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

0. Introduction

01 - The power of viral marketing

1. Contagious Content

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

2. Social Currency

05 - Making people look good
06 - Making people feel like insiders
07 - Showing your inner remarkability

3. Triggers and Emotion

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

4. Public and Practical Value

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

5. Stories and Putting STEPPS into Practice

16 - Telling stories that carry your message
17 - Building the narrative
18 - Combining the six STEPPS

Jonah Berger on Viral Marketing

Authors

Jonah Berger