Contagious: Why Things Catch On - Strategy 4...
16
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 1 Contagious: Why Things Catch On Notes by Frumi Rachel Barr, MBA, PhD. Author: Jonah Berger Publisher: Simon and Shuster Copyright year: 2013 ISBN: 978-1-4516-8657-9 Author’s Bio: JONAH BERGER is the James G. Campbell Assistant Professor of Marketing at The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He has published dozens of articles in top-tier academic journals, and popular accounts of his work have appeared in places like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Science, Harvard Business Review, Wired, BusinessWeek, and Fast Company. His research has also been featured in The New York Times Magazine’s annual “Year in Ideas” issue. Berger has been recognized with awards for both scholarship and teaching, including being named Wharton’s “Iron Prof.” He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Authors’ big thought: This book is designed for people who want their products, ideas, and behaviors to spread. It will help you understand how to make your products and ideas more contagious. It provides a framework and a set of specific actionable techniques for helping information spread – for engineering stories, messages, advertisements and information so that people will share them. Introduction: Why Things Catch On § There are lots of examples of things that have caught on. Social epidemics are instances where products, ideas, and behaviors diffuse through a population. They start with a small set of individuals or organizations and spread, often from person to person, almost like a virus. § While it’s easy to find examples of social contagion, it’s much harder to actually get something to catch on. Even with all the money poured into marketing and advertising, few products become popular. Most restaurants bomb, most businesses go under, and most social movements fail to gain traction. § Why do some products, ideas, and behaviors succeed when others fail? § One reason some products and ideas become popular is that they are just plain better. § Another reason products catch on is attractive pricing. § Advertising also plays a role. Consumers need to know about something before they can buy it. People tend to think that the more they spend on advertising, the more likely something will become popular. § But although quality, price, and advertising contribute to products and ideas being successful, they don’t explain the whole story.
Transcript of Contagious: Why Things Catch On - Strategy 4...
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 1
Contagious: Why Things Catch On
Notes by Frumi Rachel Barr, MBA, PhD. Author:JonahBergerPublisher:SimonandShusterCopyrightyear:2013ISBN:978-1-4516-8657-9Author’sBio:JONAHBERGERistheJamesG.CampbellAssistantProfessorofMarketingatTheWhartonSchoolattheUniversityofPennsylvania.Hehaspublisheddozensofarticlesintop-tieracademicjournals,andpopularaccountsofhisworkhaveappearedinplaceslikeTheNewYorkTimes,TheWallStreetJournal,TheWashingtonPost,Science,HarvardBusinessReview,Wired,BusinessWeek,andFastCompany.HisresearchhasalsobeenfeaturedinTheNewYorkTimesMagazine’sannual“YearinIdeas”issue.Bergerhasbeenrecognizedwithawardsforbothscholarshipandteaching,includingbeingnamedWharton’s“IronProf.”HelivesinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania. Authors’bigthought:Thisbookisdesignedforpeoplewhowanttheirproducts,ideas,andbehaviorstospread.Itwillhelpyouunderstandhowtomakeyourproductsandideasmorecontagious.Itprovidesaframeworkandasetofspecificactionabletechniquesforhelpinginformationspread–forengineeringstories,messages,advertisementsandinformationsothatpeoplewillsharethem.
Introduction:WhyThingsCatchOn§ Therearelotsofexamplesofthingsthathavecaughton.Socialepidemicsareinstanceswhere
products,ideas,andbehaviorsdiffusethroughapopulation.Theystartwithasmallsetofindividualsororganizationsandspread,oftenfrompersontoperson,almostlikeavirus.
§ Whileit’seasytofindexamplesofsocialcontagion,it’smuchhardertoactuallygetsomethingtocatchon.Evenwithallthemoneypouredintomarketingandadvertising,fewproductsbecomepopular.Mostrestaurantsbomb,mostbusinessesgounder,andmostsocialmovementsfailtogaintraction.
§ Whydosomeproducts,ideas,andbehaviorssucceedwhenothersfail?§ Onereasonsomeproductsandideasbecomepopularisthattheyarejustplainbetter.§ Anotherreasonproductscatchonisattractivepricing.§ Advertisingalsoplaysarole.Consumersneedtoknowaboutsomethingbeforetheycanbuyit.People
tendtothinkthatthemoretheyspendonadvertising,themorelikelysomethingwillbecomepopular.§ Butalthoughquality,price,andadvertisingcontributetoproductsandideasbeingsuccessful,they
don’texplainthewholestory.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 2
SocialTransmission§ Wordofmouthistheprimaryfactorbehind20percentto50percentofallpurchasingdecisions.
Consequently,socialinfluencehasahugeimpactonwhetherproducts,ideas,andbehaviorscatchon.§ Wordofmouthismoreeffectivethantraditionaladvertisingfortwokeyreasons:
1. First,it’smorepersuasive.Adswillalwaysarguethattheirproductsarethebest,butthey’renotreallycredible.Ourfriends,however,tendtotellusstraight.
2. Second,wordofmouthismoretargeted.Companiestrytoadvertiseinwaysthatallowthemtoreachthelargestnumberofinterestedcustomers.Wordofmouth,ontheotherhand,isnaturallydirectedtowardanincreasedaudience.
GeneratingWordofMouth§ Thebestthingaboutwordofmouthisthatit’savailabletoeveryone.Thechallengeishowtodothat.§ ResearchbytheKellerFayGroupfindsthatonly7%ofwordofmouthhappensonline.Wetendto
overestimateonlinewordofmouthbecauseit’seasiertosee.§ Peopleareinundatedwithonlinecontent,sotheydon’thavethetimetoreadeverytweet,messageor
updatesenttheirway.§ Thefirstissuewithallthehypearoundsocialmediaisthatpeopletendtoignoretheimportanceof
offlinewordofmouth,eventhoughofflinediscussionsaremoreprevalent,andpotentiallyevenmoreimpactful,thanonlineones.ThesecondissueisthatFacebookandTwitteraretechnologies,notstrategies.Word-of-mouthmarketingiseffectiveonlyifpeopleactuallytalk.
§ Harnessingthepowerofwordofmouth,onlineoroffline,requiresunderstandingwhypeopletalkandwhysomethingsgettalkedaboutandsharedmorethanothers.Thepsychologyofsharing.Thescienceofsocialtransmission.
AreSomeThingsJustBornWord-of-MouthWorthy?
§ Viralityisn’tborn.It’smade.§ Evenregulareverydayproductsandideascangeneratelotsofword-of-mouthifsomeonefiguresout
therightwaytodoit.Regardlessofhowplainorboringaproductorideamayseem,therearewaystomakeitcontagious.
StudyingSocialInfluence
§ Withanincrediblearrayofcollaborators,theauthorexaminedthingslike:o WhycertainNewYorkTimesarticlesorYouTubevideosgoviralo Whysomeproductsgetmorewordofmoutho Whycertainpoliticalmessagesspreado Whenandwhycertainbabynamescatchonordieouto Whennegativepublicityincreases,versusdecreases,sales
SixPrinciplesofContagiousness
§ Thisbookexplainswhatmakescontentcontagious.By“content,”Bergermeansstories,news,andinformation.Productsandideas,messagesandvideos.Everythingfromfund-raisingatthelocalpublicradiostationtothesafe-sexmessageswe’retryingtoteachourkids.By“contagious,”theauthormeanslikelytospread.Todiffusefrompersontopersonviawordofmouthandsocialinfluence.Tobetalkedabout,shared,orimitatedbyconsumers,coworkers,andconstituents.
