The Science of Shareable Content: Analyzing the Emotional Drivers of Virality
Content marketers dream of creating that viral hit—a piece of content that takes on a life of its own and gets shared by thousands or even millions of people online. But in today‘s crowded digital landscape, achieving that level of virality can seem like catching lightning in a bottle.
However, a growing body of research suggests that the secret formula to highly shareable content is not random or mysterious, but rooted in science—specifically, the science of human emotion. By understanding the key emotions that drive sharing behavior and tactically evoking them in your content, you can dramatically boost your odds of going viral.
Reddit Research: Analyzing 100 Viral Images
A fascinating study by Fractl took a deep dive into the emotional drivers behind some of the most shared content on the internet. They analyzed 100 of the top images from Reddit‘s r/pics community and surveyed people on the emotions they evoked.
Why focus on Reddit? With over 430 million monthly active users, Reddit is one of the most heavily trafficked sites on the internet and a major driver of viral trends. The r/pics subreddit is especially popular, with over 26 million members sharing and upvoting interesting, powerful, and emotionally resonant images. By looking at some of the top performing content from this community, researchers aimed to gain insights into the recipes for viral success that could be broadly applicable.
For each of the 100 images, 400 respondents were asked "How does this image make you feel?" and presented with 30 different emotional responses to choose from. The results revealed some compelling trends in the emotions that tended to drive the most shares and engagement.
Top 10 Viral Emotions
Here are the 10 most frequently cited emotions evoked by the top Reddit images:
- Happiness (50% of images evoked this)
- Surprise (43%)
- Admiration (36%)
- Hope (27%)
- Fear (20%)
- Uncertainty (13%)
- Interest (11%)
- Amazement (10%)
- Astonishment (9%)
- Doubt (6%)
As you can see, the top 10 list is dominated by positive emotions, with happiness, surprise, and admiration being the most commonly evoked by far. This supports a wealth of other research showing that positive emotional responses are more likely to translate into shares and engagement than negative ones.
Emotional Combinations for Virality
However, dig a little deeper and the data reveals that negative emotions can play a key role in virality when combined strategically with other emotions. It‘s all about creating the right emotional cocktail.
The researchers found that the most shared content tended to evoke specific combinations of arousal (the intensity of the emotion) and dominance (the degree of control the viewer feels).
Specifically, viral hits often followed one of these three formulas:
- Happiness + Surprise (High Arousal, High Dominance)
Content that evokes joy and happiness, along with an element of surprise or the unexpected, tends to get shared like crazy. The high arousal and high dominance emotional combo is a perfect storm for virality.
Example: An image of a soldier returning home to surprise his family evokes the joy of the reunion, plus the surprising twist of it happening unexpectedly. This combo triggers a powerful emotional response and sharing impulse.
- Fear + Uncertainty + Hope (High Arousal, Low Dominance)
Negative emotions like fear and uncertainty may seem like viral kryptonite, but when resolved with a dose of hope or happiness, they can actually supercharge sharing. The high arousal/low dominance emotional arc takes viewers on a journey that ultimately leaves them inspired.
Example: An image of a natural disaster‘s devastation makes viewers feel fear and uncertainty, but if it‘s paired with a story of miraculous survival or communities coming together to rebuild, that fear is resolved with hope, making it highly shareable.
- Sadness + Admiration (Low Arousal, Low Dominance)
Low arousal, low dominance emotions like sadness may not seem conducive to sharing, but when combined with a high dominance emotion like admiration, they can trigger a strong response. This combo makes viewers feel moved and inspired, evoking what‘s known as "elevation emotion."
Example: An image of a malnourished child living in poverty is definitely sad, but if paired with copy about a charity working tirelessly to feed the hungry, it also evokes admiration for those helping. This emotional one-two punch spurs both compassion and inspiration to act.
Of course, these formulas aren‘t one-size-fits-all. Different combinations can work for different goals and audiences. But they provide a helpful starting point for understanding how to mix and match emotions strategically in your content.
Putting Emotional Triggers Into Practice
Now that we know the key emotions and emotional combinations that tend to drive the most online shares, how can content marketers translate those insights into actual content that will resonate with their unique audiences? Here are some specific strategies and tips to try.
