1. Going Viral

2. The Gawker Guide

3. MeetNeetzan Zimmerman
1) Gawker’s most-read blogger
2) In 2013, 9 of the top 10 Gawker posts were by him
3) In November, had 17m readers, or 80% of Gawker’s
visitors

4. How He Does It
1) Monitoring a list of 1000 websites, scanning 500 items
every morning
2) Working 7 to 7
3) Focus on human interest stories, inspirational stories:
indulge primal interests
4) Don’t post during rush hour. Nobody reads then.
Zimmerman posts at 9 am and 12 pm.
5) Work hard on your headlines.
6) Ever-green content: will this keep going around on
Facebook and Twitter for months?

5. This Post

6. This Post
1) Monitoring lots of news items ✔
2) Working 7 to 7 ✘
3) Human interest ✔
4) Don’t post during rush hour ✔
5) Work hard on your headlines ✔/ ✘
6) Ever-green content ✔

7. How To Replicate It

8. How To Replicate It
Most times, a smart, descriptive
headline does the trick.

9. How To Replicate It
Look at what Daily Mail is doing.

10. How To Replicate It
The same story, covered by others:

11. Which Of These Links
Would You Click On?

12. The Problem With Link-Bait
What if all websites looked like Buzzfeed?

13. Link-Bait DoesNot
Work Everywhere
CNN faces Twitter backlash

14. Sometimes,Just Tell
The Story Straight
CNN faces Twitter backlash

15. Link-Bait Annoys
SeriousReaders
CNN faces Twitter /backlash

16. TheDownworthyMovement
Toning down hyperbolic headlines

17. How To Replicate It
Consume a lot of content.
1) Subscribe to Facebook/Twitter feeds
2) Maintain RSS feed
3) Magazines/Papers/Books
4) Films/TV/Documentaries
5) Forums: Reddit/Quora/Y! Answers/9Gag

18. How To Replicate It
Before you publish something, ask yourself these questions.

19. How To Replicate It
1) Does this story evoke strong emotions?

20. How To Replicate It
2) Is it a good time to publish this
photo that reveals the Supreme Court to be an accidental phallic symbol?
Random Facebook post in 9-2012 that
nobody cared about.
Resurfaced 12-2013, went
viral immediately.

21. How To Replicate It
3) Will anybody share it on social media?

22. How To Replicate It
4) Can I add value to this? A better headline, a picture, a
graphic? Is there a better way to present this story?

23. How To Replicate It
5) Does this story have a shelf life?

24. How To Replicate It
Lastly, don’t go viral for the wrong reasons.

25. Thanks.