How Science Can Make Your Content More Engaging

When we produce content, be it for our website, blog, email newsletters etc. The aim of it (we would hope) is for people to actually read it. Correct?

So why is it that some content engages more people than others? The obvious answer would be how interesting it is, how well it is written, how easy it is to understand. However some studies have shown that even the same content, written just as well but in a slightly different way, can have majorly differing engagement levels.

The reason…we are going to get a little science-y here so stick with us… is a hormone called oxytocin.

Oxytocin is sometimes referred to as the ‘cuddle hormone’ or ‘love hormone’ as it is the hormone that is released by our brains that makes us feel trust, love and empathy. Studies have actually shown that people under the influence of oxytocin are actually more likely to give money to charity or buy from a company too!

So, the more oxytocin we can release in clients, the more we are trusted and the more people will engage with us.

So…to grow your business, simply slip some oxytocin into the coffee of your potential clients, and watch the results roll in. Simple.

OK, we kid with that last point, but let’s look at how we can actually apply this to our marketing:

How to release oxytocin naturally in clients and potential clients

– Don’t underestimate the power of the words ‘we’, ‘you’ and ‘I’ and ‘our.’ Talking directly to people in this way is very effective, and subconsciously more engaging and releases oxytocin.

– Use humour. When you get somebody to laugh with you, their oxytocin levels spike!

– Use social media. Studies have shown that when people ‘like’ something on Facebook or retweet something on Twitter, they actually release oxytocin. So the more people are interacting with you on social media, the more oxytocin is released.

– Ensure your brand stands for something, and is consistent. Check out the branding section for more on this, but if you have a mission or a purpose, people can empathise more with you.

– Ask questions. When you ask questions it feels more like a conversation, and the reader feels more involved in what you have to say, hence oxytocin levels go up.

– Avoid jargon and over-complex sentences. How much do you hate it when people drone on in day to day life. Don’t do it with your content. Use shorter sentences and be concise.

– Use imagery. Don’t rely all the time on the written word. Images that are funny, inspirational, thought-provoking or cute are a great way of releasing oxytocin, and making your content more engaging.

ACTION: Look at your website content, does it follow the above points? If not, try re-writing some of it with this in mind.

ACTION: Try re-wording and re-posting one of your blogs with this in mind, and see if you achieve a better engagement rate.

ACTION: We have talked about content marketing mainly in this article, but try and apply this to your proposals too, and measure the results.