As a digital copywriter, you hold the key to creating informative, timely, and entertaining content.
And, when you understand the elements necessary to make content go viral, you can enhance your value to your clients, empowering you to become a key player in creating a content strategy that has much greater reach.
In this series, I have been sharing books by best-selling fiction authors to help build and improve your storytelling skills, tap into your creativity, and fill your writer’s toolbox with valuable tools.
With those basics at your fingertips, you’re ready to create content that resonates with your readers. And with what you’re about to learn, you’ll have what you need to get that content in front of more people, making a greater impact.
In this article, we’ll explore the essential elements needed for content to go viral, as explained by Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. This best-selling book provides the real-world foundation needed to identify and capitalize on growing trends.
Malcolm Gladwell is the author of five New York Times bestsellers. He was a staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. He is best known for his storytelling skills and unique perspectives on popular culture.
Using real-life stories, Gladwell answers the question, “Why is it that some ideas or behaviors or products start epidemics and others don’t? And what can we do to deliberately start and control positive epidemics of our own?”
The Tipping Point
“The Tipping Point is the moment an event, idea, or trend reaches critical mass and begins to spread rapidly.”
Gladwell explains that these moments are often triggered by a combination of factors, which he calls “The Three Rules of Epidemics.”
These rules are the Law of the Few, the Stickiness Factor, and the Power of Context. Let’s review these rules and see how they affect the viral nature of events.
1. The Law of the Few
The first rule, The Law of the Few, states that word-of-mouth social epidemics are driven by the influence of key individuals. Gladwell identifies three roles that these individuals fall into: Connectors, Mavens, and Salesmen.
He defines Connectors as people “with a special gift for bringing the world together.” Connectors are people specialists with broad networks and large numbers of social media followers.
But their power lies more with whom they know and who follows them than in how many followers they have. They’re that friend who seems to know everyone, including just the right person to help you with whatever it is that you need right now.
Gladwell indicates that the closer an idea or product is to a Connector, the more likely it is to spread.
Mavens are information specialists, the data banks in social epidemics. They like to find the best deals and share that information with others. Because of this, Mavens have the potential to deliver messages more convincingly and powerfully than Connectors.
“What sets Mavens apart is not so much what they know but how they pass it along…. they want to help because they like to help…”
Gladwell also indicates that some people fulfill a dual role as Connector/Mavens. These personalities are powerful in spreading word-of-mouth epidemics.
While connectors and mavens are vital individuals to trigger a “viral event,” they are not persuaders.
The third influencer is the Salesman, the personality type with the “skills to persuade us when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing.” Gladwell states that their powerful or persuasive personality allows the Salesman to draw others into their rhythms and set the terms of the interaction.
The combination of these three groups can cause a word-of-mouth epidemic centered around ideas, behaviors, or products.
To tap into the power of these three roles, pay attention to the people who are active within your industry or niche, as well as people who are influencers in adjacent industries and niches.
If there’s a campaign or piece of content you want to reach further, try to get it onto the radar of these people. That’s easier to do if you have a pre-existing relationship with them. If not, consider reaching out to them in a disruptive way. For example, rather than sending them an email, you might record a video sharing your thoughts and send that to them via direct message.
2. The Stickiness Factor
The second rule or agent of virality is the Stickiness Factor. According to Gladwell, “… the specific quality that a message needs to be successful is the quality of ‘stickiness.’ Is the message, food, movie, or product memorable… can it spur someone to action?”
Stickiness is what makes your messages spread. Messages can be delivered through social media, direct-marketing copy, or storytelling content that builds more slowly toward a relationship with your audience.
The amount of information people are exposed to daily has grown to an impossible volume, so getting and retaining an audience’s attention is becoming more complex.
Sticky content tailored to your target audience that provides relevant information in an inspiring or entertaining way can break through and make a lasting impression.
Start studying the messages, campaigns, commercials, and content that sticks in your memory. Is it funny? Does it use a clever play on words? Does it touch you on a deeply emotional level or make you look at the world in a new way? When something stands out, see if you can reverse engineer why and then use what you’ve learned to make your own campaigns stickier.
3. The Power of Context
“Epidemics are sensitive to the conditions and circumstances of the times and places in which they occur.”
The last rule of epidemics relates to the context in which the idea or trend is introduced. To fully understand the context, consider the timing, environment, and other underlying factors that might influence how a message is received and how it spreads.
Let’s look at some examples to see how context contributes to viral events.
ALS Ice Bucket Challenge
In the summer of 2014, a small campaign was started to raise funds for ALS research. The event reached a tipping point in less than three weeks.
Connectors: The Challenge leveraged the power of social connections and networks. The first participants nominated friends, family, and coworkers, and the Challenge quickly spread through word of mouth on social media. It caught the attention of celebrities and influencers, and when they joined in, participation rapidly increased.
Stickiness Factor: It was easy. And the visual appeal of seeing challengers dumping ice water on their heads made it memorable. The emotional factor of supporting a charitable cause made both those participating and watching feel good.
Context: The bucket challenge emerged as social media usage was growing rapidly — particularly the sharing of individual videos captured on people’s smartphones.
Results: The ALS.org site states that over 17 million people participated in the Challenge and raised $115 million for The ALS Association.
Camping Surge Following the 2020 Pandemic
According to the North American Camping Special Report released in May 2020, over 40% of those surveyed planned camping as their first trip after restrictions were lifted… and nearly half were first-time campers.
Connectors/Mavens: Social media influencers, travel bloggers, and die-hard campers shared information about the physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors with friends and followers. Additionally, camping was promoted as a family bonding experience.
Stickiness Factor: The appeal of camping and RV travel provided a sense of freedom and adventure during and immediately after the lockdown. It was a way to reconnect with nature, bond with family, and create lasting memories.
Context: Travel restrictions and concerns about crowded indoor spaces caused people to look for outdoor activities and alternatives to traditional accommodations. Remote work and virtual school also allowed for greater flexibility in travel plans, making it easier to go on camping trips.
Results: The Outdoor Hospitality and RV industries saw increased growth and profits due to a surge in sales and reservations, which continued into 2021.
As a writer, you can’t control the context, but you can work to understand it. When you do, you’ll find ways to frame your content that resonate with where people are at in the broader context of their lives.
Finding Potential Viral Events
Let’s wrap up by taking a look at some tools digital copywriters can use to find relevant topics and trends that are nearing their tipping point or have the potential to go viral.
You can search all topics or narrow your search to those in your niche.
Google Trends: This tool shows trending topics and the percentage increase in search terms. Pay particular attention to “Breakout” results. That means searches for the term have grown by more than 5,000%. Subscribe to the Google Trends newsletter to get results in your inbox.
Social media: Stay current by following influencers and pages in your niche and joining relevant groups. Pay attention to engagement and topics gaining traction by watching likes, shares, comments, and views.
Microsoft Bing: Using Bing’s Copilot, you can find the top trending searches in your niche and other areas of interest.
LinkedIn: Follow and connect with groups, pages, and individuals in your niche and areas of interest. LinkedIn News is also a way to spot trends that are on the cusp of going viral.
Local news and connections: By watching local news and attending events, you will start to notice trends in your area.
If you see a trend starting to tip, act fast. Look for ways to connect with influencers and create a sticky message, so you can leverage the current context you see in the developing trend. Then, use your digital-copywriting skills to spread the word for yourself and your clients.
