspiring.
The UPenn researchers used two criteria for an “awe inspiring story”: the scale of the story is large and it requires the reader to see the world in a different way.
The researchers also found that people like to share awe-inspiring stories not to impress others, but to realize a type of “emotional communion.”
Emotion in general leads to transmission, and awe is a strong emotion,” said Dr. Jonah Berger of UPenn. ” If I’ve just read this story that changes the way I understand the world and myself, I want to talk to others about what it means. I want to proselytize and share the feeling of awe. If you read the article and feel the same emotion, it will bring us closer together.”
One of my most popular blog posts over the past few years had nothing to do with marketing but was about an awe-inspiring 18 hours in an urban hospital emergency room. The resulting comments, calls and emails created an extraordinary emotional communion with friends and strangers.
Three weeks ago I finished writing a new book about an awe-inspiring journey. It was the most fulfilling writing I’ve ever done, and it’s the marketing project I’m most eager to get moving. Why? There’s nothing more satisfying than emotional communion, and the buzz that goes with it.
Good lessons for all we marketers who too often rely on a heavy-on-the-logic, light-on-the- emotion style of business communications. To realize the powerful possibilities of social media our content needs to be emotional and show what’s possible.
