The Curiosity Gap: How to Evoke Curiosity without Clickbaiting

Did you ever click an article simply because the headline sparked your curiosity?

Was the headline promising some surprising information, results or solution of a certain issue?

Curiosity is an incredibly strong feeling.

It forces people to stop scrolling, click on the links and read articles from start to finish.

However, there is a major distinction between curiosity and clickbait.

Curiosity makes people interested in something.

Clickbait only makes them disappointed.

A smart marketer knows how to attract attention and satisfy the needs of readers.

What Is the Curiosity Gap?

The curiosity gap represents the difference between people's knowledge and the information that they would like to learn.

When people spot such a gap, they tend to fill it.

For instance:

"Most New Bloggers Make This SEO Mistake"

Right away people wonder:

"What mistake?"

And such a question makes them interested in reading.

Why Clickbaiting Doesn't Work

Clickbaiting usually works through providing people with exaggerated promises.

Examples:

- This Secret Will Transform Your Life for Good!

- You Won't Believe What Happened Next!

- Just One Simple Trick Turned Me into Millionaire Overnight!

They might generate click-throughs initially.

However, when the information does not live up to expectations, the trust gets lost.

Trust is always worth more than the initial increase in visitors.

1. Create Curiosity Provoking Questions

Questions automatically arouse people's curiosity.

Such as:

"Why Do Some Blogs Increase In Popularity Faster?"

"What Factors Make Some Content Go Viral?"

"Why Aren't People Listening To Your Marketing Message?"

Asking questions leads people to search for answers.

2. Share Only a Part of the Information

Don't tell the whole story at once, but share only a part of it.

Example:

"Just one tweak made the owner of a small business increase website traffic twice."

Now, people wonder what was this change?

It is creating curiosity without misleading anyone.

3. Solve Their Problems

People tend to be interested in solving their problems.

Examples:

"How To Attract More People To Your Blog Without Paying For Ads?"

"Why Your Website Doesn't Get Any Traffic?"

"How Can You Improve The Quality Of Your Content Without Creating Anything New?"

work because they address real challenges.

4. Include Specific Details

Specific details tend to spark curiosity more effectively than generalities.

Rather than:

"Tips for Marketing"

Use:

"5 Marketing Tips I’ve Learned Writing 50 Blog Posts"

Specific data and experiences lend credibility to the piece of content.

5. Offer Value, Not Hype

Honesty will be appreciated.

Quality titles that spark curiosity offer valuable information.

Examples:

The SEO Mistakes That Most Beginners Make

The Simple Psychology of Viral Content

Why Some Blog Posts Rank Higher Than Others

These types of titles pique interest without making outlandish claims.

6. Deliver On Your Promise

This is the key point.

If your title sparks curiosity, your content must deliver on its promise.

When the reader receives useful information, he or she will develop trust in your content and visit your site again.

Trust helps with long-term development.

Clickbait kills it.

Curiosity vs Clickbait Examples

Weak Clickbait

"This Marketing Secret Will Shock You!"

Better Curiosity

"The Marketing Strategy Most Small Businesses Forget About"

Weak Clickbait

"You Won't Believe This SEO Hack!"

Better Curiosity

"The SEO Mistake That Keeps Most Blogs From Ranking"

The latter ones are more trustworthy and have a definite benefit.

Conclusion

Curiosity is one of the strongest weapons in content marketing.

It gets people's attention, makes them engage and read on.

Yet, the ultimate aim should never be deceiving readers.

Great content marketers use curiosity as an invitation and valuable content as a reward.

Attracting clicks is not difficult.

Building trust is the thing that will make your blog successful.

And ultimately, trust is better than clickbait.