The 3 Emotions Proven To Make Content Go Viral (Based On A Study Of 7000 NYT Articles)

🌟 Headline Magic (By The Pen Pivot)

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Sad fact:

If the headline sucks, the content won’t get clicked, read, or viewed.

(No matter how many painful hours you spent making it).

A lot of content creators who aren’t getting enough views think they have a content problem…

But they actually often have a headline problem.

They also don’t know that simple, 10-second tweaks to their headlines could 3.3x their views (or more).

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🚀 how to go viral

The 3 Emotions Scientifically Proven To Make Content Go Viral

Simple tweaks to your headlines and content could massively increase the chances of it being shared.

Going viral isn’t random.

Huge content creators and publications have built multi-billion dollar empires using the science of virality.

Fortunately, there’s been solid research into why certain types of content go viral while other types seem to barely make a ripple online.

Two researchers studied 7000 New York Times articles and found that emotion significantly impacted virality.

Here’s what you need to know…

The Berger And Milkman Study

Title: “What Makes Content Go Viral” [link]

A summary of the important findings:

• Positive content was more viral than negative content.

• High-arousal positive emotions (awe) and high-arousal negative emotions (anger or anxiety) are more viral than low-arousal emotions (eg. sadness).

This was true even when the authors controlled for how surprising, interesting, or practically useful the content was.

Examples Of High-Arousal Emotion In Content

I picked two high-engagement headlines published today to illustrate high-arousal emotions more effectively.

Emotion: Awe

“Awe” refers to the high-arousal emotional state triggered by witnessing something remarkable, extraordinary, or breathtaking.

Emotion: Anxiety and Awe

This headline plays on two high-arousal emotions and is very enticing as a result.

How To Use “High-Arousal” Emotions In Your Content

Here are some actionable ways you can leverage the findings of this study to make your content more shareable.

Headlines are what are actually shared, and so they’re often the perfect place to use these techniques.

• Showcase The Extraordinary: Share content about incredible human feats, groundbreaking discoveries, or extraordinary phenomena.

• Visual Wonder: Use stunning imagery or videos in your content that capture the grandeur or beauty of your subject.

• Inspirational Interviews: Feature stories of people who have achieved remarkable accomplishments.

• Debate Provoking Topics: Address issues that are polarizing or controversial.

• Expose Injustices: Create content that highlights social, political, or environmental injustices.

• Contrarian Viewpoints: Present opinions or perspectives that challenge mainstream beliefs or status quo.

• Discuss Pressing Issues: Focus on urgent global or local issues in your niche.

• Create Problem-Solving Content: Address common fears or challenges your audience faces and offer solutions that relieve them.

Your 3-Step Actionable Summary:

1. Emphasize The Right Emotions: Create content that evokes these high-arousal emotions for greater shareability.

2. Be Ethical: Strike emotional chords ethically, avoiding fearmongering while being impactful.

3. Evaluate And Adjust: Track your content's performance and refine strategies based on which emotions drive the most engagement in your niche.

🐰 rabbit holes and resources

🍫 Today’s link candy for content creators:

• How to train ChatGPT to write in your brand’s tone of voice [Infographic].

• How To Start A $1,000,000 Business With 0 Employees [YouTube Video].

• The definition of “great” content and an EASY framework for creating it [link].