If you’ve spent a decent amount of time in the marketing space, you’ll know that some brands have a knack for doing things that seem to glue their audience’s eyes to the screen. 

But what, exactly, are their methods? 

Sometimes, these can be obscure. You’re not always clear on which element of their approach is having the outsized impact.

That’s where this article can help. We look at the science of grabbing attention, looking at the various marketing strategies that are the most compelling for online users. 

As you read through these, you’ll notice that they often upset our common notions of what makes for a successful marketing campaign. Yes, you recognize some elements, but others aren’t so clear-cut, and some are downright surprising. 

Make It Mysterious

One method used by companies like Nvidia and Tesla is to make your marketing mysterious. Intriguing your audience by keeping something hidden is an excellent way to drive excitement. 

This marketing tactic is clever because it taps into human nature. Almost everyone wants to know what companies are doing behind the scenes, particularly if they are regular customers. But when brands tease something, like a darkened image of an upcoming product, it can have a powerful psychological effect. All of a sudden, everyone starts talking about what it could be and how it could affect them. 

This mystery goes up a notch when the brand in question already has a sizable audience. Companies with established communities can generate substantial “buzz” and get people even more interested in what they do. 

Another way to look at this approach is the “art of the tease.” Giving your audience a little upfront makes them more interested in whatever project you might have in the works. Try it for yourself and see if it makes a difference. 

Personalize The Experience

Another tactic that glues eyes to screens is to personalize your marketing approach. Speaking to specific audience members can be a powerful way to create a sense of belonging and even kinship. 

Historically, it was almost impossible for brands to personalize the experience. However, more recently, AI is making it easier. You can often tell systems to adjust and adapt content to a specific tranche of people in your audience and it will oblige, based on the feedback it receives. 

It’s not true personalization in the sense that you’re writing or creating the marketing content for a specific individual. That’s still out of the realm of possibility. But you are taking more time to consider the type of content they want to receive and how to adapt it to help them the most. 

For example, you could use: 

• Customized emails that speak to a problem or pain point the client has 
• Use targeted ads to segment your audience by need, gender, or another metric
• Offer invites to specific people to join you for various events

Reward Engagement

Another critical pillar of this objective to get everyone glued to your content is to reward engagement. Supporting those who help you is basic reciprocity and a critical part of business. 

Here are some options you can try: 

• Points systems where people who engage receive various prizes or special treatment depending on their tier
• Badges that people can display on social media or even through crypto-related channels
• Challenges that encourage more people to get involved and even create UGC

Once you start rewarding engagement, the word will get out. More people will be incentivized to join your campaign, broadening your appeal even further. 

Obviously, paid methods are best and will gain the most traction. Millions of users are looking for a way to make a quick buck online. But you can also offer digital rewards or even agree to host some engagement content on your official channels if it meets your branding and editorial standards. 

Gamification can also work in this context. Giving users challenges and something fun to do that supports your brand can be highly effective short and long term. For example, you might create an app where you offer points rewards for creating UGC content for your products and services. Those who get points above a certain score are then eligible to receive free products to review in the mail. 

Use Influencers 

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You can also grab attention by simply working with influencers already making waves in the space. Aligning yourself with these individuals can generate new audiences for you almost overnight. 

Influencers are effective because they represent trusted voices. Often, your audience is more likely to accept what they say compared to, say, your internal marketing team. 

Furthermore, many of the most popular influencers already have characteristics that make them inherently interesting. Audiences seem drawn to them automatically. 

As such, working with them can be rewarding. You often find that some of their stardust rubs off on your brand, creating a new group of people who follow you too, and are interested in what you say. 

Look for influencers who excel at storytelling. Often, these individuals are best able to speak to your brand. 

Keep It Short And Sweet

Another pro tip for getting audiences hooked is to keep it short and sweet, especially at the start. Most people aren’t going to sit down to watch a video of yours if it lasts 30 minutes if they haven’t heard of you before. It’s just not worth the risk. 

Start with “snackable” or bite-sized content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels. Use these facilities to build a sizable audience that trusts you to deliver. Then, once you have a broader array of people following you, branch out. Look for ways to introduce long-form content that will captivate your audience’s interest. 

If you can produce your own memes and GIFs, that’s even better. These make you seem unique and allow you to really communicate with your audience in a funny, comedic manner. 

Make Your Content More Visual

These days, you also want to look at ways to make your content more visual, even if you’re in an industry that doesn’t usually rely on showcases like this. Making your content visual taps into primitive parts of the brain associated with attention and learning. Most people would prefer to watch a video than read a blog communicating the same information (something that platforms like TikTok and Meta have known for a long time). 

One way to make your content more visual is to use camera and drone footage. Leveraging devices, like the DJI Avata 2, allows you to collect interesting shots at a fraction of the normal price. You can capture brand-related activities from multiple angles, allowing you to do something different from your rivals.

You can also try going down the animation, illustration, and computer graphics route. This option could be better for your company if you’re in the software business or you do something quite abstract that requires breaking things down into smaller parts. 

Either way, making your content more visual is often a win-win. The more you can dominate the space, the more likely you are to succeed. 

Leverage Hype When It Arrives

Unfortunately, your brand can’t always control the hype cycle. That’s just not possible in a world full of intrigue and surprises. However, you can use hype when it arrives.  

For example, you could jump on a meme by modifying it slightly to fit your brand. This approach can be an excellent way to increase sharing, particularly on Twitter. 

You could also use current events to create a sense of urgency. For example, many brands encouraged their customers to purchase items in the run-up to the pandemic, just in case they weren’t available afterward. 

Hype is also a tool for brands to become relevant. Companies that can associate themselves with the latest trends, however odd they might seem, stay top of mind for many audiences. 

Use User-Generated Content

UGC is another tool that many companies are now exploring to keep users’ eyes glued to screens. Showing them the opinions of their peers is often significantly more effective than using industry experts or simply making corporate statements. 

That’s not to say that UGC is perfect. It still requires significant upfront investment and plenty of organization to make it effective. But if you can get to a critical mass, campaigns will often take on a life of their own, and have a higher chance of going viral. 

The reason for this is that people love to see real life experiences and testimonials. Getting regular customers to video themselves using your products is among the highest endorsements you can get as a business. Prospective clients see their peers using what you sell and reason it must be good enough for them. 

Hook Them

Finally, hooking your audience with an interesting statement or line at the start of a video can be an excellent way to get them interested in what you do. Little curious snippets are often an easy way to grab their attention and get them to click on your videos and posts. 

Just make sure you make complex information simple. Condense everything you can into the heading and first line. 

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