Contagious

Social Currency	We share things that make us look good
Triggers	Top of mind, tip of tongue
Emotion	When we care, we share
Public	Built to show, built to grow
Practical Value	News you can use
Stories	Information travels under the guise of idle chatter

Principle 1: Social Currency

Word of mouth, then, is a prime tool for making a good impression – as potent as that new car or Prada handbag. Think of it as a kind of currency. Social currency. Just as people use money to buy products or services, they use social currency to achieve desired positive impressions among their families, friends and colleagues.

So to get people talking, companies and organizations need to mint social currency. Give people a way to make themselves look good while promoting their products or idea along the way. There are three ways to do that:

FIND INNER REMARKABILITY

LEVERAGE GAME MECHANICS

MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE INSIDERS

Scarcity and exclusivity boost word of mouth by making people feel like insiders

If people get something not everyone else has, it makes them feel special, unique, high status. And because of that they’ll not only like… Continue reading Scarcity and exclusivity boost word of mouth by making people feel like insiders

Principle 2: Triggers

A good trigger based on frequency and strength of association

What makes for an effective trigger? Triggers can help products and ideas catch on, but some stimuli are better triggers than others. As we… Continue reading A good trigger based on frequency and strength of association

Competitors can even be used as a trigger

How can public health organizations compete against the marketing strength of better-funded rivals like cigarette companies? One way to combat this inequality is to… Continue reading Competitors can even be used as a trigger

Using trigger words to your advantage

Most conversations can be described as small talk. These conversations are less about finding interesting things to say to make us look good than… Continue reading Using trigger words to your advantage

Principle 3: Emotion

Exercise makes people share

Any sort of arousal, whether from emotional or physical sources, and even arousal due to the situation itself (rather than content) can boost transmission.… Continue reading Exercise makes people share

Kindling the fire with High-arousal Emotions

Those high-arousal emotions will dirve people to action. On the positive side, excite people or inspire them by showing them how they can make… Continue reading Kindling the fire with High-arousal Emotions

Principle 4: Public

If you want to prevent a behavior, make that behavior private…

Take the music industry. It thought it could stop illegal downloads by showing people how big the problem is. So the industry association’s website… Continue reading If you want to prevent a behavior, make that behavior private…

Make products that advertise themselves

Every time people use the product or service they also transmit social proof or passive approval because usage is observable. Many companies apply this… Continue reading Make products that advertise themselves

Principle 5: Practical Value

Practical value is more effective the easier it is for people to see.

Take the shopper discount cards that you get at your local grocery store or pharmacy. These cards are certainly useful. They save consumers money… Continue reading Practical value is more effective the easier it is for people to see.

How to frame a deal with The Rule of 100

A simple way to figure out which discount frame seems larger is by using something called the Rule of 100. If the product’s price… Continue reading How to frame a deal with The Rule of 100

Promotional offers that seem surprising or surpass expectations are more likely to be shared

This can be because the actual deal itself exceeds expectations (for example, the percentage off is so unbelievable) or because the way the deal… Continue reading Promotional offers that seem surprising or surpass expectations are more likely to be shared

Diminishing Sensitivity

Imagine you are looking to buy a new clock radio. At the store where you expect to buy it, you find that the price… Continue reading Diminishing Sensitivity

The psychology of deals – Importance of reference points

Kahneman received the Nobel [prize] for his work with Amos Tversky on what they called “prospect theory”. […] One of the main tenets of… Continue reading The psychology of deals – Importance of reference points

People share practically valuable information to help others

Sharing something useful with others is a quick and easy way to help them out. Even if we’re not in the same place. Parents… Continue reading People share practically valuable information to help others

Principle 6: Stories

When trying to generate word of mouth, remember to focus on “What people are talking about”

On August 16, 2004, Canadian Ron Bensimhon had broken into the Olympics. He wasn’t actually on the Canadian swim team. When Rom jumped off… Continue reading When trying to generate word of mouth, remember to focus on “What people are talking about”

People are also less likely to argue against stories than against advertising claims.

Lands’ End representative could tell us that they have great customer service, but as we discussed earlier, the fact that they are trying to… Continue reading People are also less likely to argue against stories than against advertising claims.