Why do some posts go viral and some don’t?
There doesn’t seem to be a particular rhyme or reason to virality on social media—only randomness. While we can’t pinpoint the exact reasons, some psychological theories may provide insight.
After all, whether it’s a meme, a heartfelt story, or a shocking revelation, one thing we can be sure about viral content is that they touch the depths of human emotions, social dynamics, and cognitive biases in some way or another.
So if you’re a social media creator, digital marketer, or business looking to go viral, be sure to tap into these psychological phenomena to give yourselves the best chances of going viral.
The Emotional Connection
People are driven by emotions as much as anything else. And so content that evokes strong emotions—whether positive or negative or somewhere in between—also evokes responses. And on social media, those responses come in the form of reactions, comments, and shares.
In particular, the emotions most commonly caused by viral content are:
- Humor: Funny content spreads very quickly because laughter is near-universally relatable.
- Awe and Inspiration: Who doesn’t love a good, inspiring story? When people feel uplifted, they feel the urge to inspire others in turn.
- Anger and Outrage: Nothing makes us move, react, and share our opinions as much as anger in the face of injustice.
- Fear and Anxiety: As the adage says, the strongest fear of mankind is fear. So content that warns of potential dangers—whether about health (like cancerous food), politics (impending war), or cybersecurity (like getting your data stolen without a VPN)—is widely in order to protect oneself and others.
Social Currency: The Status of Sharing
Another strong emotion people often feel is the need to control how others perceive them. In general, we want others to think of us highly. This concept is known as social currency.
The more social currency we have (the better we are perceived), the better the treatment we can “buy” (or expect) from others.
For example, content that provides rare insights or hidden secrets attracts a lot of shares, as sharers feel like insiders. (The irony, however, is that the more popular a post gets, the less it remains a secret!)
The same logic applies when people share posts that make them seem more intelligent or cultured than others (such as a critical review of a popular piece of media).
But sometimes, people share posts that resonate with their personal experiences (even if the content is obvious). By doing so, they can reinforce their identity and further connect with similar people.
The Role of Practical Value
Another powerful motivator for sharing is utility. When people discover life hacks, DIY projects, or innovative financial advice, they feel the need to share such content out of both wonder and the desire to help out their loved ones.
This can take many forms:
- How-To Guides and Tutorials: People love sharing content that simplifies complex or tedious tasks.
- Infographics and Data Visualization: Infographics that deliver powerful information in a few seconds can attract a great number of views and shares. This is especially true on platforms like Pinterest and LinkedIn.
- Expert Tips and Advice: Expertise equals credibility, so content with experts in their field can help rake in the views.
The Power of Association
When content can creatively associate itself with broader phenomena, social trends, or everyday occurrences, it can spark a sense of awe and relatability in viewers. This moves them to share with others.
For example, the NBA’s Christmas ad back in 2023, which features players playing a popular holiday jingle by shooting balls through baskets with bells, is still the third-most viewed video on their channel, even more than a decade later.
This works because the appeal of the post transcends its immediate content, allowing it to reach a broader audience. In the NBA’s example, it’s not about basketball anymore—it’s about basketball and Christmas.
The Role of Storytelling
People don’t just share information on social media—they share stories. Nothing is more engaging, memorable, and emotionally impactful than a well-told narrative. It’s one of the most powerful movers of the human psyche.
Strong narratives that go viral often involve:
- Character-Driven Stories: Great stories aren’t just about the events that occur in it, it’s also about characters who are relatable, aspirational, or otherwise intriguing.
- Suspense and Curiosity: Posts that build curiosity and intrigue, like “You won’t believe what happened next…” engage the mind in a primal way.
- Emotional Impact: As mentioned, nothing is more powerful than emotions! The end goal of any story is to move people’s hearts and minds.
The Psychology of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
FOMO is incredibly powerful on social media, given its transient, trendy nature. When people feel like they’ll miss out on something valuable, exclusive, or urgent, it triggers a primal fear—the fear of not belonging.
In fact, around 59% of teenagers express social media-related FOMO according to this Polish study. In the same vein, people may also feel that their friends and family will miss out, which triggers sharing.
Platform-Specific Virality
While these psychological phenomena are universal, each platform has different dynamics, cultures, and practices. Understanding these differences and nuances will be of massive help if you plan to go viral.
- Twitter: Short, witty, and news-driven content performs best here. This is why trending pop media news and political debate is popular on the platform.
- Facebook: On Facebook, long-form posts are more common. This is why longer stories and information breakdowns can thrive here.
- TikTok: Posts need to be fast-paced, visually engaging, and follow trending video formats. This results in quick, comedic content or challenge-based videos often going viral.
- LinkedIn: Since LinkedIn is all about professional careers, posts that share profound yet succinct career advice and industry knowledge gain a lot of traction.
Conclusion: The Art and Science of Virality
There’s no step-by-step recipe to virality. It’s a delicate and blurry song and dance, both a science and an art.
However, by taking these universal truths about the human condition and human psychology, you can better create posts that draw attention. Entertain, evoke emotions, provide utility, and tap into primal fears and desires—viral posts are those that touch into what makes us human.
