Why Things Spread

Social Currency

People share things that make them look good. Berger calls this social currency: the value a piece of content, product, or idea gives to the person sharing it in terms of how it reflects on their identity and status.

Triggers

Top of mind, tip of tongue. Berger argues that the most viral ideas and products are linked to things people encounter frequently in their daily lives, which triggers them to think about it, and therefore talk about it, repeatedly.

Emotion

When we care, we share. Berger's research shows that content and ideas that generate strong emotion spread further than neutral ones, but the type of emotion matters as much as its intensity.

Public Visibility and Practical Value

Two more of Berger's STEPPS principles: things spread when they are visible to others, creating a trail that others can follow. And people share things that are genuinely useful, because sharing useful information is a form of care.

Stories

The sixth STEPPS principle is Stories. Ideas travel inside stories the way viruses travel inside hosts. If your idea does not have a story worth telling, it will not travel. But if the story cannot be told without the idea, the idea travels every time the story does.

Applying STEPPS

Berger brings the six principles together into a practical framework for designing anything you want to spread. The question is not just whether your idea is good, but whether it is built in a way that makes sharing feel natural and inevitable.