§ Afteranalyzinghundredsofcontagiousmessages,products,andideas,theauthornoticedthatthesamesix“ingredients,”orprinciples,wereoftenatwork.SixkeySTEPPS,thatcausethingstobetalkedabout,shared,andimitated.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 3
Principle1:SocialCurrency§ Togetpeopletalkingweneedtocraftmessagesthathelpthemachievethesedesiredimpressions.We
needtofindourinnerremarkabilityandmakepeoplefeellikeinsiders.Weneedtoleveragegamemechanicstogivepeoplewaystoachieveandprovidevisiblesymbolsofstatusthattheycanshowtoothers.
Principle2:Triggers§ Weneedtodesignproductsandideasthatarefrequentlytriggeredbytheenvironmentandcreate
newtriggersbylinkingourproductsandideastoprevalentcuesinthatenvironment.Topofmindleadstotipoftongue.
Principle3:Emotion§ Whenwecareweshare.Someemotionsincreasesharing,whileothersactuallydecreaseit.Sowe
needtopicktherightemotionstoevoke.Weneedtokindlethefire.Sometimesevennegativeemotionsmaybeuseful.
Principle4:Public§ Makingthingsmoreobservablemakesthemeasiertoimitate,whichmakesthemmorelikelytobe
popular.Principle5:Practicalvalue§ Weneedtohighlighttheincrediblevalueofwhatweoffer–monetarilyandotherwise.Andweneed
topackageourknowledgeandexpertisesothatpeoplecaneasilypassiton.Principle6:Stories§ WeneedtobuildourownTrojanhorses,embeddingourproductsandideasinstoriesthatpeople
wanttotell.Butweneedtodomorethanjusttellagreatstory.Weneedtomakeviralityvaluable.Weneedtomakeourmessagesointegraltothenarrativethatpeoplecan’ttellthestorywithoutit.
§ Theseprinciplescanbecompactedintoanacronym.TakentogethertheyspellSTEPPS.ThinkoftheprinciplesasthesixSTEPPStocraftingcontagiouscontent.Theseingredientsleadideastogettalkedaboutandsucceed.
Chapter1.SocialCurrency§ Togetpeopletalking,companiesandorganizationsneedtomintsocialcurrency.Givepeopleawayto
makethemselveslookgoodwhilepromotingtheirproductsandideasalongtheway.Therearethreewaystodothat:(1)findinnerremarkability;(2)leveragegamemechanics;and(3)makepeoplefeellikeinsiders.
InnerRemarkability§ Remarkablethingsaredefinedasunusual,extraordinary,orworthyofnoticeorattention.Something
canberemarkablebecauseitisnovel,surprising,extreme,orjustplaininteresting.Butthemostimportantaspectofremarkablethingsisthattheyareworthyofremark.Worthyofmention.Learningthataballofglasswillbouncehigherthanaballofrubberisjustsonoteworthythatyouhavetomentionit.Remarkablethingsprovidesocialcurrencybecausetheymakethepeoplewhotalkaboutthemseem,well,moreremarkable.
§ Thedesireforsocialapprovalisafundamentalhumanmotivation.IfwetellsomeoneacoolSnapplefactitmakesusseemmoreengaging.Ifwetellsomeoneaboutasecretbarhiddeninsideahotdogrestaurant,itmakesusseemcool.Sharingextraordinary,novel,orentertainingstoriesoradsmakespeopleseemmoreextraordinary,novel,andentertaining.Itmakesthemmorefuntotalkto,morelikelytogetaskedtolunch,andmorelikelytogetinvitedbackforaseconddate.Notsurprisingly,then,remarkablethingsgetbroughtupmoreoften.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 4
§ MoreremarkableproductslikeFacebookorHollywoodmoviesweretalkedaboutalmosttwiceasoftenaslessremarkablebrandslikeWellsFargoandTylenol.Otherresearchfindssimilareffects.Moreinterestingtweetsaresharedmore,andmoreinterestingorsurprisingarticlesaremorelikelytomaketheNewYorkTimesMostE-Mailedlist.
§ Thekeytofindinginnerremarkabilityistothinkaboutwhatmakessomethinginteresting,surprisingornovel.
§ Onewaytogeneratesurpriseisbybreakingapatternpeoplehavecometoexpect.It’spossibletofindtheinnerremarkabilityinanyproductorideabythinkingaboutwhatmakesthatthingstandout.
LeverageGameMechanics
§ Gamemechanicsaretheelementsofagame,application,orprogram–includingrulesandfeedbackloops–thatmakethemfunandcompelling.Goodgamemechanicskeeppeopleengaged,motivated,andalwayswantingmore.
§ Onewaygamemechanicsmotivateisinternally.Weallenjoyachievingthings.Tangibleevidenceofourprogress,suchassolvingatoughSolitairegameoradvancingtothenextlevelofSudokupuzzles,makesusfeelgood.Discretemarkersmotivateustoworkharder,especiallywhenwegetclosetoachievingthem.
§ Gamemechanicsalsomotivateusonaninterpersonallevelbyencouragingsocialcomparison.§ Gamemechanicshelpgeneratesocialcurrencybecausedoingwellmakesuslookgood.Peoplelove
boastingaboutthethingsthey’veaccomplished:theirgolfhandicaps,howmanypeoplefollowthemonTwitter,ortheirkids’SATscores.
§ Gamemechanicsboostwordofmouth.Peoplearetalkingbecausetheywanttoshowofftheirachievements,butalongthewaytheytalkaboutthebrands(DeltaorTwitter)ordomains(golfortheSAT)wheretheyachieved.
BuildingaGoodGame
§ Leveraginggamemechanicsrequiresquantifyingperformance.SomedomainslikegolfhandicapsandSATscoreshavebuilt-inmetrics.Peoplecaneasilyseehowtheyaredoingandcomparethemselveswithotherswithoutneedinganyhelp.Butifaproductorideadoesn’tautomaticallydothat,itneedstobe“gamified.”Metricsneedtobecreatedorrecordedthatletpeopleseewheretheystand—forexample,iconsforhowmuchtheyhavecontributedtoacommunitymessageboardordifferentcoloredticketsforseasonticketholders.
§ Leveraginggamemechanicsalsoinvolveshelpingpeoplepublicizetheirachievements.Greatgamemechanicscanevencreateachievementoutofnothing.Airlinesturnedloyaltyintoastatussystem.
§ Manycontestsalsoinvolvegamemechanics.§ Givingawardsworksonasimilarprinciple.Recipientsofawardsloveboastingaboutthem—itgives
themtheopportunitytotellothershowgreattheyare.Butalongthewaytheyhavetomentionwhogavethemtheaward.
§ Wordofmouthcanalsocomefromthevotingprocessitself.Decidingthewinnerbypopularvoteencouragescontestantstodrumupsupport.Butintellingpeopletovoteforthem,contestantsalsospreadawarenessabouttheproduct,brand,orinitiativesponsoringthecontest.Insteadofmarketingitselfdirectly,thecompanyusesthecontesttogetpeoplewhowanttowintodothemarketingthemselves.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 5
MakePeopleFeelLikeInsiders§ Scarcityandexclusivityhelpproductscatchonbymakingthemseemmoredesirable.Ifsomethingis
difficulttoobtain,peopleassumethatitmustbeworththeeffort.Ifsomethingisunavailableorsoldout,peopleofteninferthatlotsofotherpeoplemustlikeit,andsoitmustbeprettygood.
