Amanda Gorman steals the show on Inauguration Day

Poet Amanda Gorman by far generated the most average interactions on social media on Inauguration Day, according to exclusive data from NewsWhip.

Why it matters: Gorman's recital of "The Hill We Climb" represented a standout, double-take moment for viewers who otherwise witnessed a scripted, stagecrafted affair.

The four most-viral stories from inauguration day all were about Gorman.

• The biggest one, from NPR, generated 1.74m interactions on social media (likes, comments, shares) — nearly twice as many as the next biggest piece.
• The 5th-biggest story was about Capitol Police officer Eugene Goodman escorting Harris to the ceremony. Joe Biden being sworn in was number 6.
• Bernie Sanders also edged out some of the biggest acts of the day, as his slouchy pose paired with exotic mittens instantly became a viral meme.

The big picture: The inauguration was produced to create several made-for-social viral moments, a tactic similar to what the DNC and Biden campaign pulled off during the Democratic National Convention.

• During the pandemic, crowds can't be relied on to provide the energy and footage, so the moments have to be choreographed from the event organizers.

By the numbers: Gorman's 4,143 interactions per article were nearly 3x higher than the Obamas, who were second.

• For total interactions, which accounts for volume of coverage, Biden was tops at 25.4 million, while Trump was second at 16.7m.

The bottom line: Gorman, 22, posted behind-the-scenes footage from her experience on her social media channels, and shared her excitement about her viral success.

• In less than 24 hours, Gorman's Instagram follower count rose from 56k to 2.5m.
• Instagram helped to increase her discovery by posting a photo of Gorman and linking out to her profile to its 384 million followers.