A small business can use the concept of "catching on" to grow their business by creating a product, service, or campaign that resonates with their target audience. This could be something that solves a problem, fulfills a need, or simply appeals to their interests. The key is to make it easy for people to share and talk about. This could be through word-of-mouth, social media, or other forms of communication. Once something starts to "catch on", it can quickly spread within a community or even on a larger scale, leading to increased awareness and growth for the business.

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Contagious: Why Things Catch On

Why do some products and services become popular with consumers, while others seem to fade along the sidelines? Three important factors play a role in...

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Moreover, it is not limited to just major products or movements that have gained worldwide attention. Consider what takes place on a smaller scale in a local community. A newspaper will run a feature article about a new gym that has just opened, or campaign to save a local nonprofit from closing their doors. Suddenly the gym becomes "the" place to work out, and donations start pouring in to keep the charity from going under. Those are great examples of social movements that quickly spread among a local community and population. Of course, it is easy to review examples of social campaigns that were successful. However, business leaders will no doubt agree that it is much harder to get something to start to "catch on." Sometimes it does not matter how much money managers spend on marketing and advertising; a campaign still might fail to gather interest and support from the consumer or community.

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1. Social Currency: People love to share interesting, entertaining or useful information. Make your product or idea something that gives them social currency and they'll spread the word.

2. Triggers: Link your product or idea to something in the environment so people are reminded of it and talk about it more often.

3. Emotion: When we care, we share. Evoke strong emotions (positive or negative) to get people to share your message.

4. Public Visibility: Make your product or idea more public to get more people to follow suit.

5. Practical Value: People like to share useful or valuable information. Highlight the practical benefits of your product or idea.

6. Stories: People love stories. Embed your product or idea in a narrative that people will want to tell others.

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