{"id":815,"date":"2018-02-20T11:03:24","date_gmt":"2018-02-20T16:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tridence.wordpress.com\/?p=815"},"modified":"2020-06-26T22:14:09","modified_gmt":"2020-06-26T22:14:09","slug":"9-emotional-hooks-that-will-make-your-content-10x-better","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/9-emotional-hooks-that-will-make-your-content-10x-better\/","title":{"rendered":"9 Emotional Hooks That Will Make Your Content 10x Better"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"emotional-headlines-content.png\"<\/p>\n

What makes a piece of\u00a0content compelling<\/strong>?<\/p>\n

The secret ingredient to awesome content isn\u2019t a watertight argument or even a great concept.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s emotion.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

People make most of their decisions based on how they\u2019re feeling, whether they realize it or not.<\/p>\n

This is especially true when it comes to purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n

If your content hasn\u2019t been converting the way you want it to, injecting some emotion could make all the difference.<\/p>\n

Forging positive connections with your audience won\u2019t just increase sales \u2013 it will also promote\u00a0brand loyalty<\/strong>\u00a0down the road.<\/p>\n

And, once you know how to leverage emotion in your marketing, your content will just\u00a0keep getting better.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To get started, here are nine simple hooks you can use to create more emotionally powerful content.<\/p>\n

1. Use Your Content to Tell a Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Want to keep your audience engaged? Tell them a good story.<\/p>\n

Storytelling<\/strong>\u00a0is a simple, but effective, tool for grabbing people\u2019s attention and getting them emotionally invested in your content.<\/p>\n

Everybody wants to know what happens next, especially if they can identify with the story\u2019s hero.<\/p>\n

Telling stories about your business can increase your brand\u2019s likability factor.<\/p>\n

For instance, you could tell your audience how your business got its start, what kind of challenges you\u2019ve overcome, and how you\u2019re working toward your current goals.<\/p>\n

Stories about customers can also be an effective way to connect with your audience \u2013 try putting your storytelling skills to work through case studies.<\/p>\n

2.\u00a0<\/strong>Leverage the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The fear of missing out is a powerful force. Nobody wants a great deal or a juicy secret to pass them by.<\/p>\n

If you can create a sense of anxiety or urgency in your audience, you\u2019ll get a reaction out of them.<\/p>\n

One good way to use FOMO is to promote a product or a deal for a limited time only.<\/p>\n

After all, who hasn\u2019t bought a limited-edition product simply because it won\u2019t be available later?<\/p>\n

Another idea is to offer an exclusive membership or loyalty program. If people worry about what they might be missing out on, they\u2019ll be more interested in your brand and your product.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

3. Make Your Audience Feel Special or Powerful<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The desire to feel special drives a lot of purchasing decisions.<\/p>\n

From clothes to gadgets to cars, consumers often buy things just to feel unique or superior to other people.\u00a0Harnessing this drive is a great way to build a strong image for your brand.<\/p>\n

To tap into your audience\u2019s desire to feel special, use your content to paint a specific picture of your product or service: it\u2019s high-quality, distinctive, and a bit exclusive.<\/p>\n

Represent your current customers as people your audience can identify with or would like to imitate. Product demos, customer spotlights, and evocative advertisements are all good ways of doing this.<\/p>\n

For this strategy (and any other emotional marketing strategy) to work well, you\u2019ll need to know your audience.<\/p>\n

Content that pushes some people\u2019s emotional buttons won\u2019t work on others, so don\u2019t forget to make\u00a0audience research<\/strong>\u00a0an ongoing part of your work.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

4. Create a Feeling of Belonging<\/strong><\/h2>\n

People need to feel accepted, liked, and important. Because of this, content that makes people feel like part of an in-group or cause can be very effective.<\/p>\n

One way to make use of the feeling of belonging is to present your brand as a club or lifestyle, instead of just a business.<\/p>\n

Look at Apple for a great example of how to put this idea into practice. There\u2019s a major social and emotional component to Apple\u2019s marketing. Some people consider using Apple products to be almost part of their identity.<\/p>\n

Your business may not have the same reach as Apple, but you can do the same thing on a smaller scale by creating a strong brand image and nurturing a sense of exclusivity around your product. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

