Aristotle and Social Media: What Can We Learn About Content?

I recently read a fascinating article in The New Yorker called “The Six Things That Make Stories Go Viral Will Amaze, and Maybe Infuriate, You.” It raises a great question: “What was it about a piece of content—an article, a picture, a video—that took it from simply interesting to interesting and shareable? What pushes someone not only to read a story but to pass it on?” Turns out, the question is centuries old. In 350 BC, Aristotle had already started trying to figure what he could put in speeches to make sure his ideas passed from person to person.

As marketers – and specifically healthcare marketers – we’re always grappling with content. What is it – emotion, information, anxiety, fear, etc. – that triggers a person to pass along an article or tweet or blog post? The answer might surprise you!

You can read the full article here: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/elements/2014/01/the-six-things-that-make-stories-go-viral-will-amaze-and-maybe-infuriate-you.html