![\"VIRAL](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/VIRAL-MARKETING.jpg?resize=300%2C225\")
woman who has heard her fianc\u00e9 was gunned down in the street after a Mardi Gras Parade. She was out of control and causing a ruckus. An officer responded<\/a>, not with handcuffs but with a hug. It was the most human of responses, and since it was a white officer hugging a black woman in turbulent racial times, you would think it is going to go viral. It\u2019s only gotten about 6,000 views, somewhat short of the 1 million viral standard (which is now 3 million in less than a week).<\/span><\/p>\nFrom the Dancing Baby Cha-cha<\/a> of the 90\u2019s, to ugly cats, the lip-singing of the Numa Numa<\/a> video, to the thousands of videos of Hitler parodies from \u201cDownfall<\/a>\u201d, to the Korean Gangnam Style<\/a>, to the under 12 obsession with Minecraft, what is it that makes something go viral. What makes something that is not too far from the rest of the pack, stand out. And then, how could we figure out how to do it. Imagine you are trying to sell a book and you get 5 million hits in a week and you could repeat it. Bye, bye police psychology, hello marketing guru.<\/span><\/p>\n In finance, contagion is when one company makes a trade or a deal that that spreads throughout the industry. It just takes off. The emotional or psychological contagion effect is when a mental condition or emotional states spreads through a number of people. It is also called the Ripple Effect, and has been around way before social media, in fact some say the first viral video was actually a 1930\u2019s movie called \u201cReefer Madness.\u201d The research dates back to 1959 or so with Schachter\u2019s studies on affiliation. But something going viral is relatively a new thing and usually it starts with the internet and is much more volatile.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, we have the ability to spread a piece of news with the click of a button. We can share pictures, videos, personal statements, even jokes and memes in the blink of an eye. This is a fantastic contribution to our world, as we can create a community that extends far beyond our small town or city. For example, many popular YouTubers have vast followings from around the world, from different countries and backgrounds and religions. I was shocked that this blog was being read in 20 some countries without any work on my part to expand yet. However, with this newfound ability comes a pressing question: how can you get noticed among the crowd? Why is it that some news is immediately shared and retweeted and talked about at length, and others gets lost in the cyber world? More importantly: with the sheer enormity of information processed on the Internet every single day, how can you create a viral piece of news to be shared with the public?<\/span><\/p>\n Studies suggest that positive content that evokes high arousal emotions is shared more often than other pieces of news. Using contagion, you can spread a piece of news faster. When you get people to feel<\/em> something, to experience a moment of happiness, warmth, purpose, surprise, or even anxiety, loss, or fear, other people can \u201ccatch\u201d those feelings too. Springboard this process by triggering the amygdala, the part of the brain that controls arousal, whether empathy or anger, and that allows for emotional contagion to begin. You need to write a piece of news that gets people afraid either by showing them how they\u2019re doing something wrong, or how they will miss out on a new and improved version of something, that shocks them, that brings them joy or even desire and lust.<\/span><\/p>\n Next, Malcolm Gladwell in The Tipping Point<\/u><\/em><\/strong> said you need to get that out to three different types of people \u2013 connectors, mavens and salesmen. Connector are people with a lot of contacts that like introducing other people to each other. Anyone that has met me at conferences suggest I am a connector. It\u2019s not just they have contacts, but they like introducing people. (Of course, since I have gotten up there in age, I introduce people to get out of having to remember their names or what I talked to them about last).<\/span><\/p>\n Mavens are people that love information and that others look to for information. They are pathologically helpful and like to share information with others. They are good for viral videos because they help people in the direction and share your information well. I am also somewhat of a maven, except that I tend to have only a little information and pass the person on to others so I don\u2019t have to talk with them. J<\/span><\/p>\n Finally there are salesmen who are charismatic people who are good at negotiation and manipulation of people\u2019s wants. My brother is a salesman, in fact spent years selling drugs. Legally that is, and he was always one of the top people in his company when the prizes were being handed out (like trips and such). Of course, he learned how to keep his numbers lower during non-contest times so his numbers would show great improvement. Got to learn the system, apparently all the top people do it. Some combination of these three people and an emotional message lead to something going viral \u2013 almost.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, the last step is the condition has to be ready for it what Gladwell calls The Power of Context. Research has other names for it, but essentially it means the climate has to be right for something and that can change weekly. You need to understand that sometimes things take off just because the world is ready to have a direction told to them. This is where you know your community and no your industry. What is really the key directions people want to go right now?<\/span><\/p>\n Now what exactly am I blabbering about and how and why does it affect you. Police psychologists are always facing a little public relations problem. Whether you are doing testing, consulting or therapy, you have an audience, or potential audience and need to make inroads into that audience. As police officers, you also face a public relations problem. Your ability to get something viral in the departments you serve, make it seen by all would be a major boon to your work or the work you want to do. Take for example the therapist, getting a connector to let people know that getting a CISD by the local police shrink actually felt good, could make it viral inside your department. Tell it with a story that creates some emotion. Make it funny! I always say if you can\u2019t hold someone\u2019s attention they will lose your message. If you are an officer and want to get some positive movement, use the viral strategy to let people know cops are human too. Raise emotions, figure out who your connectors are, who the salesmen are and who are the mavens and hope your timing is right.<\/span><\/p>\n Unfortunately, the video in the front of this email with the cop hugging a distraught lady may not be seen by millions. It should be. Perhaps we can make it happen. Send it and share it with others. Let\u2019s see what happens.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n Blog Administrator: Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D. ABPP Please share this article from down below.