§ Scarcityandexclusivityboostwordofmouthbymakingpeoplefeellikeinsiders.Ifpeoplegetsomethingnoteveryoneelsehas,itmakesthemfeelspecial,unique,highstatus.Andbecauseofthatthey’llnotonlylikeaproductorservicemore,buttellothersaboutit.Why?Becausetellingothersmakesthemlookgood.
PleaseDon’tTell?Well,Okay.MaybeJustOnePerson...
§ Howdowegetpeopletalkingandmakeourproductsandideascatchon?Onewayistomintsocialcurrency.Peopleliketomakeagoodimpression,soweneedtomakeourproductsawaytoachievethat.LikeBlendtec’sWillItBlend?weneedtofindtheinnerremarkability.LikeFoursquareorairlineswithfrequentfliertiers,weneedtoleveragegamemechanics.LikeRueLaLa,weneedtousescarcityandexclusivitytomakepeoplefeelasifthey’reinsiders.(Thesewerestorieswelltoldinthebook).
Chapter2.Triggers§ Whatmostpeopledon’trealizeisthattheynaturallytalkaboutproducts,brands,andorganizationsall
thetime.Everyday,theaverageAmericanengagesinmorethansixteenword-of-mouthepisodes,separateconversationswheretheysaysomethingpositiveornegativeaboutanorganization,brand,product,orservice.Wesuggestrestaurantstocoworkers,tellfamilymembersaboutagreatsale,andrecommendresponsiblebabysitterstoneighbors.Americanconsumersmentionspecificbrandsmorethan3billiontimesaday.Thiskindofsocialtalkisalmostlikebreathing.It’ssobasicandfrequentthatwedon’tevenrealizewe’redoingit.
§ Thisisexactlywhyword-of-mouthmarketingfirmsareeffective.Theydon’tforcepeopletosaynicethingsaboutproductstheyhate.Nordotheyenticepeopletoinsertproductrecommendationsartificiallyintoconversations.Theysimplyharnessthefactthatpeoplealreadytalkaboutandshareproductsandserviceswithothers.Givepeopleaproducttheyenjoy,andthey’llbehappytospreadtheword.
TheDifferenceBetweenImmediateandOngoingWordofMouth
§ Somewordofmouthisimmediate,whilesomeisongoing.Imagineyou’vejustgottenane-mailaboutanewrecyclinginitiative.Doyoutalkaboutitwithyourcoworkerslaterthatday?Mentionittoyourspousethatweekend?Ifso,you’reengaginginimmediatewordofmouth.Thisoccurswhenyoupassonthedetailsofanexperience,orsharenewinformationyou’veacquired,soonafteritoccurs.
§ Ongoingwordofmouth,incontrast,coverstheconversationsyouhaveintheweeksandmonthsthatfollow.Themoviesyousawlastmonthoravacationyoutooklastyear.Bothtypesofwordofmoutharevaluable,butcertaintypesaremoreimportantforcertainproductsorideas.Moviesdependonimmediatewordofmouth.
§ Formostproductsorideas,ongoingwordofmouthisalsoimportant.interestingproductsreceivemoreimmediatewordofmouththanboringproducts.ThisreinforceswhatwetalkedaboutintheSocialCurrencychapter:interestingthingsareentertainingandreflectpositivelyonthepersontalkingaboutthem.
§ Butinterestingproductsdidnotsustainhighlevelsofword-of-mouthactivityovertime.Interestingproductsdidn’tgetanymoreongoingwordofmouththanboringones.
§ Atanygivenmoment,somethoughtsaremoretopofmind,oraccessible,thanothers.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 6
§ Somethingsarechronicallyaccessible.Sportsfanaticsorfoodieswilloftenhavethosesubjectstopofmind.Theyareconstantlythinkingoftheirfavoriteteam’slateststats,oraboutwaystocombineingredientsintastydishes.Butstimuliinthesurroundingenvironmentcanalsodeterminewhichthoughtsandideasaretopofmind.
§ Usingaproductisastrongtrigger.Seeingajarofpeanutbutternotonlytriggersustothinkaboutpeanutbutter,italsomakesusthinkaboutitsfrequentpartner,jelly.Triggersarelikelittleenvironmentalremindersforrelatedconceptsandideas.
§ Whydoesitmatterifparticularthoughtsorideasaretopofmind?Becauseaccessiblethoughtsandideasleadtoaction.
TriggeredtoTalk
§ Somewordofmouthismotivatedbypeoples’desiretolookgoodtoothers.Mentioningcleverorentertainingthingsmakespeopleseemcleverandentertaining.Butthatisn’ttheonlyfactorthatdrivesustoshare.
§ Whatdowetalkabout?Whateveristopofmindisagoodplacetostart.Ifsomethingisaccessible,it’susuallyrelevanttothesituationathand.Didyoureadaboutthenewbridgeconstruction?Whatdidyouthinkaboutthegamelastnight?
§ Wetalkaboutthesetopicsbecausetheyaregoingoninthesurroundingenvironment.Wesawthebulldozersonourdrivein,soconstructionisonourmind.Webumpintoafriendwholikessports,sowethinkaboutthebiggame.Triggersboostwordofmouth.
§ Morefrequentlytriggeredproductsgot15percentmorewordofmouth.EvenmundaneproductslikeZiplocbagsandmoisturizerreceivedlotsofbuzzbecausepeopleweretriggeredtothinkaboutthemsofrequently.Peoplewhousemoisturizeroftenapplyitatleastonceaday.PeopleoftenuseZiplocbagsaftermealstowrapupleftovers.Theseeverydayactivitiesmakethoseproductsmoretopofmindand,asaresult,leadthemtobetalkedaboutmore.
§ Soratherthanjustgoingforacatchymessage,considerthecontext.Thinkaboutwhetherthemessagewillbetriggeredbytheeverydayenvironmentsofthetargetaudience.Goingforinterestingisourdefaulttendency.
§ Themorethedesiredbehaviorhappensafteradelay,themoreimportantbeingtriggeredbecomes.§ Evenabadreviewornegativewordofmouthcanincreasesalesifitinformsorremindspeoplethat
theproductorideaexists.§ OneproductthatusedtriggersbrilliantlyisKitKat.Manythingscontributedtothecampaign’ssuccess.
“KitKatandcoffee”hasanicealliteration,andtheideaoftakingabreaktohaveaKitKatfitswellwiththeexistingnotionofacoffeebreak.
§ Productsandideasalsohavehabitats,orsetsoftriggersthatcausepeopletothinkaboutthem.§ Mostproductsorideashaveseveralnaturaltriggers.MarsbarsandMarstheplanetarealready
naturallyconnected.TheMarscompanydidn’tneedtodoanythingtocreatethatlink.Likewise,FrenchmusicisanaturaltriggerforFrenchwine,andthelastdayoftheworkweekisanaturaltriggerforRebeccaBlack’ssong“Friday.”
§ Butit’salsopossibletogrowanidea’shabitatbycreatingnewlinkstostimuliintheenvironment.KitKatwouldn’tnormallybeassociatedwithcoffee,butthroughrepeatedpairing.
