Viral content: What emotions trigger it?

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One of the most interesting phenomena of the digital age is viral content . That is, content that is shared thousands of times in a matter of hours or even minutes.

Images, videos and articles are part of this trend that manages to amuse, outrage or inspire the audience that connects to the Internet every day. These are precisely the reactions that will be the benefits of using our teacher database analyzed in order to explain the euphoria caused by such content. What are the main emotions that trigger it?

Three factors that directly influence public sentiment
According to Marketing Land, there are three factors that explain why people react in a specific way to different types of stimuli :

Polarity: refers to the positive or negative quality of each emotion.
Enthusiasm: There are emotions with a low level of passion, such as sadness, and others that are at the top of the scale, such as extreme joy or anger.
Mastery: refers to the degree of control over a particular emotion, such as fear or anger.
Emotions that trigger viral content
The three factors from the previous point determine each of the specific emotions provoked by these contents:

1. Hope and gratitude. The public is eager for good news in a world where the media constantly reports on all kinds of tragedies. That's why a $5,000 tip given to a fast food employee becomes a national event. The same happens with a celebrity who buys a home of his dreams for a poor person, or a talented artist who sings on the street for pennies, but at the same time has a great voice.

2. Outrage and anger. Injustices of all kinds also receive the attention of millions of people online. The anger that this provokes awakens in users a desire to remedy the situation, or to inform those who have the power to do something about it. Social problems such as animal abuse, domestic violence or abuse of defenseless people are an example of material that provokes the displeasure of readers.

3. Love. Whether it is devotion to family, a partner, a pet, or another loved one, this type of content also has a great chance of going viral. The story of a dog that refuses to leave his master's grave undoubtedly touches the most sensitive fibers of those who read it and motivates them to share it through social networks such as Twitter, Instagram or Facebook .

4. Lust . That old saying “sex sells” has taken on new meaning in the Internet age. Compromising photos of an attractive actress, or scantily clad photos of a famous singer, captivate men and women alike, who flood social media searching for and sharing such material. As proof of this, a few years ago the most popular search term on the web was: “ Janet Jackson’s 2004 Super Bowl halftime show ,” which drew attention for the “wardrobe malfunction” that revealed part of the well-known performer’s anatomy.

5. Fear. People also like to be scared, or at least they love to explore what they consider unknown. The most recent example of this is the game “Charlie, Charlie” , which supposedly invokes dark forces from beyond. Although many experts have proven that this phenomenon has a scientific explanation, it became a worldwide trend in mid-2015.



In short, viral content has a great emotional charge that invites people to read and share it. Used appropriately, it is a great marketing tool and can generate thousands of visits and organic traffic. But remember: good taste and the truthfulness of what you share are essential elements to earn the respect of your audience.