1. Use the "Emotional Story Arc"
Think about structuring your content to take readers on an emotional journey, with a clear beginning, middle, and end. Ideally, you want to hook them early on with a high arousal emotion like surprise or uncertainty, sustain their interest with emotional variety throughout, and then bring it home with a positive emotional resolution that inspires them to share.
Some common emotional story arcs that work well:
- Uncertainty > Fear > Hope > Admiration
- Surprise > Interest > Doubt > Astonishment > Happiness
- Sadness > Compassion > Admiration > Hope
2. Leverage the Power of Visuals
The research focused on viral images for a reason – visual content tends to evoke instant, powerful emotional responses in a way that text alone often can‘t. Whenever possible, incorporate compelling images, videos, or other visuals that convey your target emotions and story arc.
Some ways to use visuals for emotion:
- Pair sad or fearful images with hopeful or admiring copy
- Use happy, colorful images to convey joy and positivity
- Show images that capture surprising or astonishing moments
- Overlay inspiring quotes or stats onto emotive images
3. Deploy Emotional Triggers in Headlines and Introductions
Your headline and introduction are your first and best chance to make an emotional impact and hook readers early on. Focus on those high arousal attention-grabbers like surprise, uncertainty, and astonishment.
Some headline frameworks to try:
- This [Surprising/Astonishing/Unbelievable] [Noun] Will [Emotional Outcome]
- [Number] [Emotion] [Noun] That Will [Desired Action]
- What This [Emotive Adjective] [Noun] Can Teach Us About [Theme/Lesson]
- [Emotive Adjective] New Research Shows [Surprising Stat/Fact]
4. Sprinkle in Power Words
Certain words and phrases have been shown to trigger emotional responses and inspire action. Liberally sprinkle them throughout your content, especially in the headline, subheadings, and call-to-action.
Some examples of power words:
- Positive emotions: surprising, inspiring, heartwarming, breathtaking, jaw-dropping
- Negative emotions: devastating, shocking, unbelievable, mind-blowing
- Action/impact: discover, revealed, proven, transform, skyrocket, boost
5. Tell Authentic, Human Stories
At the end of the day, the best way to strike an emotional chord is to tell authentic stories about real people. Frame your content around relatable human experiences that will make readers feel something.
Some ideas:
- Share a customer success story that evokes admiration and hope
- Tell your brand origin story focusing on the struggles and challenges overcome
- Profile inspiring people or businesses in your industry
- Evoke nostalgia by tapping into familiar cultural references and experiences
The key is to always center real human experiences and emotions. Avoid manufactured sentimentality or emotional manipulation. Audiences can sense inauthenticity from a mile away.
Measuring Emotional Resonance
As with any content marketing strategy, it‘s important to track your results and refine your approach over time based on data. Some key metrics to gauge the emotional impact and shareability of your content:
- Social shares and engagement (likes, comments, etc.)
- Virality rate (what % of viewers/readers are sharing)
- Emotional response in comments (what emotions are people expressing?)
- Brand sentiment (are emotional associations with your brand positive or negative?)
There are also some cutting edge AI tools that use facial recognition and sentiment analysis to actually measure viewers‘ realtime emotional responses to content. This kind of high-tech approach is likely to become more common in the coming years.
Risks and Pitfalls to Avoid
One final note of caution: Wielding emotions in your content can be very powerful, but it‘s a double-edged sword. Stir up the wrong emotions with your audience and your attempts at viral content can quickly backfire.
Some potential risks to be aware of:
- Evoking outrage or anger with insensitive or offensive content
- Coming across as cynically exploiting emotions for clicks/shares
- Striking the wrong emotional chord for your specific audience
- Associating your brand with negative emotions and experiences
Of course, even negative publicity can sometimes have an upside in our attention economy. But in general, it‘s best to avoid content that evokes emotions which could be damaging to your brand in the long-term.
Emotions: Your Key to Shareable Content
Ultimately, if you want your content to get shared far and wide online, making an emotional impact is non-negotiable. By understanding the science of which emotions drive the most sharing behavior and creatively applying that knowledge to craft impactful content, you can dramatically boost your content‘s viral potential.
Remember, the most shareable content follows a strategic emotional arc, makes liberal use of power words and visuals, and above all, tells an authentic human story. Master the art of emotion in content, and you‘ll be well on your way to that viral smash hit.
