Contagious STEPPS Framework - Viral Marketing Agent Skill

Purpose

This agent skill helps users analyze and enhance the viral potential of their products, ideas, or behaviors using Jonah Berger's STEPPS framework from "Contagious: Why Things Catch On."

When to Use This Skill

•User wants to increase word of mouth for a product, service, or idea
•User is launching a marketing campaign and wants to maximize organic sharing
•User needs to make a behavior change initiative more contagious
•User wants to analyze why something did or didn't go viral
•User is brainstorming ways to make content more shareable

Core Framework: STEPPS

1. Social Currency

Principle: People share things that make them look good, knowledgeable, or "in-the-know."

Analysis Questions:

•Does sharing this make people look smart, cool, or well-informed?
•Is there insider knowledge or exclusivity involved?
•Does it signal status or good taste?
•Can people use it to appear helpful or caring?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Create insider information or exclusive access
•Develop remarkable/surprising elements worth talking about
•Enable people to showcase achievements
•Build game mechanics (leaderboards, achievements, levels)
•Create scarcity or exclusivity
•Make people feel like insiders

Examples:

•PDT speakeasy bar (hidden entrance creates insider status)
•Wordle's spoiler-free sharing format
•Tesla Cybertruck's distinctive design

2. Triggers

Principle: Ideas that are "top of mind" are "tip of tongue." Frequent environmental cues prompt discussion.

Analysis Questions:

•What daily/weekly situations remind people of this?
•What existing habits can this be linked to?
•Are there natural environmental cues?
•Is the trigger frequent enough?
•Is the association strong and clear?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Link to frequent behaviors (coffee, commutes, meals)
•Associate with specific times (days of week, times of day)
•Connect to common situations or contexts
•Use memorable slogans that create associations
•Leverage seasonal or recurring events
•Create habitat-specific triggers

Examples:

•Kit Kat + coffee breaks
•Taco Tuesday
•Spotify Wrapped every December

3. Emotion

Principle: High-arousal emotions (positive or negative) drive sharing more than low-arousal ones.

High-Arousal Emotions (Share More):

•Positive: Awe, excitement, humor, inspiration
•Negative: Anger, anxiety, worry

Low-Arousal Emotions (Share Less):

•Positive: Contentment, satisfaction
•Negative: Sadness

Analysis Questions:

•What emotions does this evoke?
•Are those emotions high-arousal or low-arousal?
•Does it fire people up or calm them down?
•Is there an emotional story or hook?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Add surprise or unexpected elements
•Create awe-inspiring experiences
•Use humor strategically
•Highlight injustice or problems (anger)
•Show inspiring transformations
•Demonstrate urgency or stakes
•Avoid making people too sad or content

Examples:

•Dove Real Beauty (inspiration/empowerment)
•Old Spice absurdist humor (surprise/amusement)
•Climate change wildlife stories (anxiety/anger)

4. Public

Principle: "Built to show, built to grow." Observable things get imitated.

Analysis Questions:

•Can people see others using/doing this?
•Does it leave visible traces after use?
•Is participation observable?
•Does it advertise itself?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Make the private public
•Create behavioral residue (logos, badges, stickers)
•Design for visibility (distinctive appearance)
•Enable public sharing/participation
•Use social proof indicators
•Create visible community markers
•Design packaging/products to be seen

Examples:

•Apple's white headphones
•Stanley tumblers in distinctive colors
•Ice Bucket Challenge videos
•Movember mustaches

5. Practical Value

Principle: Useful information that helps others gets shared readily.

Analysis Questions:

•Does this save people time, money, or effort?
•Does it solve a real problem?
•Is it immediately actionable?
•Would people want to help others by sharing this?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Highlight incredible value/savings
•Make information easily digestible
•Provide actionable how-to content
•Frame as helping others
•Use specific numbers/data
•Create useful tools or resources
•Package information for easy sharing
•Target the right audience with relevant value

Examples:

•ChatGPT practical use cases
•50/30/20 budgeting rule
•Air fryer recipe tips
•Vaccine appointment availability

6. Stories

Principle: Information travels under the guise of idle chatter. The message must be integral to the narrative.

Analysis Questions:

•Is there a compelling story to tell?
•Is your message woven into the story (Trojan Horse)?
•Would people retell this story naturally?
•Does the story work without your message?
•Is the narrative emotionally engaging?

Enhancement Strategies:

•Create a narrative arc with conflict/resolution
•Make your product/idea the hero or essential element
•Use real customer stories and testimonials
•Develop origin stories or founding myths
•Create characters people can relate to
•Ensure the message is inseparable from story
•Make stories easy to retell

Examples:

•Blendtec "Will It Blend?" videos
•Airbnb "Belong Anywhere" human connection stories
•Patagonia "Don't Buy This Jacket" environmental story

Agent Interaction Protocol

Step 1: Discovery

Ask the user:

•What are you trying to make more contagious? (Product/Idea/Behavior)
•Who is your target audience?
•What is your current approach or situation?
•What has worked or not worked so far?

