How a meme goes viral
Process map by Brian. 28 steps, 2 layers. Tags: culture, internet, viral, social media.
- The creator: Someone posts a joke, clip or image
- The platform's algorithm: The algorithm tests it on a small group
- The platform's algorithm: Do people react fast: likes, shares, rewatches?
- The platform's algorithm: Shown to a bigger group
- The crowd: People remix it with new captions, edits and sounds
- The platform's algorithm: It is pushed into trending and recommendations
- Your feed: It shows up on your page again and again
- Brands and media: Brands and news outlets jump in
- Brands and media: Does the joke still land?
- The crowd: Saturation: everyone has seen it
- The crowd: Did it become part of the culture?
- The crowd: It turns into a classic reference people still use
- The crowd: It fades into a "remember that?" post
- The crowd: "How do you do, fellow kids?" The crowd mocks the attempt
- The crowd: The cringe becomes the new meme
- The crowd: It sinks without a trace, like most posts