Monday
Mar272006
6 ways to make your ideas more viral
Monday, March 27, 2006 at 11:07AM
It's official. Although not nearly enough people have realised it yet: thoughts ARE things.
In my last post, I mentioned that there was a scientific basis for Viral Marketing, Word-of-Mouth advertising and Social Currency.
If you haven't guessed by now, I am talking about Memes.
A meme is a thought, action or idea that is really catchy (in the same way a virus is), so people pass it on to each other, e.g. a funny joke, a pop song or a style of dressing. Memes survive by reproduction (in much the same way as do genes) - literally by people imitating the ideas and perhaps adapting them slightly to suit their intentions.
The implications of this are deep, so I recommend checking out: Richard Dawkin's explanation (Dawkins is the prof. who originally proposed it); and also the Wikipedia entry on "Meme".
If you don't follow the links above, then just take my word for it: what people think, do and converse about is VERY important - even if they aren't rich and famous. (i.e. what you think, do & talk about is very important... Seen or unseen)
Here are 6 things that affect the success of your memes.
If you can engineer memes (products, ideas etc) that are good replicators, then you've got it made in the Attention Economy.
In my last post, I mentioned that there was a scientific basis for Viral Marketing, Word-of-Mouth advertising and Social Currency.
If you haven't guessed by now, I am talking about Memes.
A meme is a thought, action or idea that is really catchy (in the same way a virus is), so people pass it on to each other, e.g. a funny joke, a pop song or a style of dressing. Memes survive by reproduction (in much the same way as do genes) - literally by people imitating the ideas and perhaps adapting them slightly to suit their intentions.
The implications of this are deep, so I recommend checking out: Richard Dawkin's explanation (Dawkins is the prof. who originally proposed it); and also the Wikipedia entry on "Meme".
If you don't follow the links above, then just take my word for it: what people think, do and converse about is VERY important - even if they aren't rich and famous. (i.e. what you think, do & talk about is very important... Seen or unseen)
Here are 6 things that affect the success of your memes.
- Experience: if a meme does not correlate with an individuals experience, then that individual has a reduced likelihood of remembering that meme. (e.g. A message combined with a sample)
- Happiness: If a meme makes people feel happier, then they're more likely to remember it. (e.g. a good joke)
- Fear: If a meme constitutes a threat, then people may be frightened into believing it. (e.g. if you don't use this product you will be miserable)
- Censorship: Restrictive controls (such as copyright) put memes at a disadvantage. (show and tell = new economy).
- Economics: If a meme tends to increase the riches of the person holding it, then that meme tends to spread. (Put customer success first).
- Distinction: if the meme helps the people who use it to be more respected (e.g. seem intelligent or insightful), then it has a greater chance of spreading. (e.g. be a content provider --- make your "advertising" useful).
If you can engineer memes (products, ideas etc) that are good replicators, then you've got it made in the Attention Economy.
Reader Comments