What makes content go viral? According to our latest research, the key lies in triggering specific emotions, posting at the right time, and telling stories that resonate.
By understanding the emotional drivers behind viral content, brands can create campaigns that reach a wider audience and inspire real engagement.
The viral emotions that drive brand engagement
Up to 70% of journalists say PR professionals are important to the success of their work, but 49% of journalists rarely or never respond to PR proposals, according to Muck Rack’s State of Journalism 2024.
So where is the disconnect? And how can your business stand out with newsworthy viral content that generates valuable brand coverage and consumer engagement?
In 2013, Fractl (disclosure: I co-founded the agency) published a study on viral emotions in Harvard Business Review, analyzing the emotions that were activated when respondents viewed the top 100 images on Reddit r/pics from that year.
Next, respondents used Robert Plutchik’s “Wheel of Emotion” to label the emotions evoked by each image, helping us code the specific emotional interaction that drives engagement in viral content.
In our study, we discovered:
Positive emotions were more prevalent in viral content than negative emotions. Viral success occurred when negative emotions also triggered surprise. Emotions linked to surprise were mainly present, in particular: Curiosity. Stupefaction. Interest. Astonishment. Uncertainty. Admiration was a very common emotion in viral content.
Ten years later, I decided to retest and expand our research (along with Fractl co-founder Kristin Tynski), leveraging AI to deepen our understanding of the science behind viral content.
Applying the same methodology, we analyzed Reddit’s top 100 images on r/pics for 2024 and (luckily) revealed the same set of viral emotions (above).
Digging deeper, our new research revealed several other important levers that marketers can adjust to increase their virality potential:
Emotional strength (40%): Posts with increased emotional intensity generate more interactions.
Timing (35%): The time an article is published plays a crucial role in its performance.
Themes (25%): Specific narrative archetypes generate greater impacts.
1. Content with increased emotional intensity can increase engagement scores by up to 24%
Emotional resonance is the biggest contributor to engagement, accounting for nearly 40% of the overall interaction.
Since emotional intensity drives engagement, your team should focus on campaign ideas that will leave your target market saying, “Oh, wow, that’s really surprising!” not just “Oh, that’s interesting.”
The stronger the emotion, the greater the commitment.
Highly arousing emotions – such as enthusiasm, curiosity and surprise – have a particularly big impact, increasing engagement scores by up to 24%.
Also try to spark curiosity or laughter with your content – reactions that encourage instant sharing.
2. Evening hours generate 24% more engagement than daytime hours
Our data shows that content syndicated on Reddit late at night and on weekends gets significantly more engagement.
Late night posts generate 15% higher scores, while weekend posts see an 18% increase in comments, highlighting the importance of timing.
This makes sense when you consider user behavior. During these times, people relax and scroll through their feeds, and they are more likely to engage deeply with content.
Scheduling your highest-impact content for weekend and late-night Reddit promotion will help your brand reach consumers when they are most likely to engage deeply with content.
According to our research, engagement on Reddit peaked around 10 p.m. and again between midnight and 4 a.m. EST.
Looking across major time zones, this period affects several markets at peak times, as people tend to scroll on their phones most often when they first wake up and again when they go to bed.
Dig Deeper: Why we care about content marketing
3. Leveraging Specific Story Archetypes Increases Engagement Between 20-23%
People connect deeply with touching, relatable stories that convey resilience, conflict, and growth.
Story archetypes like “Triumph Over Adversity” and “Conflict-Driven Stories” increased engagement scores between 20 and 23 percent.
The stories that follow the “Hero’s Journey” and “Redemption Arc” create a transformational narrative, increasing comment engagement by 17%.
A character’s journey facing obstacles, experiencing growth, and ultimately redeeming themselves encourages empathy and reflection, sparking more commentary and discussion.
Conflict-related themes received 23% more comments, with themes like “Good versus Evil” or Tragic Stories generating the most comments.
These stories evoke contrasting emotions like anger and sadness, pushing the audience to interact and express their opinions.
Dig Deeper: Reaching Consumers in the Age of AI: What You Need to Know About Search and Social Media
How Content Marketers Can Leverage the Science Behind Viral Marketing
The best marketers understand that the art and science of creating viral content lies in understanding your audience’s emotions and behaviors as they relate to your services, products, and industry.
What would surprise them? What are they trying to overcome? How can your brand relate to them and help them solve their problems?
By consistently applying high-arousal emotional triggers, time-based insights, and impactful storytelling to your marketing content, you can create campaigns that reach, engage, and convert your target market.
This small sample of earned media headlines from our agency illustrates how brands can create emotionally evocative and relevant content that generates viral and authoritative coverage, backlinks and engagement.
Paychex: “Retirees are joining the workforce” “How masses of employees are now being forced BACK to work as inflation hits their savings” – Daily Mail “1 in 6 retirees are considering returning to work” – Idiot “This is the Biggest Mistake We Do in Retirement Planning” – AARP “Baby Boomers: Your Secret Weapon in the Talent Shortage” – HR Morning “Harnessing Tenure: Rehiring Retirees to Fill Skills Shortages » – HRD Connect “8 In-Demand Jobs for Retirees and Seniors” – Go Banking Rates Consumer Affairs: “What is House Poor?” » « 69% of homeowners feel “poor in their home”. Did you buy too much house? – Motley Fool “Half of Americans constantly struggle to pay their bills on time, survey finds” – Fox Business “Most U.S. homeowners are “house poor” – and 40% of them have taken on a second job to be able to pay a mortgage, survey finds” – Business Insider “25% of homeowners rely on emergency savings. Here’s Why You Should Build Before You Buy” – CouponFollow NASDAQ: “The Best Cities to Save Money” “7 Common Myths About Thrift Store Shopping” – Go Bank Rates “Here Are the Best Selling Designer Items” – The Street “Home Decor Experts Say You Should Save Instead of Buying New” – Very Simple “Thrift Shopping Like a Pro: Your Guide to Finding Good Second-Hand Clothing” – The Penny Hoarder
Viral success is not accidental: it is a deliberate approach to connecting with audiences on an emotional level.
Try these science-backed tips on your next marketing campaign and see how your engagement metrics respond.
By focusing on the most salient emotional and thematic drivers, you can create content that will be widely seen, shared and discussed.
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