Content creator Greg went viral after sparking a fun and engaging online thread about interior decorating
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Greg’s thread of hilarious crowdsourced design ideas was a real sensation on X. At the time of writing, the entire thread was viewed a jaw-dropping 76 million (yes, million) times by people from all around the globe. The entire discussion got so big that it even attracted some well-known names.
For example, the official Lego account shared its own idea for what to do with the apartment space. As did a whole bunch of other verified businesses and X users.
The idea behind the thread is brilliant in its simplicity. It encourages folks to share their ideas. It’s engaging. It’s comical. It’s a great way to let your imagination loose. You can also learn a ton about other people’s sense of humor.
While some go for a traditional approach, others embrace a more avant-garde and postmodernist form of comedy. There are lots of pop cultural references, mixed in with pure randomness.
Greg has a huge following on social media. He created his X account back in 2021 (when it was still Twitter). On that platform alone, he has 846k followers. Meanwhile, on Instagram, the content creator has another 10.8k loyal fans.
Not to oversimplify, but a lot of his popularity is directly linked to him sharing awesome and unusual content. In other words—it’s quality stuff. So, it’s no wonder that so many people love what he posts.
Viral marketer Jonah Berger, the author of ‘Contagious: Why Things Catch On,’ told The Journal of Consumer Research that there are six main principles that drive what people talk about and share. These principles are social currency, triggers, emotion, public, practical value, and stories, which all add up to a simple-to-remember acronym—STEPPS.
According to Berger, what we say affects how others see us. So, the more something makes someone look good, the more likely they are to pass it on.
Meanwhile, the viral marketer notes that certain ideas trigger other thoughts. “Just like peanut butter reminds us of jelly, the more we’re triggered to think about a product or idea, the more we’ll talk about it,” he told The Journal of Consumer Research. We’re also more likely to share the things that arouse our emotions, no matter if they’re positive or negative.
On top of that, we can’t forget that people are social animals. Human beings tend to copy what others do in public. We long to be part of the ‘in-group,’ so we imitate others’ behavior. That also means that something that’s already viral has even more potential to spread. That said, folks are also practical.
So, the more useful something is to them, the more they’ll share it. They’ll do the same with things that have a good story built around them that flows into a broader narrative.