§ Competitorscanevenbeusedasatrigger.WhatMakesforAnEffectiveTrigger?
§ Triggerscanhelpproductsandideascatchon,butsomestimuliarebettertriggersthanothers.§ Onekeyfactorishowfrequentlythestimulusoccurs.Hotchocolatewouldalsohavefittedreallywell
withKitKat,andthesweetbeveragemighthaveevencomplementedthechocolatebar’sflavorbetter
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 7
thancoffee.Butcoffeeisamoreeffectivetriggerbecausepeoplethinkaboutandseeitmuchmorefrequently.Mostpeopledrinkhotchocolateonlyinthewinter,whilecoffeeisconsumedyear-round.
§ Frequency,however,mustalsobebalancedwiththestrengthofthelink.Themorethingsagivencueisassociatedwith,theweakeranygivenassociation.
§ Linkingaproductorideawithastimulusthatisalreadyassociatedwithmanythingsisn’taseffectiveasforgingafresher,moreoriginallink.
§ Itisalsoimportanttopicktriggersthathappennearwherethedesiredbehavioristakingplace.ConsidertheContext
§ Itisveryimportantitistoconsiderthecontext:tothinkabouttheenvironmentsofthepeopleamessageorideaistryingtotrigger.Differentenvironmentscontaindifferentstimuli.Arizonaissurroundedbydesert.Floridiansseelotsofpalmtrees.Consequently,differenttriggerswillbemoreorlesseffectivedependingonwherepeoplelive.
WhyCheeriosGetsMoreWordofMouthThanDisneyWorld
§ TriggershelpexplainwhyCheeriosgetmorewordofmouththanDisneyWorld.True,DisneyWorldisinterestingandexciting.Tousethelanguageofotherchaptersinthebook,ithashighSocialCurrencyandevokeslotsofEmotion(nextchapter).Buttheproblemisthatpeopledon’tthinkaboutitveryfrequently.Mostpeopledon’tgotoDisneyWorldunlesstheyhavekids.Eventhosewhodogodon’tgothatoften.Onceayearifthat.Andtherearefewtriggerstoremindthemabouttheexperienceaftertheinitialexcitementevaporates.
§ ButhundredsofthousandsofpeopleeatCheeriosforbreakfasteveryday.Stillmoreseethebrightorangeboxeseverytimetheypushtheirshoppingcartsdownthesupermarketcerealaisle.AndthesetriggersmakeCheeriosmoreaccessible,increasingthechancethatpeoplewilltalkabouttheproduct.
§ Triggersarethefoundationofwordofmouthandcontagiousness.Themoresomethingistriggered,themoreitwillbetopofmind,andthemoresuccessfulitwillbecome.
§ Triggersandcuesleadpeopletotalk,choose,anduse.SocialCurrencygetspeopletalking,butTriggerskeepthemtalking.Topofmindmeanstipoftongue.
Chapter3:Emotion§ Thereasonpeoplesharedanarticleaboutcoughingwasemotion.Whenwecareweshare.§ Humansaresocialanimals.AsdiscussedinthechapteronSocialCurrency,peoplelovetoshare
opinionsandinformationwithothers.Andourtendencytogossip—forgoodorill—shapesourrelationshipswithfriendsandcolleaguesalike.
§ TheInternethasbecomeincreasinglyengineeredtosupportthesenaturalinclinations.§ Mostmajornewsorentertainmentwebsitestaketheextrastepofdocumentingwhathasbeenpassed
alongmostfrequently.Listingwhicharticles,videos,andothercontenthavebeenmostviewedorsharedoverthepastday,week,ormonth.
§ Fewpeoplehavetimetoseekoutthebestcontentinthisoceanofinformation.Sotheystartbycheckingoutwhatothershaveshared.Asaresult,most-sharedlistshaveapowerfulabilitytoshapepublicdiscourse.
§ Tworeasonspeoplemightsharethingsarethattheyareinterestingandthattheyareuseful.§ Moreinterestingarticleswere25percentmorelikelytomaketheMostE-Mailedlist.Moreuseful
articleswere30percentmorelikelytomakethelist.§ Itturnsoutthatsciencearticlesfrequentlychronicleinnovationsanddiscoveriesthatevokea
particularemotioninreaders:Awe.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 8
ThePowerofAwe§ Aweisacomplexemotionandfrequentlyinvolvesasenseofsurprise,unexpectedness,ormystery.
Indeed,asAlbertEinsteinhimselfnoted,“Themostbeautifulemotionwecanexperienceisthemysterious.Itisthepowerofalltrueartandscience.Hetowhomthisemotionisastranger,whocannolongerpausetowonderandstandraptinawe,isasgoodasdead.”
§ Awe-inspiringarticlesare30percentmorelikelytomaketheMostE-Mailedlist.§ SomeoftheWeb’smostviralvideosalsoevokeawe.(e.g.SusanBoylecompetingonBritain’sGot
Talent).§ Therearereasonstobelievethatexperiencinganysortofemotionmightencouragepeopletoshare.
Talkingtoothersoftenmakesemotionalexperiencesbetter.Ifwegetpromoted,tellingothershelpsuscelebrate.Ifwegetfired,tellingothershelpsusvent.Sharingemotionsalsohelpsusconnect.
§ Sadnesshadtheoppositeeffect.Sadderarticleswereactually16percentlesslikelytomaketheMostE-Mailedlist.Somethingaboutsadnesswasmakingpeoplelesslikelytoshare.
§ Themostobviousdifferencebetweendifferentemotionsistheirpleasantnessorpositivity.Aweisrelativelypleasant,whilesadnessisunpleasant.
§ Positivearticlesweremorelikelytobehighlysharedthannegativeones.StoriesaboutthingslikenewcomersfallinginlovewithNewYorkCitywere,onaverage,13percentmorelikelytomaketheMostE-Mailedlistthanpiecesthatdetailedthingslikethedeathofapopularzookeeper.
KindlingtheFire:TheScienceofPhysiologicalArousal
§ Theideathatemotionscanbecategorizedaspositiveorpleasantandnegativeorunpleasanthasbeenaroundforhundredsifnotthousandsofyears.Evenachildcantellyouthathappinessorexcitementfeelsgoodandanxietyorsadnessfeelsbad.
§ Morerecently,however,psychologistshavearguedthatemotionscanalsobeclassifiedbasedonaseconddimension.Thatofactivation,orphysiologicalarousal.
§ Arousalisastateofactivationandreadinessforaction.Theheartbeatsfasterandbloodpressurerises.Evolutionarily,itcomesfromourancestors’reptilianbrains.Physiologicalarousalmotivatesafight-or-flightresponsethathelpsorganismscatchfoodorfleefrompredators.
§ Someemotions,likeangerandanxiety,arehigh-arousal.Otheremotions,however,havetheoppositeeffect.
§ Ratherthanfindingasimplematterofpositiveemotionsincreasingsharingandnegativeemotionsdecreasingit,theauthorfoundthatsomenegativeemotions,likeangeroranxiety,actuallyincreasedsharing.
§ Understandingarousalhelpsintegratethedifferentresultsfoundsofar.Angerandanxietyleadpeopletosharebecause,likeawe,theyarehigh-arousalemotions.Theykindlethefire,activatepeople,anddrivethemtotakeaction.Arousalisalsoonereasonfunnythingsgetshared.
