Introduction

In the online marketing era, organic marketing gives you an advantage by engaging and expanding your audience without stretching the budget allocated for marketing. Jonah Berger’s Contagious: Why Things Catch On highlights 6 core principles—STEPPS—which will make your marketing efforts naturally compelling, highly engaging, and most importantly, shareable.

Here’s how you can apply these principles with effective examples:

1. Social Currency: Make your customers feel insiders, relate with them on another level. You also need to make them feel special and smart. That forces them to talk about you and share your content. For example, Dropbox gives extra storage space for users who refer their friends, making us feel like insiders while promoting organic sharing.

Example: A clothing brand could launch a limited-edition collection co-designed with a popular influencer or artist, offering early access or special discounts to their loyal customers. This exclusivity not only enhances the perceived value of the clothing but also allows customers to showcase their insider status and connection to high-profile personalities, making them appear trendy and well-connected.

2. Design for Triggers: Link your product to everyday activities. It’s that simple! KitKat paired their chocolate with coffee, creating a mental connection that was triggered during daily coffee breaks.

Example: Spotify uses triggers effectively by creating personalised playlists like “Discover Weekly,” which users look forward to at the start of each week. This regular engagement keeps Spotify top of mind every time users think about music.

3. Emotional Appeal: Content that evokes emotions tends to be shared more by humans. It’s confirmed by data! Videos from GoPro often highlight exhilarating, heart-racing adventures that viewers can’t help but share with friends.

Example: A pet shelter could share heartwarming rescue stories with before-and-after adoption pictures to tap into emotions, driving shares and potentially increasing adoption rates.

4. Make It Observable: The more visible your product in public, the more it’s talked about. Again, confirmed by data. Apple’s distinctive white earbuds made their users walking billboards for the iPod. Staying top of mind is very essential these days in a cluttered environment.

Example: Tesla makes its innovation public by showcasing its cutting-edge technology in electric vehicles during highly publicized launch events and by having distinctive car designs that stand out on the road, prompting public curiosity and conversation.

5. Focus on providing Practical Value: People share helpful, practical information. This is applicable to personal branding as well. Buzzfeed’s Tasty videos provide quick, easy recipes using common ingredients that viewers can easily replicate and share.

Example: A financial advisory service could create simple infographic tips on saving for retirement, offering immediate value that clients are likely to share with their peers who are at similar life stages.

6. Communicated Your Message in Stories: Stories are inherently shareable and memorable. Warby Parker shares customer stories about how glasses have changed their lives, connecting products with personal narratives.

Example: Airbnb uses stories effectively by allowing hosts to share unique personal anecdotes about their homes and experiences. These stories not only make the listings more appealing but also help create a more connected and personalized travel experience.

Conclusion Effective organic marketing makes your brand a seamless part of daily conversations. By applying Jonah Berger’s insights from the bookContagious, your marketing strategies can become more than just promotional—they can be shared experiences that resonate with your audience.

Focus not just on convincing people to buy but on inspiring them to share, and watch how naturally your reach expands. One of the best marketing strategies to include in your marketing plan in my opinion.

To summarise STEPPS

-Social Currency – make audience feel like insiders, and smart
-Triggers – Link your product/service to daily activities
-Emotion – Gives people a reason to share
-Public – The more top of mind you are, the more you’ll be remembered
-Practical value – Provide value like a Guru!
-Stories – Features tell, stories sell. Always!

Are you tired of spending money on ads and do you want to try giving viral organic marketing a shot?

Look no further. Reach us out here and let’s grow your brand!