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Evolution of 'Viral' in Language
- The word 'viral' shifted from only negative disease meanings to describe rapidly spreading online content popularity by the mid-1990s.
- This linguistic mutation reflects how internet marketing adapted medical metaphors to describe content reach.
Viral Metaphor is Flawed
- Roman Mars critiques 'viral' as a bad metaphor since viruses' rapid but often short-lived spread contrasts with lasting popularity goals.
- Many viral successes go unnoticed, unlike the noticeable, ephemeral nature of viral diseases.
BuzzFeed's Headline Strategy
- Tom Phillips explains BuzzFeed avoids curiosity gap headlines that tease and trick readers.
- Instead, they prefer informative headlines that convey the story even if you don't click through.