Word-of-Mouth & Virality Framework

A framework for engineering word-of-mouth and making products, ideas, and content contagious. Based on Jonah Berger's research into why certain things catch on while others languish in obscurity — and how to systematically tip the odds in your favor.

Core Principle

Virality is not born — it is engineered. Products don't go viral by luck or by simply being great. They spread because they were designed — consciously or unconsciously — to be shared.

The foundation: Contrary to popular belief, only 7% of word-of-mouth happens online. The remaining 93% happens offline, in everyday conversations. This means virality isn't just about social media — it's about understanding the psychology of why people talk about and share certain things. Sharing follows predictable psychological patterns, and these patterns can be engineered into any product, idea, or piece of content using the STEPPS framework.

Scoring

Goal: 10/10. When reviewing or creating products, campaigns, content, or features for shareability, rate 0-10 based on adherence to the STEPPS principles below. A 10/10 means the offering activates all six STEPPS drivers; lower scores indicate untapped viral potential. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.

STEPPS Overview

Six principles that make things contagious:

set -euo pipefail
S - Social Currency     → Does sharing it make people look good?
T - Triggers            → Is there an environmental cue that reminds people of it?
E - Emotion             → Does it evoke high-arousal feelings?
P - Public              → Is it visible when people use or consume it?
P - Practical Value     → Is it genuinely useful information people want to pass along?
S - Stories             → Is it wrapped in a narrative people want to tell?

Not a checklist — a multiplier. Each principle independently increases the likelihood of sharing. The most contagious ideas activate multiple STEPPS simultaneously. But even activating one or two well can dramatically increase word-of-mouth.