In today’s content-saturated landscape, where attention spans are short and competition is high, the question most brands ask is simple: how do we create content that gets seen, remembered, and shared? While there is no guaranteed formula for going viral, there is a proven framework that increases the likelihood of your content cutting through the noise.  

In Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Wharton professor and bestselling author Jonah Berger outlines the psychology behind what makes certain content gain traction. His STEPPS model—Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories—provides a strategic lens through which communicators can evaluate and shape their messaging.  

At Purpose Communications, we use this framework not as a checklist, but as a set of guiding principles to craft compelling, high-impact campaigns. Here’s a closer look at each element and why it matters.  

1. Social Currency: Making your audience look and feel good  

People share content that enhances how they are perceived. Whether it positions them as informed, humorous, insightful, or on-trend, content with strong social currency makes the person sharing it feel smarter or more connected.  For communications professionals, this means creating content that offers novelty, exclusivity, or an “insider” perspective. Think of data points that are not widely known, first-look insights, or clever commentary that allows your audience to demonstrate knowledge or personality by passing it along.  The more value your content adds to the identity of the person sharing it, the greater the likelihood it will travel.  

• Key takeaway: Make your audience feel good about sharing your content—because it reflects well on them.

2. Triggers: Ensuring your message stays top of mind  

Content doesn’t need to be constantly promoted to remain relevant—it needs to be memorable. This is where triggers come in: everyday cues or associations that prompt people to recall and share your message long after seeing it.  Strategic use of triggers might include aligning a campaign with a news cycle, season, routine behaviour, or cultural reference. Done well, this can extend a campaign’s shelf life and encourage repeated, organic engagement without additional push.  The objective is to connect your message to something familiar and recurring, so your audience is reminded of your brand even when they aren’t actively thinking about it.  

• Key takeaway: Anchor your content to everyday cues that increase recall and relevance.

3. Emotion: Creating content that moves people  

Emotion drives action. Content that evokes a strong emotional response—whether joy, surprise, inspiration, or even frustration—is more likely to be shared.  In communications, emotional resonance is not about sensationalism. It’s about authenticity. It’s about recognising the power of storytelling to connect with audiences on a deeper level, to tap into shared values, aspirations or concerns.   What matters most is not the specific emotion but the intensity of the emotional response. If the content provokes thought, stirs a reaction, or invites reflection, it earns attention—and often, amplification.  

• Key takeaway: Don’t just inform—move your audience. Emotional impact increases visibility.

4. Public: Making content observable and easy to share  

People are more likely to adopt behaviours or engage with content when they see others doing the same. Visibility breeds credibility, and familiarity generates trust.  From a content perspective, this principle translates into designing assets that are easy to share, reference, or replicate. A strong visual identity, recognisable formats (such as recurring series or campaigns), and clear calls to action all support this.   Public engagement also includes elements like branded hashtags, client success stories, and user-generated content—tools that reinforce your brand’s presence while encouraging participation.  

• Key takeaway: Make your content easy to spot, engage with, and share in public digital spaces.

5. Practical Value: Sharing for the sake of helping  

Utility is one of the most underrated forces behind content distribution. People naturally share content that helps others by saving time, solving a problem, offering advice, or improving decision-making.  For brands and communicators, this means creating content that is interesting and actionable. This could be expert insights, simplified explanations of complex topics, concise tutorials, or tools and checklists that support your audience’s goals.  The clearer the benefit, the more likely it will be passed on.  

• Key takeaway: Deliver immediate value through clear, useful, and actionable insights.

6. Stories: Embedding messages within narratives  

We are hardwired to understand and remember stories. They provide structure, emotional context, and relatability, transforming otherwise abstract or technical information into something engaging and accessible.  Compelling brand storytelling is not about placing the organisation at the centre of the narrative. It’s about showing how your brand contributes to a broader journey—whether that of a client, a community, or a social cause.  Stories are powerful not only because they are memorable, but because they are easy to retell. And when your message is embedded in a narrative worth repeating, it travels further and lasts longer.  

• Key takeaway: Stories add meaning. Use them to frame your brand within human experiences.

Strategic takeaway  

The STEPPS framework is not a shortcut to virality but a sophisticated tool for building content strategically designed to be shared. It blends behavioural science with communication best practices, allowing brands to reach audiences in human, relevant, and effective ways.  

At Purpose Communications, we leverage this thinking across our work—from digital storytelling and executive positioning to corporate campaigns and creative activations. Shareability isn’t just a goal, it’s a byproduct of clarity, resonance, and relevance.  

Ready to craft communications that connect and convert? Let’s talk strategy. Contact us to explore how we can help your message go further.