The Magic of Virality: 6 Psychological Doors

Mr. Chandan Sharma, General Manager- Digital Media, Adani Group 

We’ve come across many videos, memes, or articles that explode online and suddenly become the latest buzz in the online world. But have you ever wondered how some bad content becomes a game changer while others (no matter how good) barely get a glance? The answer isn’t just about luck—it’s about human psychology and how marketers trigger human emotions, social behaviour, and mental shortcuts. When working with one of the big four firms, I studied the research papers written on virality and content that would engage people online. It was almost 5 years ago, but now I can see it becoming a truth.  

1. Effortlessness in Processing and Cognitive Ease:  We love things that are less complicated and easy to understand. The heading may sound complex but it’s as easy as ‘brain is lazy’. It loves things that are less complicated. If there is a familiarity, it’s best for processing, like a character from a movie, some familiar dialogue, or familiar music. You guessed it right, that’s the exact reason why we love memes.
2. Surprise!!: While the brain is for sure lazy, it is also curious. Human beings are known for their curious nature and love for distinctiveness. So, if your content can shock people or give something that has never been seen so far, it may go viral. Challenge their expectations and sit back to see your content going viral. Remember the recent movie Maharaja? The ending was so unexpected that it became a super hit. Precisely opposite to the content of ‘Maharaja’, you may have seen content starting with an intense scene; it helps the audience to get hooked to the content, also called the ‘anchoring effect.’ You will notice this in many YouTube videos, where the creator puts something controversial or shocking at the very beginning as the video’s highlight before the actual content begins. Next time you start with the storyboarding, think about this phenomenon.
3. Mirror Neuron and Emotion: The Mirror neuron buttons are pressed in our brain when we see someone else’s emotional expressions or actions, allowing us to feel what they are experiencing. The best content stimulates a genuine emotional reaction- laughter, excitement, or sadness. Humans share experiences, ideas, and even memes, with a strong emotional response. Emotions are the most crucial element of a viral content. It centres on the understanding that people are inclined to share content that resonates with their emotions and talks about the topics they genuinely care about. Content that triggers strong emotions such as happiness, surprise, anger, or sadness tends to spread quickly. Remember the Tanishq Ekatvam ad where a Muslim family celebrates the baby shower of their Hindu daughter-in-law? I am not commenting on whether it was good or bad, but it was undoubtedly viral. It generated millions of views in 2-3 days. Later, it was taken down due to backlash and other adverse effects. This ad, whether done naively or purposefully, triggered emotions.
4. Power of Neuromarketing: The Lord Dopamine: Many big organizations have played around it and are still experimenting. The reward of likes and comments may look silly, but they are the real deal. If you share content in your group and even one person praises it, you will get that dopamine hit, encouraging you to share more. Making content easily shareable in groups can make the content viral. Please don’t underestimate the deities’ picture with good morning in the family groups; they could be one of the most shared contents. It is also known as ‘the power of reciprocity’; it helps in social interactions. As neuroscience progresses, new techniques like neuroimaging and biometric analysis will provide much deeper insights into how the brain reacts to marketing stimuli. 
5. Creating FOMO: Another psychological trigger behind viral content is scarcity. The idea is simple: things become more desirable when they feel limited or in high demand. Look at how e-commerce sales develop marketing strategies like “limited-time offers,” etc., and how buyers make immediate purchases. The same principle applies to content. For instance, content related to a specific event or timeframe creates a sense of urgency, and people share it like crazy before it’s gone. While FOMO is a natural response of the human brain, we cannot overlook its adversity. 
6. The Bandwagon Effect: Have you ever noticed how a busy restaurant attracts more customers than an empty one? Or why do people prefer watching a particular YouTube video with millions of views compared to one with fewer views? That’s the Bandwagon Effect, which, in the context of social sharing, suggests that content is more likely to be shared if others have already shared it. This psychological effect tends to lead to faster viral content. That’s the ‘herd behaviour’ we all know. Content with many likes, shares, or views is more likely to be shared, assuming it must be valuable or relevant. Now, you see the relevance of paid campaigns that aim to get more likes and views.   

Viral content isn’t mere luck, but it’s the knowledge of the psychology of your target audience. When content triggers the right emotions, taps into social behaviors, and uses storytelling techniques, it has a higher chance of going viral. So next time you’re creating or browsing content, remember—virality isn’t just about chance. It’s about understanding what makes people share and creating content that connects with them on a deeper level.