Why does it matter what color the dress is? Because everyone agrees it does.

When this photograph began making its way across social media and into the realm of utter virality, I couldn’t help but wonder: why do I care? To me, the dress was clearly white and gold. And that was as much thinking as I was initially willing to do regarding the topic. But much to my surprise, others were proudly announcing their certainty that the dress was, in fact, blue and black. Before long I couldn’t speak with anyone without the topic of the dress making its way into the conversation. Friends, family, strangers, teachers, bosses, waiters, and even celebrities were talking about the dress! But why?!

What I’ve come to realize about this photograph and its absurd virality is that this topic exhibits several key characteristics of any viral social media phenomenon.

1. It is easy to talk about. Quite simply, most viral social media posts don’t require an immense depth of knowledge on a topic. Cute animals, simple recipes, funny memes, and Youtube sensations typically have this trait in common. The dress, for all of the debate and conversation it sparked, asks a very simple and subjective question: what color am I? As a result, it is easy to discuss without the risk of being uninformed.
2. It is easy to find allies who share your point of view. Like politics or a sports highlight, it is easy to find others who share your opinion on the post. This characteristic makes the dress not only easy to discuss, but fulfilling in its ability to coalesce people around a common belief (as lighthearted as the topic may be). This is another quality of viral social media posts: You are not only anchored to your opinion, but to a group as well. And what is more fun than being on a team?
3. It doesn’t feel like we are being sold a product. For as much attention as the dress got and the likely sales boost it received as a result of internet virality, it never felt like we were a consumer being targeted by a company. This allows for organic conversation without the suspicion that we are being manipulated. While some commercials can manage to achieve viral status, most are inhibited by this suspicion and distain for consumerist agendas.

So what does all of this tell us about an effective social media strategy? The sum of these points seems to suggest that an impactful post is one that asks some sort of broader question without a seemingly transparent agenda. Allow the masses, communities, and networks to shape and direct the trajectory of the post. Do not, on the other hand, try to shepherd the dialogue in a particular direction.

For companies and individuals, the tradeoff is clear: loosening control over a topic inherently creates risk that the conversation will move away from the core intended initiative. This risk is something that the author must manage and confront. But for a post to go truly viral, a lack of control is likely an attribute that will persist as the scale and reach of the conversation swells.