Surprise can be an effective marketing tool if utilized properly.
Most successful marketing campaigns have some kind of emotional element. They may capitalize on the nostalgia of older audiences to sell them new products, or may try to foster and improve a genuine brand-consumer relationship. In addition to providing the objectively best products and services you can, incorporating some emotional appeals into your marketing efforts can be a major boon for your bottom line.
One of the greatest emotional tools in your arsenal is surprise, especially in the field of content marketing. Including pieces of information, angles, or twists that your readership can’t see coming has three main, powerful effects:
- Differentiation. Doing something different than what’s expected or what’s usual for your industry will differentiate you from your competitors. This is especially important if there are many companies like yours competing in the same space.
- Memorability. People are inclined to remember things that are novel; if you present your audience with surprises, your content will stick out in their minds.
- Shareability. Surprising content is inherently more shareable. Readers are much more likely to share a piece of content with others if it surprised them in some way. This could be because they feel compelled to spread the information, or just because they were entertained.
So how can you incorporate more surprises into your work?
- Take a controversial stance. First, you could take a controversial stance (or at least one that goes against industry norms). Just make sure you’re able to support this stance with a solid argument, and you treat the opposing side with respect in your writing.
- Shake up the formula. Experiment with a different medium or formula for your content. If you’re used to writing articles, consider making videos or focusing on images. Try to use different outlines and structures as well.
- Do more original research. Original research can help you come to some stunning conclusions (assuming you do enough of it). Plus, you can guarantee you’ll be the first one to report on the info you find.
Are you interested in overhauling your content marketing strategy? Contact Quez Media for more information today!