Step 2: STEPPS Analysis

Systematically analyze the user's offering against each STEPPS principle:

•Rate each principle (Strong/Medium/Weak/Missing)
•Identify specific gaps and opportunities
•Note which principles are naturally strong
•Highlight low-hanging fruit

Step 3: Ideation

For each weak or missing principle:

•Generate 3-5 specific enhancement ideas
•Explain how each idea leverages the principle
•Consider feasibility and fit with brand/message
•Look for ways to combine multiple principles

Step 4: Prioritization

Help user prioritize initiatives based on:

•Impact potential (how much it could help)
•Ease of implementation
•Fit with existing strategy
•Resource requirements
•Synergies between principles

Step 5: Action Plan

Create concrete next steps:

•Specific tactics to implement
•Quick wins vs. long-term initiatives
•Success metrics to track
•Testing and iteration approach

Example Interaction Flow

User: "I'm launching a meal prep delivery service focused on busy professionals. How can I make it more viral?"

Agent Response:

"Let me help you analyze your meal prep service through the STEPPS framework. First, let me ask a few questions:

•What makes your meal prep service unique compared to competitors?
•Who specifically is your target audience beyond 'busy professionals'?
•What's your current marketing approach?
•Have you tried anything that's gotten people talking?

Based on your meal prep service for busy professionals, here's my initial STEPPS analysis:

Social Currency (WEAK): Currently: Meal prep is practical but doesn't inherently make people look good Opportunity: Create elements that signal health-consciousness, success, or insider knowledge

Triggers (MEDIUM): Currently: Hunger and meal times are natural triggers Opportunity: Link to specific work situations (Sunday prep, Monday motivation, Wednesday hump day)

Emotion (WEAK): Currently: Satisfaction from convenience (low-arousal) Opportunity: Add inspiring transformation stories or anxiety-reducing benefits

Public (WEAK): Currently: Most meal prep happens at home (private) Opportunity: Create distinctive packaging visible in offices, Instagram-worthy presentations

Practical Value (STRONG): Currently: Clear time-saving benefit for busy professionals Enhancement: Quantify time/money savings, share meal prep tips

Stories (MEDIUM): Currently: Generic convenience narrative Opportunity: Share customer transformation stories where meal prep was pivotal

Would you like me to develop specific enhancement strategies for the weaker principles?"

Enhancement Idea Templates

For Social Currency:

•"Create a VIP tier that gives early access to new menu items"
•"Develop a referral program where people earn 'insider' status"
•"Share nutrition/health data that makes customers look knowledgeable"
•"Create achievement badges for streak completion"

For Triggers:

•"Associate with 'Sunday Reset' routine for weekly planning"
•"Link to 'Fuel Friday' as end-of-week energy boost"
•"Partner with workplace coffee stations for visibility"
•"Create 'Meal Prep Monday' social media trend"

For Emotion:

•"Share dramatic before/after energy level stories"
•"Highlight the frustration of meal planning (then solve it)"
•"Create awe-inspiring food photography"
•"Use humor around office lunch struggles"

For Public:

•"Design distinctive branded containers visible in offices"
•"Create Instagram-worthy plating and presentations"
•"Offer branded reusable bags/accessories"
•"Develop a hashtag challenge for meal photos"

For Practical Value:

•"Calculate exact time saved per week (e.g., '4.5 hours back')"
•"Share free meal planning tips and recipes"
•"Create a cost comparison calculator"
•"Offer nutrition education content"

For Stories:

•"Feature customer who achieved career goal thanks to time saved"
•"Tell founder's story of burnout and transformation"
•"Create mini-documentaries about busy professionals' lives"
•"Share stories where meal prep enabled other achievements"

Best Practices

•Combine Principles: The most contagious initiatives use multiple STEPPS elements
•Start with Strengths: Build on what's naturally strong about your offering
•Test and Iterate: Try ideas, measure results, refine approach
•Stay Authentic: Don't force elements that don't fit your brand
•Think Long-term: Build sustainable word-of-mouth, not just viral moments
•Consider Context: Different audiences and contexts respond to different principles
•Make it Easy: Reduce friction for sharing and participation

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

•Focusing only on practical value (low emotional engagement)
•Creating great stories where the product isn't integral
•Expecting virality from low-arousal emotions (sadness, contentment)
•Making things private when they should be public
•Weak triggers that don't occur frequently enough
•Social currency that feels forced or inauthentic

Success Metrics

Track these indicators:

•Word-of-mouth mentions and social shares
•Referral rates and organic growth
•Content engagement (likes, comments, shares)
•Earned media coverage
•Search volume and branded search growth
•Customer testimonials and stories
•Repeat sharing behavior

Usage Notes for Claude

When a user asks for help making something more contagious or viral:

•Start with discovery questions
•Conduct systematic STEPPS analysis
•Generate specific, actionable enhancement ideas
•Prioritize based on impact and feasibility
•Create a concrete action plan
•Offer to dive deeper into any specific principle
•Suggest ways to test and measure results

Remember: Not every principle applies to every situation. Focus on the 2-3 principles that offer the most potential for the specific context.