If you’ve never heard the term before you’re probably thinking “What the heck is a curiosity gap?”
It is the space between what we know and what we want or need to know and, if utilized properly, one of the most powerful concepts you can use in marketing. It is the technique of withholding or delaying gratification to spark the innate curiosity that we have as humans. It’s like putting a large button in front of your viewers without explanation. They are internally compelled to push the button regardless of potential consequences. Think of it as harnessing the propensity to engage with clickbait we all innately have.
To master the foundational elements of effective email marketing, you might find our article on Mastering Email Marketing Basics insightful.
In email marketing, we can harness the curiosity gap in the following ways:
Clickable Subject Lines
The first step in any email campaign is getting the recipient to open the email, and the curiosity gap can help. Think of subjects as the bait to get the fish to bite. Let’s take an example of a footwear retailer having an annual sale email campaign for running shoes.
All Running Shoe Prices So Low You Won’t Believe Your Eyes
Example of a non-personalized email subject line using curiosity gap
The first aspect to note is that while we identify the core offering, we require the reader to open the email to see the discount range. If we had revealed a percentage “40% Off,” etc., we have lost some of the potential mystery, and we have provided some gratification. You could make the urge to open the email even stronger by utilizing the reader’s name.
Frank, All Our Running Shoe Prices Are So Low You Won’t Believe Your Eyes
Example of a personalized email subject line using curiosity gap
Harness Image ALT Text with Non-image Based Content to Drive Curiosity
Most subscribers to your email list won’t see your images by default, but don’t let this be a problem in your campaign. Instead, use ALT text as an additional location to provide value in regards to a strong call to action. While this is generally the last aspect designed in a marketing email, it is generally the first aspect of your brand that a reader sees after opening the email. Many times this is just a secondary consideration, if a consideration at all, but remember an unreadable “X” where images should be is downright worthless.
While using ALT text is important, it is also important for curiosity to limit the reader’s data to the bare minimum required. For example, if we have a banner that leads to a Nike sales landing page, we might use the ALT text of:
Crazy Low Prices on Nike Running Shoes
Example of Curiosity in Image ALT Text
We continue to drive information about the unrevealed content without giving away too much information, requiring the reader to either click through to the website or view the email images for more information.
Quality Curious Content & Calls To Action
While using curiosity gap strategies, you want to ensure you don’t lessen your brand by turning your email campaigns into a clickbait factory. A great way to accomplish this and develop your brand at the same time within email blasts is to connect with a reader’s needs and desires without a direct sales pitch in the main copy (main email text content). I prefer to call this a soft sale. What this entails is to mention how the product or service fills the reader’s needs or provides a valuable service without pitching the sale. If done correctly, the reader’s curiosity will be piqued and they will naturally seek to learn more and sell the product to themselves.
As with any strategy, a campaign should use a holistic approach. No campaign should be purely curiosity based, or purely sales driven. Finding and balancing that happy medium is what differentiates a business and a brand.
Still relying on outdated email tactics?
Before diving into the curiosity gap strategy, check out this short video that breaks down why most email marketing efforts are losing money — and how to fix it: How not to waste money with email marketing.
