How to Write Stories People Can't Ignore: The Viral Content Formula

Ah, Christmas.

It is the season of joy, family, and, inevitably, a clogged bathroom that turns a home into a biohazard zone.

Nothing says "festive cheer" like wading through black water and questioning my life choices.

Oscar the Grouch would give my current situation two smelly thumbs up.

My weekend plans now include tearing out soggy drywall, scrubbing my bathroom like I’m trying to win a cleaning competition, and reassuring my family, “no, no, no, this isn’t your fault.” *

*Though, for the record, nobody needs a quilt per flush.

Before I don my biohazard suit and go full Chernobyl, let me share a simple trick to make your next piece of content irresistible.

Most of your content is boring.

It’s bland. Uninspiring. Barely scratches the surface of anyone’s attention span.

The result?

People scroll right past your hard work.

Your meticulously crafted words disappear into the abyss of mediocrity.

BUT what if there was a way to flip the script and make your content impossible to ignore?

I want to help you create stories that people want to share.

Why?

Because I’ve been there. I’ve poured hours into researching, polishing, agonizing, and hitting "publish" with high hopes…

…only to be met with deafening silence.

No likes. No comments. No shares.

Just crickets.

If this has ever been your reality, you’re not alone. And there’s a solution.

Emotion = Irresistible Content

Every great piece of content evokes an emotion.

Shaan Puri from My First Million outlines a helpful framework that pinpoints the 7 emotions that make content irresistible.

Viral content almost always taps into one of these:

• LOL: That’s hilarious!

• OHHH: Now I get it!

• WOW: That’s amazing!

• AWW: That’s so heartwarming!

• YAY: That’s fantastic news!

• WTH: That’s outrageous!

• FINALLY: Someone said it!

Honestly, this doesn’t surprise me.

God wired us as emotional creatures, and the Gospel story itself spans multiple emotions: "AWW" (sacrifice), "WOW" (resurrection), "YAY" (victory over sin), "FINALLY" (fulfilled promises).

These feelings drive what we love, hate, or share with friends, saying, 'YOU HAVE TO READ THIS!'

Here’s why it works,

Algorithms don’t make content go viral.

People do.

Content that sparks a genuine emotion gets shared.

And shared content grows audiences.

Here’s how I use this framework,

Before I ever finish a post, sermon, video, or newsletter, I go through the checklist:

1. What emotion am I targeting? Is this a “WOW” moment or a “FINALLY” moment?

2. How can I amplify that emotion? Add humor, surprise, or a personal story.

3. Will this make someone want to share it? If not, keep refining.

That’s it.

And this is the perfect framework because it’s not just for “viral” writers or social media gurus. It’s for anyone who wants their words to matter.

• Elicit emotion for your next blog post about finding the best organic dog treats (“WOW: Did you know this one ingredient can add years to your dog’s life?”).

• Elicit emotion in your next sermon (“FINALLY: The answer to why God’s promises always arrive right on time.”).

• Elicit emotion when texting a friend about the plumbing disaster in your bathroom (“WTH: You won’t believe how much water a clogged pipe can dump into your house!”).

Emotion is the secret sauce that transforms your content from boring to shareable.

TLDR

• Emotionless content often fails to resonate, leading to low engagement and fewer shares.

• Shaan Puri’s framework highlights 7 key emotions: LOL, OHHH, WOW, AWW, YAY, WTH, and FINALLY.

• Use these emotions to make your content shareable.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to tackle a plumbing disaster that’s fully embodying the “WTH” emotion.

OHH, I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU! 

I launched a referral program that actually makes sense. Refer two friends to Christian Story Lab, and I’ll mail you a $5 Chick-fil-A gift card. Why didn’t anyone think of this before? 👇

Write on 🤙
Payton