Jonah Berger on Viral Marketing

Course details

Why do some ideas spread while others fade away? Jonah Berger, PhD, professor of marketing at the Wharton School and author of the best-selling book Contagious: Why Things Catch On, reveals the secrets behind the science of social transmission. Discover what leads people to share content online and off, including social currency, triggers, emotion, public use, practical value, and storytelling. Learn what separates the best brands and stories from the rest in this example-rich course.

Learning objectives
Summarize the advantages of word-of-mouth advertising.
Identify the six STEPPS to getting people to share.
Explain the effects of a trigger.
Describe the function of social proof.
Recall the most effective strategies for spreading a marketing message.
Recognize two components in a story meant to help spread a business message.

Concepts

Introduction

The power of viral marketing

Contagious Content

Word-of-mouth marketing
Having an online and offline strategy
Six STEPPS to getting people to share

Social Currency

Making people look good
Making people feel like insiders
Showing your inner remarkability

Triggers and Emotion

Reminding people with triggers
Finding your product's trigger
Getting people to care with emotion
Focusing on high-arousal feelings

Public and Practical Value

Making things easier to see and imitate
Making the private public
Crafting useful and helpful content
Highlight value through the rule of 100

Stories and Putting STEPPS into Practice

Telling stories that carry your message
Building the narrative
Combining the six STEPPS