Business
What people hear from friends and peers moves their choices more than advertising does, and more than how good the product actually is. Word of mouth is the main driver behind roughly a fifth to a half of all buying decisions.
Online buzz is easy to measure, so it looks like the main event, but it is only a small slice of the talk. Only about 7 percent of word of mouth happens on social media; nearly all the rest is ordinary conversation in person.
Passing something on is partly a way of showing who we are. If knowing about or recommending something makes the sharer seem clever, informed or in the know, they will spread it to raise their own standing.
People talk about what is already on their mind, and things in the everyday environment put it there. Linking an idea to a common routine or setting, the way peanut butter calls up jelly, gives it a constant stream of reminders.
Content that stirs intense emotion gets passed on more than content that leaves people calm. Feelings like awe or anger push people to share, which is why a breathtaking sight keeps getting retold.
People imitate what they can see others doing, so making use of something publicly observable helps it spread. A product designed to be noticed, like distinctive white headphones or a logo facing outward, advertises itself and starts conversations.
People share information that can make someone else's daily life easier or save them money, as a way of helping. A simple, practical trick or a good deal travels far even when its subject is mundane.
Whether something spreads depends less on finding special, well-connected people and more on how the thing itself is built. Six features of the message can be designed in, which is why even a boring product like a blender can be made widely shared.
People pass on stories more readily than bare facts, and the message rides along hidden inside, like soldiers in a wooden horse. For this to work, the point must be woven into the story so it cannot be retold without it.
Just as our decisions follow predictable biases, so do our choices about what to notice and pass on. Viral success looks like luck, since under one percent of videos reach a million views, but it follows these patterns.