STEPPS Framework

The STEPPS Framework—Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories—is a model popularized by Jonah Berger in his book Contagious: Why Things Catch On. STEPPS explains why certain ideas, products, or messages spread virally through word-of-mouth, guiding marketers, entrepreneurs, and content creators to design campaigns that people want to share. By tapping into core psychological motivators—like social status, environmental cues, emotional resonance, or helpfulness—STEPPS reveals how to amplify reach and engagement organically.

1. Social Currency: People share things that make them look good or in-the-know.
2. Triggers: Environmental or situational cues that remind people of a brand or idea.
3. Emotion: Emotional arousal (awe, amusement, anger) drives sharing more than neutral content.
4. Public: If something is visible or easy to observe, it’s more likely to be imitated or replicated.
5. Practical Value: People like to share tips, hacks, or valuable information that benefits others.
6. Stories: Narrative structures help embed a product or message seamlessly, encouraging retellings.

From viral videos to referral-based product launches, the STEPPS model helps orchestrate “talkability,” ensuring each campaign is built for maximum shareability.

Social Currency

Definition
Social Currency reflects the idea that individuals share content that makes them look clever, informed, or otherwise cool. It’s about status—people want to impress their peers by passing along or being associated with interesting or exclusive insights.

Purpose

• Elevate the sharer’s perceived reputation.
• Encourage exclusivity or “insider” feelings so users feel special for sharing first.
• Deliver unique, rare, or counterintuitive facts that spark curiosity.

Key Elements

1. Insider/Exclusive Info: “VIP clubs,” pre-launch access, limited releases.
2. Remarkable Content: Surprising stats, novel solutions, or impressive feats.
3. Reputation Enhancement: If sharing positions the user as knowledgeable, they’ll be more motivated.

Examples

• Invite-only product launches (e.g., Gmail’s early beta invites).
• Quizzes or challenges that reveal a user’s “elite” status (“I scored 98%, can you beat me?”).

Common Mistakes

• Overly Gimmicky: “Secret clubs” that offer no real substance can feel fake.
• Neglecting Relevance: Simply labeling something “exclusive” without actual novelty diminishes impact.
• Ignoring Simplicity: Complex invitations or hoops to jump through deter rather than attract.

Triggers

Definition
Triggers are cues in the environment or routine that remind people of a product, idea, or message. They prompt spontaneous recall—like hearing “Friday” and thinking of a certain catchy song or brand references.

Purpose

• Attach your brand or campaign to everyday contexts.
• Help your offering resurface naturally in conversation or daily life.
• Anchor your brand to consistent or frequent events (holidays, mealtimes, trending memes).

Key Elements

1. Contextual Cues: Link brand mentions to daily routines or commonly referenced topics.
2. Frequency & Relevance: The more often the trigger occurs, the more potential for repeated brand recall.
3. Short, Memorable Associations: Snappy phrases, symbolic objects, or day-of-the-week references.

Examples

• Kit Kat’s “Have a break” campaign associating chocolate bars with coffee breaks.
• “Taco Tuesday” making tacos a weekly social routine.

Common Mistakes

• Weak Associations: If the link is forced or unclear, it won’t embed in consumers’ minds.
• Rare Triggers: Tying your brand to an infrequent or obscure event yields minimal reach.
• Ignoring Cultural Differences: Some triggers vary by region or language.

Emotion

Definition
Emotion highlights that emotional content—joy, awe, anger, fear—drives people to share more than purely rational or informational pieces. High-arousal feelings energize us to act, including the act of passing along content to others.

Purpose

• Spur immediate reactions and deeper personal connections.
• Let your brand or message become an expression of someone’s feelings (excitement, empathy, etc.).
• Harness positive emotions (delight, amusement) or even certain negative ones (outrage) that lead to discussions.

Key Elements

1. High Arousal: Awe, excitement, humor, or anger vs. low-arousal emotions like sadness.
2. Authenticity: Overly manipulative emotional ploys can backfire.
3. Align with Brand Identity: Ensure your emotional triggers reflect what your brand stands for.

Examples

• Heartwarming charity campaigns that highlight rescue stories or transformations.
• Funny viral videos that encourage laughter and instant sharing.

Common Mistakes

• Exaggerated Tactics: Overly dramatic can appear insincere or manipulative.
• Irrelevant Emotions: Forcing an emotion unconnected to your product or cause.
• Ignoring Audience Sensitivity: Humor or shock might offend if not handled carefully.

Public

Definition
Public refers to the visibility of a product, behavior, or message—if something is observable, it becomes imitable. People tend to follow or replicate actions they see frequently.

Purpose

• Make your brand or offering easy to notice, so it serves as social proof.
• Encourage real-world usage that sparks curiosity or conversation.
• Amplify “I see others doing it, so I’ll do it” bandwagon behavior.

Key Elements

1. Brand Visibility: Distinct logos, recognizable packaging, or shareable designs.
2. User Show-Off: Encouraging photos, reviews, or unboxing on social feeds.
3. Physical or Digital Footprint: In-person events or online challenges that hype participation.