5. Use Mystery to Make Your Content More Compelling<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Unanswered questions are intriguing.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you want more people\u2019s eyes on your content, adding a little mystery might be exactly what you need.<\/p>\n

Ask a question in your title, and use the body of your content to answer it.<\/p>\n

Or, if there are any long-standing unanswered questions in your field, try creating content around them, since people tend to be interested in the unknown.<\/p>\n

6. Promise to Help Your Audience Achieve Their Goals<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Goal-setting and personal achievement are highly emotional topics.<\/p>\n

For most people, there are desires, fears, and feelings of self-worth tied up in even the most pedestrian goals.<\/p>\n

So if you can figure out what your audience wants most, you\u2019ve got a direct route to their emotions. Offer to help them get what they want, and they\u2019ll see you as an ally \u2013 and probably make a purchase.<\/p>\n

To find the right angle with this approach, it\u2019s especially important to do audience research.<\/p>\n

Try to talk directly with your audience by polling or interviewing them. Then incorporate your findings into your content, highlighting how your product or service can help your audience get what they want out of life.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

7. Use Humor<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Marketing doesn\u2019t have to be serious all the time. In fact,\u00a0including humor<\/strong>\u00a0can be great for your brand\u2019s image.<\/p>\n

Laughter is a great way to form an instant connection with someone.<\/p>\n

It also shows that your brand doesn\u2019t take itself too seriously.<\/p>\n

If your content has felt a little flat lately, try creating a humorous piece or two, and see how your audience receives it.<\/p>\n

Keep in mind that while humor is versatile, it isn\u2019t right for every situation. Know what\u2019s appropriate in your field, and be careful not to say anything your audience might find insensitive or offensive.<\/p>\n

In addition, be careful that your humor doesn\u2019t stifle your brand\u2019s authentic voice.<\/p>\n

8. Surprise Your Audience<\/strong><\/h2>\n

If you think your content might not be memorable enough, add an element of surprise.<\/p>\n

Are there any common misconceptions in your field that you can break down?<\/p>\n

What about surprising facts that most people wouldn\u2019t believe at first?<\/p>\n

Challenging someone\u2019s ideas or changing their mind on an issue is a great way to get them to remember your brand.<\/p>\n

Even a good plot twist at the end of a story can make your content stick in a reader\u2019s mind long after they\u2019ve clicked away.<\/p>\n

9. Incorporate Pop Culture into Your Content<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Using pop culture references can instantly make your content more interesting to a lot of people.<\/p>\n

\"Pop<\/p>\n

\"High<\/p>\n

Research by\u00a0Fractl and Moz\u00a0<\/strong>found that content marketing campaigns were more likely to perform well and to go viral on social media if they included a pop culture reference.<\/p>\n

Think about what types of entertainment your audience likes, and choose pop culture references that will establish a feeling of common ground with them.<\/p>\n

Try including references to classic TV shows, new blockbusters, or even memes \u2013 just be sure not to infringe on any copyright laws.<\/p>\n

The Takeaway<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Emotion is the key to creating content that\u2019s both memorable and effective.<\/p>\n

Targeting positive emotions, such as amusement, empowerment, and a sense of community, is usually a good strategy, but you can also use negative emotions like anxiety to spur your audience to take action.<\/p>\n

Try incorporating one or more of these highly effective emotional hooks into your next piece of content \u2013 you might be surprised at the reaction you get from your audience.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Author:\u00a0Adam Heitzman<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What makes a piece of\u00a0content compelling? The secret ingredient to awesome content isn\u2019t a watertight argument or even a great concept. It\u2019s emotion. People make most of their decisions based on how they\u2019re feeling, whether they realize it or not. This is especially true when it comes to purchasing decisions. If your content hasn\u2019t been […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_metasync_otto_title":"","_metasync_otto_description":"","_metasync_otto_keywords":"","_metasync_otto_og_title":"","_metasync_otto_og_description":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_title":"","_metasync_otto_twitter_description":"","rank_math_title":"","rank_math_description":"","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"","_aioseo_title":"","_aioseo_description":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[39,40,63,109],"class_list":["post-815","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-brands","tag-content","tag-content-hooks","tag-hooks","tag-social-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=815"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":902,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/815\/revisions\/902"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=815"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=815"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tridence.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=815"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}