When you think of books you can devour in one flight, thrillers and other edge-of-your-seat pageturners immediately come to mind. Not necessarily research-driven nonfiction.

But when I started reading Jonah Berger’s Contagious two years ago on a flight to Tennessee, I couldn’t put it down. Even when we reached our destination. It’s that compelling.

The book explores why things catch on, breaking them down into six key STEPPS — or components — that can help take an idea from thought, to reality, to raging success:

• Social Currency — People want to look smart/cool/worldly to others, and if your idea/product helps them come across that way to others, they’ll be more likely to spread the word and embrace it.
• Triggers — Things in our day-to-day lives that remind us to think about your product or service. (For example, Moe’s Mondays reminds people to eat at Moe’s, cutting through the clutter of the dozens of other places to eat.)
• Emotion — As Berger says, “when we care, we share.” If it’s something you’re passionate about — good or bad — you’re more likely to tell everyone you know about it.
• Public —Make sure other people can see when your followers are using your product or embracing your brand. (Erin Motz’s #BadYogiArmy on Instagram and t-shirt line is a great example of this!)
• Practical Value — Show how your product or service solves a problem in people’s lives. If it’s immediately useful, people won’t just want it in their own lives; they’ll tell everyone they know about it too, just to make their lives easier as well.
• Stories — This focuses on how you package the above characteristics. Your brand or idea should be woven into a compelling story that people can’t tell without mentioning the brand.

Berger devotes a chapter to each of these triggers, backing up his points with case studies and other research that helps you find a path from Point A to Point B. It’s a worthwhile read, but if you’d like to hear more before hitting up the library (or bookstore), check out his interview with Marie Forleo:

This post is part of Life Between Weekends’ Tuesday Takeaway series. Every Tuesday, we’ll share the most compelling insight we’ve gleaned from a book, movie, tour, documentary or article to inspire you during the workday. 

 

Photo: Håkon Sataøen/Unsplash