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Please join the email list on the top of the sidebar and you can get these sent to your email.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n Come back regularly for more updated blogs on police psychology<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Police Psychology | Viral Infection \u00a0 There are some things Police Psychology just hasn\u2019t figured out, in fact all of psychology is left puzzled when something goes viral. I was recently sent a video about a woman who has heard her fianc\u00e9 was gunned down in the street after a Mardi Gras Parade. She was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17168880],"tags":[17168797,17168831,17168891],"class_list":["post-1257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-effort","tag-police-psychology","tag-police-stress","tag-viral-marketing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6203,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6203","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":0},"title":"Police Psychology | Stress Inoculation: Not Just for Gunfights","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"July 6, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Stress Inoculation:\u00a0 Not Just for Gunfights by Patricia A. Robinson, Ph.D. Sonoita, Arizona \u00a0If you Google \u201cpolice stress inoculation shooting,\u201d you\u2019ll get about 300,000 results, with titles like \u201cWhy your firearms training MUST include stress inoculation drills.\u201d Acute stress induces the so-called \u201cfight or flight\u201d response, stimulating\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Police Stress"","block_context":{"text":"Police Stress","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168885"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2119,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=2119","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":1},"title":"Police Psychology | Investigating \u201cG.I. Joe\u201d | A Critical Incident","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"May 6, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Investigating \u201cG.I. Joe\u201d | A Critical Incident Chief George Filenko\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Guest Author The events of September 1, 2015 were a life changing experience not only for me but for thousands of officers that somehow became a part of the Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz saga.\u00a0 \u2028\u2028On that hot, humid, sunny day radio\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Public Information Bureau"","block_context":{"text":"Public Information Bureau","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168888"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":4987,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=4987","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":2},"title":"Police Psychology | Symptom Stress","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"December 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Symptom Stress by Gary S. Aumiller, Ph.D.\u00a0 ABPP Police Psychology has a strong cognitive element. Thoughts are very powerful. They have the ability to shape your reality and create a world that is completely different than anyone else\u2019s. They can provide you with questions and solutions that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Thoughts"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Thoughts","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168878"},"img":{"alt_text":"anxiety, Police Psychology","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/anxiety-275x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":386,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=386","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":3},"title":"Police Psychology | The Police Candidate Interpretive Report","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"June 5, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Police Candidate Interpretive Report \u00a0 I had one of the first cell phones for public consumption.\u00a0 It fit in a bag.\u00a0 The battery lasted minutes not hours, and it was essentially a car phone that could be moved around.\u00a0 But visions of Dick Tracy\u2019s watch and Agent 86\u2019s shoe\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Tests"","block_context":{"text":"Tests","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168877"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2239,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=2239","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":4},"title":"Police Psychology | Critical Incidents in Law Enforcement","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"May 13, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Critical Incidents in Law Enforcement by Doug Gentz, Ph.D.\u00a0 Guest Author Unusual and sometimes disturbing experiences are just part of the job of a Police Officer. As they proceed through their careers, officers typically take these experiences in stride. At some point, an officer may have an\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Mastering Resilience"","block_context":{"text":"Mastering Resilience","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=17168882"},"img":{"alt_text":"07Critical Incident","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/05\/Critical-Incident-RR-300x191.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":6811,"url":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?p=6811","url_meta":{"origin":1257,"position":5},"title":"Police Psychology: Catholic, Police Officer, and Possibly a \u201cSaint\u201d?","author":"Gary Aumiller","date":"December 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Police Psychology | Catholic, Police Officer, and Possibly a \u201cSaint\u201d? Fr. Joseph D\u2019Angelo, Catholic Priest, Police Chaplain Witness the unknown story of one such individual who risked his life amidst grave danger to save over five thousand perfect strangers. The following narrative is an inspiring story about keeping faith in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Stories"","block_context":{"text":"Stories","link":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"Palatucci","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/policepsychologyblog.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Palatucci.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60sbO-kh","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1257","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1257"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1257\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1263,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1257\/revisions\/1263"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1257"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1257"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/policepsychologyblog.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1257"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}It Starts with Research<\/h2>\n
The Secret to Viral News Lies in Psychology<\/h2>\n
Get While the Getting is Good<\/strong><\/h3>\n
\n<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n