Copy doesn't get shared because it states things clearly — it gets shared because it makes people feel something.

Jonah Berger and Katherine Milkman (2012, *Journal of Marketing Research*) analyzed every article *The New York Times* ran over three months to see which made the 'most-emailed' list. The finding: high-arousal emotions make content more shareable — positive awe, and negative anger and anxiety, all boost sharing; while low-arousal, deactivating emotions (like sadness) actually reduce sharing. The key insight: what drives spread is not just 'positive vs negative' but the level of physiological arousal — emotions that activate people and raise their heart rate are what drive action.

In *Contagious*, Berger sums up what makes content spread as six drivers — STEPPS: Social currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical value, Stories. The slogan for 'Emotion' is 'when we care, we share' — to ignite emotion, focus on feelings, not features: don't just list 'what specs the product has,' say 'how it makes you/others feel and what it changed.'