Ever wonder why you can’t resist clicking on those “You’ll never believe what happened next” headlines?

That, my friend, is the curiosity gap at work. And good hooks are not necessarily clickbait – they can be a powerful tool in your product marketing arsenal.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND THE ITCH

Psychologists tell us that curiosity is like an itch we feel a powerful need to scratch. When we encounter a gap between what we know and what we want to know, it creates a feeling of deprivation.

We’re compelled to fill that gap.

In product terms? It’s the difference between what your customers know about their problem … and the solution you’re offering. The trick is in making them super interested in learning about it.

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

1. Tease, don’t just spew it out: Instead of eagerly laying out all your product’s features, hint at the benefits. “Discover how our app can triple your productivity” is way more intriguing than a bullet-point feature list.
2. Ask intriguing questions: “What if you could learn a language in just 10 minutes a day?” Plant the seed of an alluring new possibility in your customer’s mind.
3. Create mystery: Apple’s famous “There’s something in the air” campaign for MacBook Air is a schooling in curiosity-driven marketing. What’s in the air???
4. Use progressive disclosure: Reveal information piece by piece. It’s why unboxing videos are so popular. It’s a strip-tease rather than just showing up in the buff.

BUT… HANDLE WITH CARE

The curiosity gap is powerful, but it’s also delicate. Tease too much without delivering, and you’ll lose trust. The key is to create just enough intrigue to draw people in, then wow them with your amazing product.

In “I Need That,” we explore various psychological triggers that drive purchasing decisions. The curiosity gap is one of THE most potent – when used wisely.

So, next time you’re bearing down your product messaging, ask yourself:

• What intriguing question can I pose?
• What tantalizing hint can I drop?
• How can I make my customers curiouser and curiouser?

In the words of Walt Disney, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

What paths will your curiosity-inducing marketing lead your customers down?

Stay curious!

Laurier

P.S. What’s the most intriguing product tease you’ve ever seen? Hit reply and let me know – I’m curious! 😃