Jonah Berger STEPPS Referral Audit

Streamline your referral programme planning using Jonah Berger STEPPS framework to evaluate social currency, triggers, emotion, public visibility, practical value, and stories.

6 time blocks, 60 minutes in total.

Time blocks

Social Currency Audit: 10 min
Review how sharing your product makes customers look smart or insider
Environmental Trigger Mapping: 10 min
Identify daily environmental cues that bring your offer to mind
Emotional Resonance Check: 10 min
Ensure messaging sparks high arousal emotions like awe or excitement
Practical Value Packaging: 10 min
Format referral offers so savings or perks are clear and useful
Public Visibility Assessment: 10 min
Make customer usage or referral activity visible to others
Trojan Horse Story Framing: 10 min
Embed your product message inside a narrative people want to tell

About this routine

Jonah Berger, a marketing professor at the Wharton School, introduced the STEPPS framework in his book Contagious. The model identifies six key principles that drive word of mouth and viral sharing: Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. Applying these principles gives teams a structured way to evaluate why customers share products or services.

Effective referral programme planning relies on systematic review rather than guessing what might go viral. By running through each letter of the STEPPS acronym, you can systematically identify friction points in your referral incentive structure, refine messaging, and build environmental cues that prompt natural recommendations.

Set aside 60 minutes with your team or product notes to complete this step-by-step review. You will analyze your existing customer touchpoints against all six viral factors and leave with actionable adjustments to increase campaign reach.

Why this routine works

Identifies why customers do or do not share your product with peers
Builds natural daily triggers that keep your brand top of mind
Turns abstract referral incentives into clear and practical offers

FAQ

What is Jonah Berger's STEPPS framework?

STEPPS stands for Social Currency, Triggers, Emotion, Public, Practical Value, and Stories. It is a marketing framework developed by Wharton professor Jonah Berger to explain why ideas and products go viral.

How long does a STEPPS referral audit take?

This structured referral audit takes 60 minutes, allocating 10 minutes to evaluate each of the six STEPPS elements.

What is the goal of referral programme planning?

The goal is to design incentives, messaging, and triggers that encourage existing customers to naturally recommend your product to others.

Sources

Contagious: Why Things Catch On, Jonah Berger (Simon & Schuster, 2013)
Wharton School Faculty Profile, Jonah Berger