§ Low-arousalemotions,however,likesadness,decreasesharing.Contentmenthasthesameeffect.FocusonFeelings
§ Marketingmessagestendtofocusoninformation.Butmanytimes,informationisenough.§ Thatiswhereemotioncomesin.Ratherthanharpingonfeaturesorfacts,weneedtofocuson
feelings;theunderlyingemotionsthatmotivatepeopletoaction.Someproductsorideasmayseembettersuitedthanothersforevokingemotion.
§ Butanyproductorservicecanfocusonfeelings,eventhosethatdon’tpossessanyobviousemotionalhook.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 9
§ Wantpeopletotalkaboutglobalwarmingandrallytochangeit?Don’tjustpointouthowbigtheproblemisorlistkeystatistics.Figureouthowtomakethemcare.Talkaboutpolarbearsdyingorhowtheirchildren’shealthwillbeaffected.
KindlingtheFirewithHigh-ArousalEmotions
§ Whentryingtouseemotionstodrivesharing,remembertopickonesthatkindlethefire:selecthigh-arousalemotionsthatdrivepeopletoaction.
§ Onthepositiveside,excitepeopleorinspirethembyshowingthemhowtheycanmakeadifference.Onthenegativeside,makepeoplemad,notsad.Makesurethepolarbearstorygetsthemfiredup.
§ Simplyaddingmorearousaltoastoryoradcanhaveabigimpactonpeople’swillingnesstoshareit.§ Technologyhasmadeiteasierforpeopletoorganizebehindacommoninterestorgoal.Byallowing
peopletoconnectquicklyandeasily,socialmediaenablelike-mindedindividualstofindoneanother,shareinformation,andcoordinateplansofaction.Thesetechnologiesareparticularlyusefulwhenpeopleeitherlivefarapartoraredealingwithanissuethathasdelicatepoliticalorsocialmeaning.
§ Certaintypesofnegativitymaybemorelikelytoescalatebecausetheyevokearousalandarethusmorelikelytogoviral.Angrytiradesaboutbadcustomerservice,oranxiousrumorsabouthowanewhealthplanmaytakeawaybenefits,shouldbemorelikelytocirculatethanexpressionsofsadnessordisappointment.
ExerciseMakesPeopleShare
§ Runninginplaceprovidedtheperfecttest.Runningdoesn’tevokeemotion,butitisjustasphysiologicallyarousing.Itgetsyourheartrateup,increasesbloodpressure,etc.So,ifarousalofanysortboostssharing,thenrunninginplaceshouldleadpeopletosharethingswithothers.Evenifthethingspeoplearetalkingaboutorsharinghavenothingtodowiththereasontheyareexperiencingarousal.
§ Understandingthatarousingsituationscandrivepeopletopassthingsonhelpsshedlightonso-calledoversharing,whenpeopledisclosemorethantheyshould.
§ Sobecarefulthenexttimeyoustepoffthetreadmill,barelyavoidacaraccident,orexperienceaturbulentplaneride.Becauseyou’vebeenarousedbytheseexperiences,youmayovershareinformationwithothersintheaftermath.Theseideasalsosuggestthatonewaytogeneratewordofmouthistofindpeoplewhentheyarealreadyfiredup.
§ Thesameideaholdsforonlinecontent.Certainwebsites,newsarticles,orYouTubevideosevokemorearousalthanothers.
§ Adtimingalsomatters.Althoughashowmaybegenerallyarousing,aspecificsceneinthatshowmaybemoreactivatingthanothers.
§ Emotionsdrivepeopletoaction.Theymakeuslaugh,shout,andcry,andtheymakeustalk,share,andbuy.Soratherthanquotingstatisticsorprovidinginformation,weneedtofocusonfeelings.
§ Physiologicalarousaloractivationdrivespeopletotalkandshare.Weneedtogetpeopleexcitedormakethemlaugh.Weneedtomakethemangryratherthansad.Evensituationswherepeopleareactivecanmakethemmorelikelytopassthingsontoothers.
Chapter4:Public§ Makingsomethingmoreobservablemakesiteasiertoimitate.Thus,akeyfactorindrivingproductsto
catchonispublicvisibility.Ifsomethingisbuilttoshow,it’sbuilttogrow.§ Peopleoftenimitatethosearoundthem.Theydressinthesamestylesastheirfriends,pickentrées
preferredbyotherdiners,andreusehoteltowelsmorewhentheythinkothersaredoingthesame.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 10
Peoplearemorelikelytovoteiftheirspousevotes,morelikelytoquitsmokingiftheirfriendsquit,andmorelikelytogetfatiftheirfriendsbecomeobese.Whethermakingtrivialchoiceslikewhatbrandofcoffeetobuyorimportantdecisionslikepayingtheirtaxes,peopletendtoconformtowhatothersaredoing.
§ Peopleimitate,inpart,becauseothers’choicesprovideinformation.Tohelpresolveouruncertainty,weoftenlooktowhatotherpeoplearedoingandfollowthat.Weassumethatifotherpeoplearedoingsomething,itmustbeagoodidea.Theyprobablyknowsomethingwedon’t.Psychologistscallthisidea“socialproof.”
§ Thefamousphrase“Monkeysee,monkeydo”capturesmorethanjustthehumanpenchantforimitation.Peoplecanimitateonlywhentheycanseewhatothersaredoing.
§ Observabilityhasahugeimpactonwhetherproductsandideascatchon.Sayaclothingcompanyintroducesanewshirtstyle.Ifyouseesomeonewearingitanddecideyoulikeit,youcangobuythesameshirt,orsomethingsimilar.Butthisismuchlesslikelytohappenwithsocks.Thisisbecauseshirtsarepublicandsocksareprivate.They’rehardertosee.
§ Observablethingsaremorelikelytobediscussed.Observabilityalsospurspurchasesandaction.§ Mostproducts,andbehaviorsareconsumedprivately.Ifpeoplecan’tseewhatothersarechoosing
anddoing,theycan’timitatethem.Solvingthisproblemrequiresmakingtheprivatepublic.Generatingpublicsignalsforprivatechoices,actions,andopinions.Takingwhatwasonceanunobservablethoughtorbehaviorandtransformingitintoamoreobservableone.
§ Onewaytomakethingsmorepublicistodesignideasthatadvertisethemselves.Forexample,HotmailwasoneofthefirstWeb-basedemailservices,whichallowedpeopletoaccesstheirinboxfromanycomputeranywhereintheworld.
§ ButthecreatorsofHotmaildidmorethanjustcreateagreatproduct.Theyalsocleverlyleveragedobservabilitytohelptheirproductcatchon.Everye-mailsentfromaHotmailaccountwaslikeashortplugforthegrowingbrand.Atthebottomwasamessageandlinkthatsimplysaid,“GetYourPrivate,FreeE-mailfromHotmailatwww.hotmail.com.”EverytimecurrentHotmailcustomerssentane-mail,theyalsosentprospectivecustomersabitofsocialproof—animplicitendorsementforthispreviouslyunknownservice.
§ Everytimepeopleusetheproductorservicetheyalsotransmitsocialprooforpassiveapprovalbecauseusageisobservable.
§ LargelogoslikeRalphLaurenorLacostearen’ttheonlywayproductscanadvertisethemselves.TakeApple’sdecisiontomakeiPodheadphoneswhite.Becausemostdevicescamewithblackheadphones,Apple’swhiteheadphonecordsstoodout.
