Once considered a ‘reach gap’ in social media, the rapidly changing landscape of digital content consumption is now a ‘currency of attention’ for brands.
Brands now invest millions of dollars in advertising, yet a single humorous meme or relatable viral video has the potential to generate more revenue than all the money spent on a particular advertisement.
Social media platforms are primarily used for short-form video. In fact, a recent survey showed that over 90 percent of social media users prefer viewing engaging content via short-form video compared to long-form video formats, which are often considered to be a ‘waste of time’.
If brands do not change their strategy by creating video content in this format, they run the risk of being invisible to young consumers who are looking to connect with brands on an emotional level through viral, shared experiences.
While once viral marketing was based on luck, it is now based on psychological research.
Key psychological drivers
Emotional Resonance: As one would expect, content that elicits a strong emotional response (i.e., a lot of high-arousal emotion) is far more likely to be shared than less emotionally compelling content. Content that utilizes humor is one of the biggest contributors to sharing, as it releases dopamine within us and helps us create positive associations. Other high-arousal emotions, such as awe, surprise, and inspiration, as well as anger, can also drive a large amount of sharing.
Relatable Content: Viewers tend to be more likely to share content that they can relate to, such as content that mirrors their own experiences, struggles, or goals (such as funny memes about "Monday morning struggles"). When they can see themselves or their lives within a piece of content, it is easier for them to have an emotional connection with that piece of content. This shared connection builds a sense of community and makes individuals want to tag friends and share that content as a way to express their identity or community as well.
Social Proof and Fear of Missing Out: When something seems to be trending or very popular, most people will engage with and share that piece of content because they want to be part of the "bandwagon effect." Additionally, individuals have a fear of missing out on something that is happening within their culture or within a given conversation and want to feel like they are a part of the "in" crowd.
Social Currency: Through content-sharing practices, users are able to create an image of themselves online based on what type of content they are sharing. This process allows users to show their friends that they are witty, knowledgeable, or empathetic. Memes are one type of content that fit into this category because they have cultural significance and they also include humor.
Cognitive Ease: The way the brain processes information makes it easier for us to consume and share short-form video (Reels) and image-based memes because these types of content require minimal cognitive processing to be able to understand them. The short-form video and image-based formats allow users in a very fast-moving digital space to identify content very quickly, then consume and immediately pass it on to other people.
Why Tijus Academy is Trusted for Digital Marketing Skills
Through the use of cutting-edge AI technologies, Tijus Academy's digital marketing courses provide learners with the understanding not only of the tools necessary to succeed in the online world, but also the underlying mindset and psychology associated with effective online content.
Tijus Academy's digital marketing courses teach:
- The process of developing viral-ready content using relatability, emotional impact and trending topics.
- Insights into the algorithms of Instagram, YouTube and TikTok and how they work.
- The ability to create memes, reels and other story-based formats that sell products.
- Methods of analyzing audience behavior and riding trends.
- The use of AI tools to quickly develop ideas, scripts and other creative works.
Do you want to learn how to effectively market in a way that converts? Explore Tijus Academy's Digital Marketing Program today to create content people want to share!
