Why some posts spread: Jonah Berger's Contagious, turned into shareable content for brands in Muscat

Every brand in Muscat has seen it: one reel gets shared in dozens of family WhatsApp groups, while another, with a bigger budget, barely moves. It’s tempting to call that luck. Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, argues otherwise.

In Contagious: Why Things Catch On (2013), Berger looks at why some products, ideas and videos get talked about while others don’t. His answer is a framework of six principles, which he arranges into the acronym STEPPS: Social currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical value and Stories. One of his key points is that most word of mouth still happens offline, in ordinary conversations, so this is about being worth talking about, not just about the algorithm.

Here’s our short version, and how we use each idea when producing content for brands in Oman.

1. Social currency: make people look good

We share things that make us look smart, in the know or interesting. Berger shows how a sense of insider knowledge, or something genuinely remarkable, gives people a reason to pass it on.

For a café, that might be a secret menu item only Instagram followers know to ask for. For a gym, a monthly challenge with a board of names. For a real-estate developer, a first look at a building before anyone else sees it. The question to ask is simple: does sharing this make my customer look good in front of their friends?

2. Triggers: be on people’s minds

Things that are top of mind are tip of tongue. Berger explains that everyday cues in the environment remind people of products and ideas, and that frequent triggers often matter more than clever ones.

So link your brand to something people in Muscat meet all the time: the Thursday-evening plan, the first cool weekend of winter, the school run, Friday brunch, the walk along the corniche. A juice bar that owns "after the gym" or a restaurant that owns "weekend breakfast with family" gets remembered every time that moment comes around.

3. Emotion: when we care, we share

Berger’s research found that emotion drives sharing, but not every emotion equally. High-arousal feelings, like awe, excitement, amusement and even anger, make people act, while low-arousal ones, like contentment or sadness, tend to make them stay still.

In practice: show the moment, not just the product. The customer’s face when they see their finished villa. The team racing to finish an event set before the doors open. A behind-the-scenes laugh during a shoot. Aim for the feeling first, then decide how the product fits inside it.

4. Public: make it visible

People imitate what they can see. Berger points out that the more public something is, the more likely others are to copy it, and that brands can design products and ideas to advertise themselves.

Think about what your customers already show the world. A distinctive cup, bag or box that looks great in a story. A photo corner in the shop that is worth posting from. A hashtag or sticker printed where people actually use it. Then repost the best customer content (with permission), so the next visitor sees that people like them come here.

5. Practical value: news people can use

People like to help each other, and useful information is easy to share. Berger notes that content works best when it is clearly useful and packaged so it’s quick to pass on, often for a specific audience.

This is where short, helpful videos shine. A dentist explaining three habits that stain teeth. A car-care shop showing how to protect paint in the summer heat. A bakery revealing how to store bread so it stays fresh. Keep it short, specific and easy to forward: "send this to someone who needs it" should feel natural.

6. Stories: give the brand a ride

People think in stories, and stories carry information along with them. Berger’s warning is that the brand must be essential to the story; if it can be removed, people will remember the story and forget who told it.

So build stories where your product or service is the turning point: the bride whose dress was finished overnight, the small restaurant whose new menu video finally filled its weekend tables, the founder who started from a kitchen table. When people retell it, your name comes with it.

A quick checklist before you film

1. Does sharing this make the viewer look good?
2. What everyday moment in Muscat will remind people of it?
3. What feeling does it create, and is it a strong one?
4. Can people see others using it?
5. Is there something genuinely useful to pass on?
6. Is the brand essential to the story?

You don’t need all six in every post. One or two, done well, are often enough. Curious which of these your Instagram is missing? Ask us for a free Instagram analysis and we’ll send you a short, honest report on WhatsApp.

Summary and commentary by the NoOr team, based on Jonah Berger’s book Contagious: Why Things Catch On (2013). Ideas are paraphrased, not quoted.