Examples

• Apple’s iconic white earbuds signaled “iPod user” in public, fueling the brand’s popularity.
• “Ice Bucket Challenge” was inherently public, encouraging social video posts.

Common Mistakes

• Over-Branding: Aggressive logo placement might be off-putting if it lacks style or utility.
• Ignoring Online Visibility: Missing hashtags or share buttons that transform private usage into public display.
• Complex Participation: If sharing requires too many steps, you lose momentum.

Practical Value

Definition
Practical Value highlights that useful or helpful information—tips, hacks, deals—naturally encourages sharing. People want to assist their network by passing along beneficial content.

Purpose

• Position your brand as helpful, building trust and loyalty.
• Aid discovery or problem-solving, turning your marketing into a resource.
• Generate goodwill, as users appreciate receiving genuinely beneficial knowledge or freebies.

Key Elements

1. Actionable Insights: Step-by-step guides, tutorials, or checklists.
2. Tangible Savings: Discounts, coupons, or evidence of cost/time saved.
3. Scalable Advice: Easy enough to apply universally or adapt per situation.

Examples

• A cooking site offering easy 5-ingredient recipes, encouraging users to share them with busy friends.
• A finance app offering monthly budgeting worksheets or spending analyses.

Common Mistakes

• Superficial Tips: “Drink water to stay hydrated!” lacks real depth.
• Paywalling: Locking all practical content behind steep fees can deter initial shares.
• Overly Generic: Non-specific or non-actionable advice leads to disinterest.

Stories

Definition
Stories anchor your message in a narrative—people think in stories, so weaving a brand or product into a tale ensures it’s remembered and retold.

Purpose

• Provide context and emotional resonance that pure facts can’t deliver.
• Create a “Trojan Horse”—the brand is embedded seamlessly within a larger, entertaining or meaningful plot.
• Spark conversation and empathy, making your brand part of an engaging journey.

Key Elements

1. Narrative Arc: Clear beginning, conflict/challenge, resolution.
2. Relatable Characters: Real people or recognizable archetypes, so the story resonates.
3. Subtle Branding: The brand plays a role but doesn’t overshadow the story’s purpose or emotional hook.

Examples

• Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign featuring true stories of women confronting beauty standards.
• Brand videos depicting behind-the-scenes of a customer’s transformation (weight loss journeys, entrepreneurial success).

Common Mistakes

• Forced Placement: Overly promotional “stories” that feel like an extended ad.
• Long-Winded: Modern audiences have short attention spans—concise, visually compelling narratives fare better.
• Inauthentic: Staged or obviously fake stories can harm credibility.

Crafting shareable content or campaigns with STEPPS requires a structured approach:

Step 1: Brainstorm & Align with Brand (2–3 hours)

• Select Relevance: Determine which STEPPS elements best suit your product, audience, and brand identity.
• Set Goals: Are you aiming for brand awareness, user engagement, or direct sales?

Step 2: Develop Concepts (2–4 hours)

• Ideation: Outline possible hooks for Social Currency (exclusive info), triggers (weekly habits), emotional angles, etc.
• Map Storylines: If using Stories, draft potential narratives that embed your brand.

Step 3: Produce & Refine Content (Ongoing)

• Test: Gather feedback or run pilot ads to see if your concept resonates.
• Optimize: Tweak designs, copy, or distribution channels for maximum shareability.
• Plan Launch: Roll out in phases, ensuring triggers or emotional cues sync with real-world events.

Step 4: Monitor & Iterate (Ongoing)

• Analytics: Track shares, mentions, traffic, or sales directly from your campaign.
• User Feedback: Watch comments, reviews, or brand sentiment changes.
• Evolve: Refine for future campaigns, building on successes or learning from misfires.

Prerequisites & Timeline

• Prerequisites: Understanding of your audience’s triggers, common emotional states, or day-to-day routines.
• Timeline: Concept to launch can span weeks; ongoing optimization is indefinite.

Required Resources

• Creative tools (graphic design, video editing)
• Social listening or brand monitoring platforms (Sprout Social, Brandwatch)
• Influencer or PR outreach for initial seeding

According to Jonah Berger, Wharton marketing professor and author of Contagious:

“When people share, they reveal a bit of themselves. By tapping one or more of these six STEPPS—like giving them knowledge that helps them look smart, or hooking onto a frequent daily trigger — brands can catalyze self-motivated sharing behaviors.”

Industry Statistics

• Edelman’s 2023 Trust Barometer shows that 68% of consumers trust peer recommendations over brand ads, underscoring word-of-mouth’s power.
• A Nielsen study found that 83% of global respondents trust recommendations from people they know, making shareable content a top marketing priority.

Professional Tips

• Blend Elements: Often, successful campaigns combine multiple STEPPS—like comedic emotional triggers + strong social currency.
• Be Authentic: Forced attempts to appear “trendy” or “emotional” fall flat.
• Give People a Reason: People share to help others, appear useful, or express identity—empower that drive.

Case Study A

Situation
A healthy snack brand, CrunchyBite, wanted more organic buzz. Their old approach just listed “all-natural ingredients,” which wasn’t sparking conversations.