§ Shapes,sounds,andahostofotherdistinctivecharacteristicscanalsohelpproductsadvertisethemselves.Pringlescomeinauniquetube.
§ Designingproductsthatadvertisethemselvesisaparticularlypowerfulstrategyforsmallcompaniesororganizationsthatdon’thavealotofresources.Evenwhenthereisnomoneytobuytelevisionadsoraspotinthelocalpaper,existingcustomerscanactasadvertisementsiftheproductadvertisesitself.It’slikeadvertisingwithoutanadvertisingbudget.
§ Behavioralresiduegeneratessocialproofthatsticksaroundevenwhentheproductisnotbeingusedortheideaisnottopofmind.
§ ItemsliketheyellowLivestrongwristbandprovideinsightintowhopeopleareandwhattheylike.Whenpubliclyvisible,theseremnantsfacilitateimitationandprovidechancesforpeopletotalkaboutrelatedproductsorideas.
§ It’shardtogetpeopletovote.Notmuchsocialproof.Butinthe1980selectionofficialscameupwithanicewaytomakevotingmoreobservable:the“IVoted”sticker.Simpleenough,butbycreatingbehavioralresidue,thestickermadetheprivateactofvotingmuchmorepublic,evenafterpeopleleft
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 11
thepollingstation.Itprovidedareadyreminderthattodayisthedaytovote,othersaredoingit,andyoushouldtoo.
§ Behavioralresidueexistsforalltypesofproductsandideas.Tiffany,Victoria’sSecret,andahostofotherretailersgivecustomersdisposableshoppingbagstocarrytheirpurchaseshome.
§ ClothingretailerLuluLemontakesthisideaonestepfurther.Ratherthanmakepaperbagsthatarerelativelydurable,itmakesshoppingbagsthatarehardtothrowaway.
§ Giveawayscanalsoprovidebehavioralresiduee.g.conferenceswag.§ Aswithmanypowerfultools,makingthingsmorepubliccanhaveunintendedconsequenceswhennot
appliedcarefully.Ifyouwanttogetpeoplenottodosomething,don’ttellthemthatlotsoftheirpeersaredoingit.E.g.SayNotoDrugs.
§ Ratherthanmakingtheprivatepublic,preventingabehaviorrequirestheopposite:makingthepublicprivate.Makingothers’behaviorlessobservable.Onewayistohighlightwhatpeopleshouldbedoinginstead.
§ Whenpeoplearefreetodoastheyplease,theyusuallyimitateoneanother.Welooktoothersforinformationaboutwhatisrightorgoodtodoinagivensituation,andthissocialproofshapeseverythingfromtheproductswebuytothecandidateswevotefor.
§ Thephrase“Monkeysee,monkeydo”capturesmorethanjustourtendencytofollowothers.Ifpeoplecan’tseewhatothersaredoing,theycan’timitatethem.Sotogetourproductsandideastobecomepopularweneedtomakethemmorepubliclyobservable.ForApple,thiswasaseasyasflippingitslogo.Bycleverlyleveragingmoustaches,Movemberdrewhugeattentionanddonationsformen’scancerresearch.So,weneedtobelikeHotmailandAppleanddesignproductsthatadvertisethemselves.WeneedtobelikeLuluLemonandLivestrongandcreatebehavioralresidue,discernibleevidencethatsticksaroundevenafterpeoplehaveusedourproductorengagedwithourideas.Weneedtomaketheprivatepublic.Ifsomethingisbuilttoshow,it’sbuilttogrow.
Chapter5:PracticalValue§ Peoplesharepracticalvaluableinformationtohelpothers.Whetherbysavingafriendtimeorensuring
acolleaguesavesacoupleofbucksnexttimehegoestothesupermarket,usefulinformationhelps.§ Sharingsomethingusefulwithothersisaquickandeasywaytohelpthemout.Evenifwe’renotinthe
sameplace.Ourfriendsseeweknowandcareaboutthem,wefeelgoodforbeinghelpful,andthesharingcementsourfriendship.
§ IfSocialCurrencyisaboutinformationsendersandhowsharingmakesthemlook,PracticalValueismostlyabouttheinformationreceiver.It’saboutsavingpeopletimeormoney,orhelpingthemhavegoodexperiences.Itevenreflectspositivelyonthesharer,providingabitofSocialCurrency.Butatitscore,sharingPracticalValueisabouthelpingothers.
§ WhenmostpeoplethinkaboutPracticalValue,savingmoneyisoneofthefirstthingsthatcomestomind—gettingsomethingforlessthanitsoriginalpriceorgettingmoreofsomethingthanyouusuallywouldforthesameprice.
§ Oneofthemaintenetsofprospecttheory(developedbyKahnemanandTversky)isthatpeopledon’tevaluatethingsinabsoluteterms.Theyevaluatethemrelativetoacomparisonstandard,or“referencepoint.”
§ Peopleusethepricetheyexpecttopayforsomethingastheirreferencepoint.Asanexample,agrillseemedlikeabetterdealwhenitwasmarkeddownfrom$350to$250ratherthanwhenitwasdiscountedfrom$255to$240,eventhoughitwasthesamegrill.Settingahigherreferencepointmadethefirstdealseembettereventhoughthepricewashigheroverall.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 12
§ Diminishingsensitivityreflectstheideathatthesamechangehasasmallerimpactthefartheritisfromthereferencepoint.Diminishingsensitivityhelpsexplainwhypeoplearewillingtodrivetosavethemoneyonasmallitemlikeaclockradio.
§ Dealsseemmoreappealingwhentheyhighlightincrediblevalue.AsdiscussedintheSocialCurrencychapter,themoreremarkablesomethingis,themorelikelyitwillbediscussed.
§ AsProspectTheoryillustrates,onekeyfactorinhighlightingincrediblevalueiswhatpeopleexpect.Promotionaloffersthatseemsurprisingorsurpassexpectationsaremorelikelytobeshared.
§ Anotherfactorthataffectswhetherdealsseemvaluableistheiravailability.Restrictingavailabilitythroughscarcityandexclusivitymakesthingsseemmorevaluable.
§ Offersthatareavailableforonlyalimitedtimeseemmoreappealingbecauseoftherestriction.Justlikemakingaproductscarce,thefactthatadealwon’tbearoundforevermakespeoplefeelthatitmustbeareallygoodone.
§ Quantitylimitsworkthesameway.Evenrestrictingwhohasaccesscanmakeapromotionalofferseembetter.Likerestrictionsonquantityortiming,themerefactthatnoteveryonecangetaccesstothispromotionmakesitseemmorevaluable.ThisincreasesPracticalValue,whichinturn,boostssharing.
TheRuleof100
§ AnotherframingfactorthatimpactsPracticalValueishowpromotionaloffersareexpressed.§ AsimplewaytofigureoutwhichdiscountframeseemslargerisbyusingsomethingcalledtheRuleof
100.Iftheproduct’spriceislessthan$100,theRuleof100saysthatpercentagediscountswillseemlarger.Fora$30T-shirtora$15entrée,evena$3discountisstillarelativelysmallnumber.Butpercentagewise(10percentor20percent),thatsamediscountlooksmuchbigger.
§ Iftheproduct’spriceismorethan$100,theoppositeistrue.Numericaldiscountswillseemlarger.Takea$750vacationpackageorthe$2,000laptop.Whilea10percentdiscountmayseemlikearelativelysmallnumber,itimmediatelyseemsmuchbiggerwhentranslatedintodollars($75or$200).
