How to capitalise on social media rage

Everyone loves a good rant every now and then, especially on social media. Users enjoy using the platform to freely share their opinions on anything and everything. I mean that’s what social media is for, right? Marketers can capitalise on this by creating content that sparks high arousal. Happiness is shared faster than sadness, but nothing is speedier than rage.

Content that sparks anger arousal in viewers is likely to be shared, as people love sharing their opinions with others. Anger has high arousal for viewers and is likely to be shared. This can be an effective way of establishing awareness and provoking action to share content on social media.

Sadness is a deactivating emotion and can deter engagement on social media and the sharing of content. Unlike anger, people tend to power down and withdraw—which is why melancholy feelings don’t spread very far or very fast among online communities.

In May of 2019, quotes from US politicians resurfaced on social media following the banning of abortions in several US states. This caused a massive stir across all social media platforms with people all over the globe outraged by the insensitive comments. Even major celebrities such as Pink, Lady Gaga and Rihanna were speaking out on this issue. The posts spread like wildfire, and soon, the world was raging about the issue on social media. People were angry, and they wanted their followers to know about it. It’s events like these that go viral on social media because when we see an injustice, we become angry.

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You may be thinking, why would a brand want to make people angry? Most people think that it is best to avoid anger - it’s a negative emotion that will cause negative associations. But in some cases, anger can wake people up and drive action. Always’ ‘Like a Girl’ campaign uses a famous insult to grab viewers’ attention. The P&G brand prompted viewers to ask: When did doing something “like a girl” become an insult? The campaign was designed to provoke people (specifically females) to feel a sense of anger towards stereotypes surrounding this discriminatory phrase. The Always campaign video attracted attention from the online community through the use of anger as a tool for promotion. The 2014 campaign won an Emmy, a Cannes Grand Prix award and the Grand Clio award. This is a prime example of how powerful emotional marketing can be for brands and consumers.

Have you ever shared something with your followers just because it made you angry? Comment down below!