STEPPS-Focused Strategy & Outcome

• Social Currency: Introduced a “Flavor Innovator” club granting early access to new limited flavors.
• Triggers: Associated snacks with afternoon coffee breaks, using “2 PM slump” messaging.
• Emotion: Created comedic short videos about beating midday drowsiness.
• Public: Designed bold packaging so eating CrunchyBite at work turned heads.
• Practical Value: Published a “Healthy Snacking at Work” guide with easy tips.
• Stories: Shared real customer journeys on how the brand helped them ditch junk food.

Result
Brand mentions soared on social media. Office orders jumped 25%, and user-generated content (photos of people’s desks stocked with CrunchyBite) spread widely.

Case Study B

Situation
A B2B analytics startup, DataSight, struggled to gain traction with generic “data solutions.” Their website traffic was decent, but lead conversions were poor.

STEPPS-Focused Strategy & Outcome

• Social Currency: Produced exclusive “State of Analytics” reports so readers felt like industry insiders.
• Triggers: Scheduled monthly newsletters to coincide with routine management meetings, encouraging discussions.
• Emotion: Infused success stories showing how analyzing data prevented costly errors—highlighting relief and gratitude.
• Public: Organized free data meetups, encouraging attendees to share on LinkedIn with branded hashtags.
• Practical Value: Provided free tools to benchmark ROI from data improvements.
• Stories: Case study mini-docs on how one business overcame meltdown thanks to DataSight.

Result
Leads from direct referrals and shares nearly doubled. Their brand also saw a 40% uptick in LinkedIn engagement, with new leads referencing the exclusive industry report or meetups.

1. Consumer Electronics Brand
   • Social Currency: Early adopters get a limited-edition version to show off.
   • Triggers: Weekly “Tech Tuesday” deals, linking gadgets to a recurring day.
   • Emotion: Ads emphasizing excitement of unboxing fresh tech.
   • Public: Encourage user posts with a unique hashtag, re-sharing top user photos.
   • Practical Value: Tech how-to tutorials, cost-saving bundles.
   • Stories: Behind-the-scenes founder story on building the brand from a garage startup.
2. Online Fitness Coach
   • Social Currency: Clients share transformation photos, gaining peer admiration.
   • Triggers: “Workout Wednesday” cues.
   • Emotion: Motivational success videos capturing real client journeys.
   • Public: Free group challenges, so participants tag friends and compare progress.
   • Practical Value: Meal plans, exercise guides, daily habit trackers.
   • Stories: Regular blog features on clients’ life-changing journeys.
3. SaaS Productivity Tool
   • Social Currency: Offer data-backed productivity insights that make users appear expert to colleagues.
   • Triggers: Integrations with popular apps (Slack, Outlook) prompting repeated usage.
   • Emotion: Showcase relief, pride in conquering messy to-do lists.
   • Public: Customizable boards or visual analytics that teams can share in presentations.
   • Practical Value: Provide templates or best-practice workflows.
   • Stories: Case studies of companies slashing project timelines by 30%.
4. Non-Profit Fundraiser
   • Social Currency: Donor “badge” or recognition, letting supporters boast philanthropic spirit.
   • Triggers: Seasonal reminders (holiday giving, back-to-school charity drives).
   • Emotion: Heartfelt videos of how donations changed real lives.
   • Public: Social media donation challenges or progress meters widely shared.
   • Practical Value: Explainer on how each donated dollar is allocated, showing transparency.
   • Stories: Impact profiles of individuals or communities benefiting from programs.

Do

1. Combine Multiple Elements: Craft campaigns that simultaneously address multiple STEPPS factors.
2. Test & Tweak: Start small, measure results, and pivot as needed.
3. Highlight Real People: Authentic stories or user-generated content boosts emotional resonance.
4. Facilitate Easy Sharing: Clear share buttons, enticing calls-to-action, or custom hashtags.

Don’t

1. Overcomplicate: Too many layers can confuse. Keep your core message simple.
2. Overuse Shock Tactics: Sensational angles that offend or mislead often hamper brand image.
3. Forget Cultural Context: Certain triggers or emotional angles vary widely by region or demographic.
4. Underestimate Timing: Deploy triggers when they’re likely to be encountered (morning commutes, weekend routines, etc.).

Optimization Strategies

• A/B Testing: Evaluate different emotional angles or triggers for resonance.
• Influencer Seeding: Offer them unique insights or invites (Social Currency), ensuring broad initial reach.
• Monitor Social Chatter: Track real-time reactions to pivot messaging or amplify trending angles.
• Refresh: Retire stale campaigns and reimagine with new triggers or updated stories to maintain relevance.

When you embrace the STEPPS Framework — Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories — you equip your brand with a playbook for organic virality and engaged communities. Each element acts as a lever to spark discussions, nudge repeated exposure, and build emotional or practical connections with your audience. Whether you’re rolling out a new product, raising awareness for a cause, or revamping a marketing campaign, STEPPS ensures word of mouth and authentic sharing remain at the forefront of your strategy.