§ So,whendecidinghowgoodapromotionalofferreallyis,orhowtoframeapromotionaloffertomakeitbetter,usetheRuleof100.Thinkaboutwherethepricefallsrelativeto$100andhowthatshiftswhetherabsoluteorrelativediscountsseemmoreattractive.
§ PracticalValueismoreeffectivetheeasieritisforpeopletosee.§ Usefulinformation,then,isanotherformofPracticalValue.Helpingpeopledothingstheywanttodo,
orencouragingthemtodothingstheyshoulddo.Faster,better,andeasier.§ Inthinkingaboutwhysomeusefulcontentgetssharedmore,acoupleofpointsareworthnoting.The
firstishowtheinformationispackaged.Shortlistsfocusedaroundakeytopicworksbest.§ Thesecondkeyistheaudience.Somestoriesorinformationhaveabroaderaudiencethanothers.You
mightthinkthatcontentthathasabroaderaudienceismorelikelytobeshared.Theproblemwiththisassumption,though,isthatjustbecausepeoplecansharewithmorepeopledoesn’tmeantheywill.Infact,narrowercontentmayactuallybemorelikelytobesharedbecauseitremindspeopleofaspecificfriendorfamilymemberandmakesthemfeelcompelledtopassitalong.
§ Whilebroadlyrelevantcontentcouldbesharedmore,contentthatisobviouslyrelevanttoanarrowaudiencemayactuallybemoreviral.
§ Thenexttimesomeonetellsyouaboutamiraclecure,orwarnsaboutthehealthrisksofaparticularfoodorbehavior,trytoverifythatinformationindependentlybeforeyoupassiton.Falseinformationcanspreadjustasquicklyasthetruth.
§ PracticalValueisabouthelping.Thischapterdiscussedthemechanicsofvalueandthepsychologyofdeals,butit’simportanttorememberwhypeoplesharethattypeofinformationinthefirstplace.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 13
§ Peopleliketohelponeanother.Wegooutofourwaytogiveadviceorsendothersinformationthatwillmakethembetteroff.Sure,someofthismaybeselfish.Wethinkwe’rerightandwecan’thelpbuttossourtwocentsintootherpeople’slives.Butnotallofitisaboutus.It’salsoaboutaltruism,theinherentgoodnessofpeople.Wecareaboutothersandwewanttomaketheirlivesbetter.
§ Ofthesixprinciplesofcontagiousnessthatwediscussinthebook,PracticalValuemaybetheeasiesttoapply.
§ Theharderpartiscuttingthroughtheclutter.Therearelotsofgoodrestaurantsandhelpfulwebsites,soweneedtomakeourproductorideastandout.WeneedtohighlightincrediblevalueandusetheRuleof100.LikeVanguard,weneedtopackageourknowledgeandexpertisesothatpeoplelearnaboutuswhiletheypassitalong.Weneedtomakeitclearwhyourproductorideaissousefulthatpeoplejusthavetospreadtheword.Newsyoucanuse.
Chapter6:Stories
§ ThestoryoftheTrojanHorsehasbeenpassedonforthousandsofyears.Scientistsandhistoriansestimatethatthebattletookplacearound1170BC,butthestorywasnotwrittendownuntilmanyyearslater.Forcenturies,thetalewastransmittedorallyasanepicpoem,spokenorsungtomusic.
§ Thestoryreadslikeamodern-dayrealityshow.It’sfulloftwistsandturnsthatincludepersonalvendettas,adultery,anddoublecrosses.Throughapotentmixtureofdrama,romance,andaction,itholdslisteners’interest.ButthestoryoftheTrojanHorsealsocarriesanunderlyingmessage:“nevertrustyourenemies,evenwhentheyseemfriendly.”Infact,itisexactlywhentheyaremakingsuchoverturesthatyoushouldbeespeciallysuspicious.So,thetaleoftheTrojanHorseismorethanjustanentertainingstory.Italsoteachesanimportantlesson.
§ Byencasingthelessoninastory,theseearlywritersensuredthatitwouldbepassedalong—andperhapsevenbebelievedmorewholeheartedlythanifthelesson’swordswerespokensimplyandplainly.That’sbecausepeopledon’tthinkintermsofinformation.Theythinkintermsofnarratives.Butwhilepeoplefocusonthestoryitself,informationcomesalongfortheride.
§ Narrativesareinherentlymoreengrossingthanbasicfacts.Theyhaveabeginning,middle,andend.Ifpeoplegetsuckedinearly,they’llstayfortheconclusion.Whenyouhearpeopletellagoodstoryyouhangoneveryword.
§ Lessonsormoralsareembeddedinthousandsoffairytales,fables,andurbanlegends.“TheBoyWhoCriedWolf”warnsaboutthedangersoflying.“Cinderella”showsthatbeinggoodtootherspaysoff.TheThreeLittlePigsisabouteffortthatpaysoff.Shakespeare’splayscarryvaluablelessonsaboutcharacterandrelationships,powerandmadness,loveandwar.Thesearecomplexlessons,buttheyareinstructivenevertheless.
§ Theordinarystorieswetelloneanothereverydayalsocarryinformation.§ Storiesareanimportantsourceofculturallearningthathelpusmakesenseoftheworld.Atahigh
level,thislearningcanbeabouttherulesandstandardsofagrouporsociety.Howshouldagoodemployeebehave?Whatdoesitmeantobeamoralperson?Oronamorebasiclevel:who’sagoodmechanicwhowon’tovercharge?Beyondstories,thinkaboutotherwaysthatpeoplecouldacquirethisinformation.Trial
§ Storiesprovideaquickandeasywayforpeopletoacquirelotsofknowledgeinavividandengagingfashion.Onegoodstoryaboutamechanicwhofixedtheproblemwithoutchargingisworthdozensofobservationsandyearsoftrialanderror.Storiessavetimeandhassleandgivepeopletheinformationtheyneedinawaythat’seasytoremember.
§ Peoplearealsolesslikelytoargueagainststoriesthanagainstadvertisingclaims.First,it’shardtodisagreewithaspecificthingthathappenedtoaspecificperson.Second,we’resocaughtupinthedramaofwhathappenedtoso-and-sothatwedon’thavethecognitiveresourcestodisagree.We’re
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 14
soengagedinfollowingthenarrativethatwedon’thavetheenergytoquestionwhatisbeingsaid.So,intheend,we’remuchmorelikelytobepersuaded.
§ Storiesthusgivepeopleaneasywaytotalkaboutproductsandideas.Subwaymighthavelow-fatsubs,andLands’Endmighthavegreatcustomerservice,butoutsideoftriggersinaconversation,peopleneedareasontobringthatinformationup.Andgoodstoriesprovidethatreason.Theyprovideasortofpsychologicalcoverthatallowspeopletotalkaboutaproductorideawithoutseeminglikeanadvertisement.
§ Sohowcanweusestoriestogetpeopletalking?WeneedtobuildourownTrojanHorse—acarriernarrativethatpeoplewillshare,whiletalkingaboutourproductorideaalongtheway.
§ Whentryingtogeneratewordofmouth,manypeopleforgetoneimportantdetail.Theyfocussomuchongettingpeopletotalkthattheyignorethepartthatreallymatters:whatpeoplearetalkingabout.That’stheproblemwithcreatingcontentthatisunrelatedtotheproductorideaitismeanttopromote.There’sabigdifferencebetweenpeopletalkingaboutcontentandpeopletalkingaboutthecompany,organization,orpersonthatcreatedthatcontent.
