What marketing content makes you sit up and take notice?

Chances are it’s something you don’t even think of as marketing content. You think of it as a video, a meme, or an infographic. You saw it on YouTube, Facebook, or Upworthy. The brand behind it is secondary, if you even notice it (or care) at all the first time.

That’s because that piece of content is done so well it hits you right where it counts: Your emotions.

At least, that’s the theory behind the Harvard Business Review’s (HBR) article, Research: The Emotions that Make Marketing Campaigns Go Viral.

“Viral” itself is a charged, often misused term–there’s a science behind making something go viral even if it looks natural on the outside–but marketers crave this experience for their content.

How does a piece of marketing cut through the social media clamor? By creating engagement, minimizing the “Look at our brand!” advertising that fools nobody, and crafting your content to “strike the correct emotional chords.”

Get the how-to and more steps here, and see if you agree!