Quick read that mostly rehashes known principles. But it is good to be reminded, so the book has merit even though it is just a repetition of what is said in other books.

Provoke an emotional stimulated reaction, not a complacent reaction. Tell a story rather than just facts. Make people able to show off using your product. Give them something useful tips for life. Tie it to triggers they see often. Make your product a public activity.

Clear, concise and with quite good narratives to drive the point home.

Berger's discourse revolves around the key ingredients which make a product/article/video/content/idea go viral; in other words, precisely what influences one's mind (not) to share a certain bit of knowledge with their friends or with a wider public.

The acronym STEPPS summarizes these 6 key elements, as follows:

Social Currency -- We share things that make us look good
Triggers -- Top of mind, tip of tongue
Emotion -- When we care, we share
Public -- Built to show, built to grow
Practical Value -- News you can use
Stories -- Information travels under the guise of idle chatter

A light, fun read, all things considered.

if i didn't have to read this for my viral marketing class, there's no way i'd read this on my own. it's was mildly interesting, and it might have been more interesting at the time it was first published, but now it's super basic stuff. social media/marketing/variability is constantly changing so this could be a good beginner text, but nothing i would recommend you spend money for.

It took me a while to get through this book. I really liked a lot of the examples and how the author used storytelling to get his points across. I agree with the reviews that some of the points in the book were repeated too much. Other than that, I got a lot of value from this and disagreed with the 1-star reviews. I might reread this in the future and recommend it to anyone as new to marketing as I am. I read it on Kindle Unlimited.

From The Book Wheel

Have you ever wondered why some things go viral? Jonah Berger did and his research culminated in his book, Contagious. If this sounds like a familiar concept then you probably read Malcolm Gladwell‘s Tipping Point. InTipping Point, Gladwell attributes the viral spread of information/products/ideas to three types of people; mavens, connectors, and salespeople. In Contagious, Berger takes it one step further. Instead of focusing on the people that spread the information, he tries to identify what makes something worth sharing to begin with.

The book is broken down into six main principles that range from public visibility to the story around the product (such as Apple’s ability to play to emotion when it comes to electronics). Why do people pay for a $100 cheesesteak? Have you ever been to the secret bar that you access through a phone booth? All of these things were really interesting, but what I found most interesting was his explanation for why seemingly mundane items (like a blender) become so popular.

For the full review, go here.

Not as revelatory as I'd expected or hoped it to be. Didn't really finish this one I don't think.

If you are a marketing major or into business at all I found this super interesting. Great points on buying power and how companies draw consumers in.

Want to know what generates word of mouth? This book is a good place to start. And to make things better, it's not at all hard to read. In fact, it's quite interesting. The perfect way to get the information you want to know without falling asleep while your trying to read it.