How to Create the Viral Content Wheel? A Step-by-Step Guide

The "Viral Content Wheel" is not a single, formally defined marketing term, but rather a powerful strategic concept that merges two proven methodologies: the "hub-and-spoke" content model and the principles of viral marketing, most notably encapsulated in Jonah Berger's STEPPS framework. This hybrid approach provides content marketers with a structured system for creating and distributing content with a higher potential for widespread sharing and organic reach.

At its core, the Viral Content Wheel is about creating a central, high-value piece of content (the "hub") and then surrounding it with numerous smaller, highly shareable pieces of content (the "spokes"). Each "spoke" is designed to drive traffic back to the central "hub" while also being optimized for virality on its own. The "viral" component comes from strategically embedding elements that trigger sharing, as outlined in the STEPPS model, into every piece of content within the wheel.

The Core Components of the Viral Content Wheel

The Viral Content Wheel consists of two primary elements: the Hub and the Spokes.

The Hub: The Center of Your Content Universe

The "hub" is a substantial, in-depth piece of content that serves as the definitive resource on a topic relevant to your audience and your brand. It's the core of your wheel and the ultimate destination for users.

Characteristics of a Strong Hub:

• Comprehensive and Authoritative: It should be a "one-stop-shop" for information on the chosen topic, covering it in greater detail than most other resources.
• High-Value: It should offer significant practical value, unique insights, or a novel perspective.
• Evergreen (or Regularly Updated): The topic should have lasting relevance to your audience.
• Action-Oriented: It should ideally guide the user towards a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading a resource, or trying a product.

Examples of Hub Content:

• An ultimate guide or a comprehensive "how-to" article.
• An in-depth research report or white paper.
• A long-form, interactive landing page.
• A detailed case study with compelling results.
• A free e-book or an extensive online course.

The Spokes: Driving a Groundswell of Traffic

The "spokes" are smaller, more digestible pieces of content that are derived from or related to the central hub. Their primary functions are to be easily shared across various platforms and to direct traffic back to the hub.

Characteristics of Effective Spokes:

• Standalone Value: While they point to the hub, each spoke should offer value on its own.
• Platform-Specific: They should be tailored to the format and audience of the platform where they will be shared (e.g., a short video for TikTok, an infographic for Pinterest, a thought-provoking question for Twitter).
• Emotionally Resonant: They should be designed to evoke a strong emotional response.
• Easily Shareable: The format should be simple to share with a single click.

Examples of Spoke Content:

• Blog posts that delve into specific sub-topics of the hub.
• Infographics summarizing key data or steps from the hub.
• Short video clips or tutorials.
• Social media posts with compelling quotes, statistics, or questions.
• Email newsletters highlighting key takeaways.
• Guest posts on other websites that reference and link back to the hub.
• Podcasts or webinar segments discussing aspects of the hub's topic.

Fueling the Wheel: The STEPPS to Virality

To transform a standard hub-and-spoke model into a Viral Content Wheel, each piece of content, both the hub and the spokes, should be infused with the principles of Jonah Berger's STEPPS model:

• Social Currency: People share things that make them look good. Create content that makes your audience feel smart, in-the-know, or special. This could be through exclusive information, a beautifully designed infographic they'd be proud to share, or a quiz that reveals a flattering aspect of their personality.
• Triggers: Associate your content with common thoughts, feelings, or events. If your content is top-of-mind, it will be on the tip of their tongue. For example, a coffee brand could create content around the "Monday morning struggle."
• Emotion: When we care, we share. Content that evokes high-arousal emotions like awe, excitement, amusement, or even anger is more likely to be shared. Tell compelling stories, use powerful imagery, and tap into universal human emotions.
• Public: People are more likely to do something if they see others doing it. Make your content and its sharing visible. This can be achieved through user-generated content campaigns, showcasing social share counts, or creating a distinctive visual style that is easily recognizable.
• Practical Value: People like to help others. Content that is genuinely useful and provides practical advice is highly shareable. This could be a "how-to" guide, a list of valuable resources, or a simple life hack.
• Stories: Information travels under the guise of idle chatter. Weave your message into a compelling narrative. Stories are more memorable and engaging than dry facts and figures.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Viral Content Wheel

Step 1: Choose Your Hub Topic

• Audience-Centric: What are your audience's biggest pain points, questions, and interests?
• Brand Alignment: How does this topic relate to your product or service?
• Keyword Research: Identify a broad topic with significant search volume and the potential for numerous related sub-topics (long-tail keywords).

Step 2: Create Your High-Value Hub

• Go Deep: Invest the time and resources to make it the best resource available on the topic.
• Incorporate STEPPS:
  • Social Currency: Position it as the "ultimate" or "definitive" guide.
  • Practical Value: Make it incredibly actionable and helpful.
  • Emotion: Use compelling storytelling and visuals.
  • Stories: Frame the information within a narrative structure.

Step 3: Brainstorm and Create Your Spokes

• Deconstruct the Hub: Break down your hub into smaller, shareable ideas. Can you turn a chapter into a blog post? A statistic into an infographic? A key concept into a short video?
• Apply STEPPS to Each Spoke:
  • Triggers: Tie spokes to current events or recurring themes.
  • Emotion: Craft headlines and visuals that grab attention and evoke feeling.
  • Public: Encourage user-generated content related to the spoke's topic.
  • Practical Value: Each spoke should offer a quick, useful takeaway.
  • Stories: Even a short tweet can tell a micro-story.
• Optimize for Each Platform: Tailor the format and tone for where you'll be sharing.

Step 4: Distribute and Promote Your Wheel

• Initial Hub Promotion: Launch your hub with a coordinated promotional push across all your channels (email, social media, etc.).
• Consistent Spoke Distribution: Regularly publish your spokes over time to continuously drive traffic back to the hub.
• Outreach: Share your hub with influencers, journalists, and other relevant websites in your industry.
• Paid Amplification: Consider using paid social ads or search ads to boost the visibility of your hub and key spokes.
• Internal Linking: Strategically link your spokes back to the hub and to each other to create a strong internal linking structure that benefits SEO.

Step 5: Analyze and Optimize

• Track Key Metrics: Monitor website traffic to your hub, referral sources from your spokes, social media engagement, and share counts.
• Identify Top Performers: See which spokes are driving the most traffic and engagement.
• Refine Your Strategy: Use the data to inform the creation of future content wheels.

By strategically combining the robust structure of the hub-and-spoke model with the contagious nature of the STEPPS framework, content marketers can move beyond simply creating content and start engineering a system that actively encourages sharing and drives sustainable, organic growth.