ProtoViral: A Contagious WordPress Theme

Oct 30th 2008 View Comments




Over the past year or so I’ve been doing research into the why and how of web content “going viral,” from my Link Attraction Factors report (with the accompanying tools, API, and plugin) to my Viral Content Sharing Survey report. I’ve also taken this behavioral data and distilled it into more actionable items like a viral marketing checklist, viral seeding requirements, and of course the 10 symptoms of highly viral WordPress themes.

Out of this research has grown my latest project, the ProtoViral WordPress theme. Built to be flexible design-wise, it allows you to customize it to match the look and feel you need, while including a wide range of flexible and powerful viral marketing features built right into the theme. I’ve rolled a bunch of functionality that previously existed only in plugins into widgets and ProtoViral’s configuration panel, making them easier to control and integrate into your design.

ProtoViral is still in development, but some of the features so far include:

  • Referrer-based Content Filters (show special content to visitors from specific sites)
  • Easy to turn-off Ad space
  • Customizable and Widgetized social voting buttons that can appear in a variety of places
  • A Tweet-this button that automatically creates shortened URLs when you publish posts
  • Pre- and post- entry call outs (invite readers to subscribe to your feed or follow you on Twitter
  • Funnel links (direct traffic from every page on your site to a specified post)

Here’s a screenshot of some of the functionality on the configuration panel:

And here’s the voting widget configuration:

I’ve been putting the theme through its paces on a new site I launched last week called GreenOverrun and so far it seems to be doing pretty well, with 13,153 visits to its 3 posts since it launched 10 days ago.

If you’d like to test it out or give me suggestions on additional functionality (I’ve been surprised the entire time by how much you can do with a WordPress theme and have a whole new appreciation for WP now, so don’t hold back on pipe-dream ideas), let me know in the comments below.

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  • http://blog.rightreading.com xensen

    Looks good. I have an idea for a new blog that it would be fun to try this out on.

  • Veral Patel

    I’d love to test it out, sounds like a really smart idea!

  • http://www.jmorganmarketing.com jacob morgan

    i have someone designing a new theme for me but is there a way to use some of these features?

    J

  • http://danzarrella.com Dan Zarrella

    @jacob its possible that if your designer knows wordpress well enough he could use my functions.php file or fit his design into my theme.

    The whole idea is that you’d take protoviral and customize it to look how ever you want.

  • http://www.badijones.com Badi Jones

    Sounds great so far. This may be a bit too much, but what about a simple ad manager?

    I moved from openads to Google ad manager, but in most cases, I just want to be able to set a date range for an ad to show.

  • http://www.chrisrobertson.name Chris Robertson

    Dan,
    I too would enjoy testing the theme.
    Chris

  • Josh Clauss

    Dan-

    Long-time listener, first-time caller. If this comment area is going to be used as kind of a beta waiting list, I’d like to throw my hat in the ring.

    Cheers.

  • http://www.leftoverlovers.com/category/frugal-budget-ideas/ LeftoverLovers

    Dan –
    I’d really like to check out your theme. I am doing a lot of testing and design right now on how to attract and convert page visitors. I can give you some good feedback on your theme and its effectiveness. I would probably try it on a brand new blog I’m releasing which will be used to test out various design and marketing techniques.

    Tom

  • http://eslocal.es Bau

    would love to test your theme!

  • http://www.bobangus.com Bob Angus

    Dan,

    What is the latest on the ProtoViral theme? I have a new project that I am working on for the new year that would be a perfect test center for your theme. Are you still taking on testers?

    Thanks!
    Bob

  • http://www.blog.kwwphoto.com/ Kyle Wiebalk

    I’m currently starting several WordPress projects, and always on the lookout for great themes like yours. I’d love to test it if possible, thanks!

  • http://http://www.userinsight.com/solutions/prototyping-and-wireframes prototyping research

    test

  • http://twitter.com/mastabest Mastabest

    Dan

    I don't know how influential you are now but you're influence is going to be phenomenal.

    DAN… YOU ARE ON MORE ON THE BALL.
    More so than ANYBODY that I have ever come across on the internet!

    I would be honored to try out a WP theme that you have created.
    Please email me at a.damj78@gmail.com

  • http://twitter.com/mastabest Mastabest

    Dan

    First of all… thanks!

    Thanks for sharing your insights. Your site is a great contribution to the evolution of our species and your ideas are honestly some of the most valuable ideas currently on the internet. I KNOW that you're future influence will be nothing short of phenomenal. It may take a while but people WILL grasp your ideas and soon understand the value you bring the “blogosphere”. By the way, this is probably about the 5th time that I've felt motivated to actually post something on a blog. My background is in genetics, however your field of study is on the cutting edge – as you are well aware. Biological evolution is fascinating, but it is no where near as interesting or important as understanding the evolution of ideas. As mentioned by the craigslist guy, social media could motivate the revolution that the world needs for our own very survival. Your blog is one of the few blogs that is helping awaken people to the power of the communication age. Your contribution to memetics is timely and of greater importance than most people realise.

    I would be honestly be honored to try out a WP theme that you have created.

    Please email me at adamj78@gmail.com

    Thanks and peace

    Adam