Who is this research for? Marketing leaders, brand managers, social media strategists, digital advertisers, content creators, and platform growth teams.
Top Answer
Research suggests that social media content is more likely to be shared when it triggers strong emotional reactions rather than because of the content itself. In social media’s “attention economy,” platforms and content creators often use emotions to capture and hold users’ attention. While emotionally engaging content increases sharing, politically charged content can reduce it or complicate its impact. For marketers, this means emotional design and not just messaging is central to driving reach and engagement.
Executive Summary
This research by Dr. Jeffrey K. Mullins (Department of Information Systems, Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas), Dr. Syed Shuva (Bryan School of Business and Economics, University of North Carolina Greensboro), and Dr. Patrick A. Stewart (Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, University of Arkansas) examines how emotional responses shape social media sharing behavior.
Using the Affective Response Model, the study analyzes how user factors such as mood and ideology, content characteristics such as political messaging, and emotional reactions such as “mirth” in response to humor influence whether users like, comment on, or share content. The research involved 289 participants evaluating multiple humorous (and sometimes political) memes, using multilevel analysis to isolate key drivers of propagation.
The findings suggest that emotional response is one of the strongest predictors of sharing behavior. Content that induces mirth significantly increases engagement, while political content tends to reduce sharing and dampen the positive effects of humor. Additionally, both positive and negative moods increase sharing, indicating that users often engage with content as a way to regulate emotions. For marketers, the results highlight that how content makes people feel may be more important than what it says.
Expert Insights: What should leaders understand about emotional content and sharing behavior?
Why is emotion more important than the message itself?
Dr. Jeffrey K. Mullins notes: “The idea of using emotion to engage the audience is not new, and the message still matters. Emotions focus our attention and create memorable experiences—two core goals of marketing and brand management. A key insight from our research is that “emotion” is not just something you embed in the content; it’s something that varies based on the user’s traits, preferences, and mood. Two people can have vastly different emotional reactions to the same piece of content. You have to really know your audience and design content based on what is most likely to appeal to them emotionally.”
Dr. Patrick Stewart explains: “Emotions are what move us - after all, that is what the word means! In short, a message means nothing unless it influences the behaviors of others - with emotions being the starting point for any behaviors that result.”
→ Takeaway: Emotional impact is audience-dependent—effective content is designed around how specific users are likely to feel, not just what the message says.
How can marketers balance humor with brand risk?
Dr. Jeffrey K. Mullins notes: “Humor is inherently subjective, and humor preferences can vary based on demographics (e.g., generation) and other factors. Tailoring humor to the message in a way that resonates with the target audience is the goal, but it is easy to miss the mark if the humor attempt falls flat, or worse, causes offense. Pre-testing humorous messages is critical.”
Dr. Patrick Stewart adds: “By knowing their audience, marketers can know what is humorous and how something is funny. Because humor - especially the mirth (measured by laughter and smiling - which are easily mimicked and highly contagious) that results - is arguably the primal activity that connects humans with one another, being able to wield humor is highly important for building affinity and loyalty, whether to a person or to a brand.”
→ Takeaway: Humor can drive strong engagement, but it must be audience-tested and aligned to avoid misfires or reputational risk.
When can controversial content still be effective?
Dr. Patrick Stewart explains: “It depends on the audience - younger and/or niche audiences might be more attracted to controversial content if it helps them define who they are by being unintelligible to the general public and/or by ridiculing outsiders.”
Dr. Jeffrey K. Mullins adds: “Controversial content can be highly effective when it is aligned with the brand and desired message. While most brands will want to avoid potentially divisive content, messaging that aligns with a shifting cultural boundary can build trust and a sense of personal identity associated with the brand.”
→ Takeaway: Controversial content works best when tightly aligned with brand identity and targeted to audiences that value differentiation or identity signaling.
What are the long-term risks of optimizing purely for engagement?
Dr. Jeffrey K. Mullins notes: “The long-term risks are already staring us in the face. Social media’s ‘attention economy’ is implicated in current crises such as technology addiction, political polarization, and the erosion of democracy. While humor—the specific focus of our study—is generally a positive force, a broader implication of our work is that platforms profit by using emotions to capture and hold users’ attention, and the unintended consequences can be severe. Our hope is that this work can help individuals, policy makers, and organizations to unpack some of the contributing factors and, ultimately, to adjust behaviors, policies, and platform designs in ways that help us navigate and resolve these crises while preserving social media’s value.”
→ Takeaway: Over-optimizing for emotional engagement can drive short-term performance but may create long-term risks for trust, well-being, and brand sustainability.
Link to the Original Research
Published in MIS Quarterly (2026)
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of content gets shared the most on social media?
People are more likely to share content that triggers a strong emotional reaction. Research suggests that feelings like mirth, excitement, or even anger can increase the likelihood of engagement and sharing.
Should brands avoid political content?
In many cases, yes. In addition to potentially offending a large segment of prospective customers, research suggests political content can reduce sharing because users perceive higher social risk in engaging with it publicly. They may worry about how others in their network will react, especially if their audience includes people with different views.
Why does humor work so well in marketing content?
Humor creates positive emotional reactions that users want to share with others. It also helps signal identity and build social connection, which increases engagement behaviors like sharing.
Do negative emotions increase engagement?
Yes. Both positive and negative moods are associated with higher sharing behavior, suggesting that users engage with content as a way to process or regulate emotions.
What is the biggest mistake marketers make with social content?
Focusing too much on the message itself and not enough on the emotional experience it creates. Content that fails to evoke emotion is less likely to be shared.
