The Power of Building a Smallest Viable Audience and Understanding Why People Share: Uncovering the Psychology Behind "Going Viral"

The Power of Building a Smallest Viable Audience and Understanding Why People Share: Uncovering the Psychology Behind "Going Viral"

In today's digital landscape, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that success means reaching as many people as possible. However, there is a growing movement that challenges this notion - the concept of the "smallest viable audience." This idea, championed by Seth Godin, suggests that instead of trying to appeal to everyone, businesses should focus on catering to a specific group of people who truly value what they have to offer.

When you strip away the alternative mantra of "you can pick anyone, and we're anyone," you have to lean into the obligation of being the sort of provider that people would miss if you were gone. This requires a shift in mindset - it's not about getting found by everyone, but rather about creating something that resonates deeply with a specific audience. It's about choosing your customers and understanding who it's for and what it's for.

To create this sense of connection and delight within your chosen audience, specificity is key. It's about being really clear about the hook you want to be on and setting a standard for producing work that people connect to and are changed by. By focusing on building a great product, service, or piece of writing that brings value to people, you can cultivate a loyal following who will not only keep coming back for more but also spread the word to like-minded peers.

But how do you encourage people to share your work and create that viral effect? The psychology behind why people share provides some valuable insights. According to research, there are eight clusters of motivation that drive people to share:

1. Status: People share to establish their position in the social hierarchy and to associate themselves with high-status individuals or exclusive products. By sharing something scarce or exclusive, they can gain status from the people they share it with.

2. Identity: Sharing allows people to project their identity and have a point of view. It's about seeking validation in their beliefs and finding a sense of belonging within their chosen tribe.

3. Helpful: People share things they find useful because they want to be perceived as helpful and nurturing to their tribes. Sharing tools or information that optimize and organize their world helps them establish themselves as efficient and organized individuals.

4. Safety: Fear is deeply embedded in our psychology. Sharing information that relates to personal safety or threats in our immediate environment taps into this primal instinct. Platforms like Nextdoor and Citizen have grown by providing users with information about their neighborhoods and potential threats.

5. Order: Human beings are naturally drawn to order and protocol. Sharing tools that help organize and optimize our lives not only makes others perceive us as more efficient but also helps bring others into the same protocol of organization.

6. Novelty: We are inherently curious creatures, always seeking the next new thing. Sharing new products and information allows us to appear ahead of the curve and feeds our desire for novelty and openness to experience.

7. Validation: People share to boost their self-esteem and feel positive about themselves and their place in the world. By sharing their accomplishments or results, they seek validation and recognition from others.

8. Voyeurism: Sharing allows others to vicariously experience enjoyment or schadenfreude through our experiences. People share things that allow others to live through them, creating a sense of connection and shared enjoyment.

Understanding these motivations can help you design your product or content to encourage sharing. By tapping into the desire for status, identity validation, helpfulness, safety, order, novelty, validation, and voyeurism, you can create a product that not only resonates with your audience but also prompts them to share it with others.

To harness the power of these insights, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Identify your smallest viable audience: Instead of trying to reach everyone, focus on a specific group of people who genuinely value what you have to offer. Understand their motivations, desires, and pain points, and tailor your product or content to meet their needs.

2. Create a remarkable experience: Build a great product, service, or piece of content that brings value to your audience. Strive to create a connection and delight that is so strong that your audience chooses to spread the word to others.

3. Incorporate elements that tap into the motivations for sharing: Whether it's providing status, validating identities, offering helpful tools, ensuring safety, organizing information, introducing novelty, boosting self-esteem, or creating opportunities for voyeurism, design your product or content to tap into these motivations and encourage sharing.

In conclusion, the power of the smallest viable audience lies in the ability to create something that truly resonates with a specific group of people. By understanding the psychology behind why people share, you can design your product or content to tap into these motivations and create a viral effect. Focus on building a remarkable experience, and provide value to your audience in a way that encourages them to spread the word. Remember, it's not about reaching everyone, but rather about creating a deep connection with a select few who will become your most loyal advocates.