§ Thekey,then,istonotonlymakesomethingviral,butalsomakeitvaluabletothesponsoringcompanyororganization.Notjustviralitybutvaluablevirality.Intryingtocraftcontagiouscontent,valuableviralityiscritical.Thatmeansmakingtheideaordesiredbenefitakeypartofthenarrative.
§ Theimportanceofthesedifferenttypesofdetailsbecomesevenclearerwhenpeopleretellthestory.ThinkaboutthestoryoftheTrojanHorse.Ithassurvivedforthousandsofyears.Thereisawrittenaccountofthestory,butmostofthedetailspeopleknowcomefromhearingsomeoneelsetalkaboutit.Butwhichdetailspeoplerememberandretell?Itisn’trandom.Criticaldetailsstickaround,whileirrelevantonesdropout.
§ Ifyouwanttocraftcontagiouscontent,trytobuildyourownTrojanHorse.Butmakesureyouthinkaboutvaluablevirality.Makesuretheinformationyouwantpeopletorememberandtransmitiscriticaltothenarrative.Sure,youcanmakeyournarrativefunny,surprising,orentertaining.Butifpeopledon’tconnectthecontentbacktoyou,it’snotgoingtohelpyouverymuch.Evenifitgoesviral.
§ So,buildaSocialCurrency–laden,Triggered,Emotional,Public,PracticallyValuableTrojanHorse,butdon’tforgettohideyourmessageinside.Makesureyourdesiredinformationissoembeddedintotheplotthatpeoplecan’ttellthestorywithoutit.
Epilogue:§ Ifyouwanttoapplythisframework,here’sachecklistyoucanusetoseehowwellyourproductor
ideaisdoingonthesixdifferentSTEPPS.§ FollowthesesixkeySTEPPS,orevenjustafewofthem,andyoucanharnesssocialinfluenceandword
ofmouthtogetanyproductorideatocatchon.§ Onelastnote.ThebestpartoftheSTEPPSframeworkisthatanyonecanuseit.Itdoesn’trequirea
hugeadvertisingbudget,marketinggenius,orsomesortofcreativitygene.Yes,theviralvideosandcontagiouscontentwe’vetalkedaboutwerecreatedbyparticularindividuals,butnotallofthemwerefamousorcouldboasttenthousandfollowersonTwitter.TheyreliedononeormoreofthesixkeySTEPPSandthismadetheirproductsandideasmorecontagious.
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 15
SocialCurrency
Doestalkingaboutyourproductorideamakepeoplelookgood?Canyoufindtheinnerremarkability?Leveragegamemechanics?Makepeoplefeellikeinsiders?
Triggers Considerthecontext.Whatcuesmakepeoplethinkaboutyourproductoridea?Howcanyougrowthehabitatandmakeitcometomindmoreoften?
Emotion Focusonfeelings.Doestalkingaboutyourproductorideagenerateemotion?Howcanyoukindlethefire?
Public Doesyourproductorideaadvertiseitself?Canpeopleseewhenothersareusingit?Ifnot,howcanyoumaketheprivatepublic?Canyoucreatebehavioralresiduethatsticksaroundevenafterpeopleuseit?
PracticalValue
Doestalkingaboutyourproductorideahelppeoplehelpothers?Howcanyouhighlightincrediblevalue,packagingyourknowledgeandexpertiseintousefulinformationotherswillwanttodisseminate?
Stories WhatisyourTrojanHorse?Isyourproductorideaembeddedinabroadernarrativethatpeoplewanttoshare?Isthestorynotonlyviral,butalsovaluable?
§ Manystoriesinthisbookmakeitworthbuyingtoreadmore:o HowardWeinneededawaytohelpanewrestaurantbreakthroughtheclutter,awaytoraise
awarenesswhilestayingtruetotheBarclayPrimebrand.Thehundred-dollarcheesesteakdidjustthat.Itnotonlyprovidedaremarkable(SocialCurrency),surprising(Emotion)narrative(Story)butalsoillustratedthetypeofqualityproductthatthesteakhouseoffered(PracticalValue).AndtheprevalenceofcheesesteaksinPhiladelphiaofferedreadyremindersforpeopletopassiton(Triggers).Thehundred-dollarcheesesteakgotpeopletalkingandhelpedmakeBarclayPrimearousingsuccess.
o GeorgeWrighthadalmostnomarketingbudget.Heneededawaytogeneratebuzzaboutaproductmostpeoplewouldn’tordinarilytalkabout:ablender.Bythinkingaboutwhatmadehisproductcompellingandwrappingthatideainabroadernarrative,hewasabletogeneratehundredsofmillionsofviewsandboostsales.TheWillItBlend?clipsareamazing(Emotion)andremarkable(SocialCurrency).Butbymakingtheproduct’sbenefits(PracticalValue)integraltoabroadernarrative(Stories),thevideosprovidedaperfectTrojanhorsetogetpeopletalkingaboutaneverydayhouseholdapplianceandmakeBlendteccatchon.Regularpeoplewithregularproductsandideas.Butbyharnessingthepsychologyofwordofmouth,theywereabletomaketheirproductsandideassucceed.
Recommendation:Fullofamazingstoriesofideasandproductsthatbecamevirali.e.likelytospreadfromonepersontoanother.Thisbookprovidescuttingedgescienceabouthowwordofmouthandsocialtransmissionwork.AndhowyoucanleveragethemtomakeyourproductsGet 100 business book summaries just like this one at 100mustreads.com
[email protected] www.100mustreads.com 16
Contact Frumi at [email protected] www.Scaling4Growth.com Aboutthereviewer:FrumiRachelBarr,MBA,PhDDr.FrumiRachelBarristrulyanentrepreneurhavingstartedandrun5entrepreneurialadventurespriortofollowingherpassionforguidingthesuccessofCEOsandtheirteamstoScaleUp.Moneyandaplandon’tguaranteeexecutionExecutiondependsoncommunication,cascadingprioritiesthroughouttheorganizationandanexternalguidethatholdstheteamaccountableandkeepsthemomentumgoing.Lotsofcompaniesknowwhattodo–it’sthedoingthatneedsanexternalguide.That’swhatweprovide.Weusethebestsystemsontheplanet,GazellesandtheRockefellerHabits,aswellassoftwaretotrackteaminitiativesandprogress.
Dr.Frumi’s"Why"istocreateasafeplaceforleadersandteamstodiscusswhatmattersmost.SheisknownasTheCEO’sSecretWeapon.HerWho:Dr.Frumiguidesleadersandtheirteamswhoareunder40andhaveathirstforbothdisciplineandlearning.Thesecreative,ambitiousleaderswanttogrowtheirbusinessessotheyhavemorefreedomandafabulousculture.TheGazellessystemfocusesonPeople,Strategy,ExecutionandCash,usingpracticaltoolstocreategreaterrevenueandprofitability,withgreatercollaborationandaccountability.Dr.FrumiistheauthorofaCEO’sSecretWeapon:HowtoAccelerateSuccess.Thebookwasrankedtopbusinessbookof2012byExecRankandhasaforwardbyhercolleagueSimonSinek,internationalauthorofbest-sellingStartwithWhy.
