These Emotions Make Things Spread Like Crazy Online

If a piece of content makes a reader feel a certain way, the reader is more likely to share it on social media.

Which emotions lead to the most shares?

BuzzSumo's Noah Kagan analyzed the top 10% of articles that get shared online. From those articles, he found that articles that make a reader feel "awe" get shared most. Making a reader laugh means a higher probability of sharing too. Articles that make people feel sad get shared infrequently.

Other factors that contribute to an article's shareability include length (aim for about 2,000 words) and use of photos. Chart via Statista.