Curiosity is an extremely powerful force.
As human beings we have this “need to know”.
In particular, we “need to know what happens…next”.
What we in the copywriting and marketing fraternity sometimes refer to as…
…the “Zeigarnik Effect”.
(As an aside this is the foundation of the whole Soap Opera industry!)
Came across a great example of using curiosity recently…and one that you can easily adapt in your own business to engage customers.
It’s from copywriting giant John Carlton.
John recently discussed his “4 Health Rules For Maintaining A Kick-Ass Writer’s Existence”.
One of these he coyly deemed to be something that might cause some blushes…
…so he held off from mentioning it!
But he did invite readers to submit their suggestions as to what this might be…
…and all would be revealed in a subsequent post.
Certainly caught my attention and even though I had only skim read the original post…
…I was intrigued to find out what the fourth rule was and rushed back to find out when the next post was published.
Using a little “quiz” like this not only stirs up interest (provided it’s about something relevant to the “conversation” you’re having with your readers) but it also engages them and provides you with feedback.
So, think about how you can use this in your own business with a quiz on a relevant topic. Make sure you offer some sort of prize and also publish not just the “winning” response but some of the other submissions.
Oh…and I guess you may want to know what John’s “4 rules” are (especially if you’re a copywriter, but they’re applicable to marketers too).
They are…
1. Break a sweat and exercise everyday.
2. Breathe. Deep.
3. I’m embarrassed about this one…all is revealed at “Well That Was Fun…”
4. Feed your brain.