"Nine out of ten Americans are completely wrong about this mind-blowing fact."
"Bullies called him pork chop. He took that pain with him and then cooked it into this."
You may find them annoying and critics reject them as mere clickbait, but the website got over 20 million unique users per week in February of this year alone, impressive for a company barely two years old. And it's not just Upworthy, plenty of young virally literate companies are becoming familiar staples of the media landscape. And companies are learning the new viral language fast.
"I've had my ups and downs. My fair share of bumpy roads and heavy winds."
This advert by carmaker Volvo features actor Jean-Claude Van Damme carrying out his famous eye-watering splits between two reversing trucks. It has had over 70 million views on Youtube. But why? Jonah Berger, author of Contagious: Why Things Catch On, explains.
First, it's highly emotional. You can't help but feel inspired. And that motion of our inspiration drives people to share, whether we think about Susan Boyle's, you know, singing I Dreamed a Dream, people are inspired by her amazing voice. But it also has that social currency. It makes you feel smart and in the know, clever for finding this amazing content makes you look good among your friends, and so people pass along for that reason as well.
