30-second summary:
- STEPPS model singles out social currency, triggers, emotional value, public popularity, practical value, and background stories as common points between viral content.
- People’s tendency to mimic popular behavior and be a part of a group activity results in viral trends.
- The internet likes content that is raw and genuine.
- Evelyn Johnson details the elements of viral content and how brands can achieve it.
George Miller, famously known as Joji is one of the fastest rising musicians. He’s the first Asian-born artist to top R&B and hip-hop charts, he achieved this feat with his first studio album. But Joji is no stranger to fame. Before he was a teenage heartthrob —Joji was garnering millions of views on YouTube as FilthyFrank. This online persona was edgy, outrageous, and oftentimes, outright filthy which helped qualify as viral content.
To top it all off, FilthyFrank was responsible for creating one of the biggest viral trends in the history of the Internet.
The Harlem Shake
Back when TikTok wasn’t a thing and Twitter was just a few years old —viral trends were somewhat rare. It was unusual for people to replicate a popular video and take part in activities just because others were doing it on the internet.
The Harlem Shake changed all this. It’s hard to describe this trend so I will let Wikipedia do its job[1].
“The videos usually last about 30 seconds and feature an excerpt of the 2012 song “Harlem Shake” by American EDM producer Baauer. Baauer’s song starts with a 15-second intro, a bass drop, then 15 seconds with the bass, and a lion roar at the end of the first 30 seconds. Usually, a video begins with one person (often helmeted or masked) dancing to the song alone for 15