Feed Your Head to Improve Your Content Marketing Strategy

Your brain and content: neuroscience isn’t just for laboratories anymore

When researchers scanned volunteers’ heads to get a reading on the brain’s 100 billion neurons, it’s doubtful they were thinking, “This is your brain. This is your brain on really good content marketing”.

Just because they didn’t say it, though, doesn’t mean content marketers can’t. In fact, with a constantly growing pool of information about the three-pound organ between our ears, chances are, discoveries will be applied to more and more fields—including content marketing.

While many national and global brands have big budgets to for research, it’s possible for smaller companies to make excellent use of what’s already known.

The brain is a bit emotional

The human brain is a treasure trove of emotions, both positive and negative—a culmination of a lifetime of learning. Whether they’re stored on the surface or filed deep down, they’re all in there, waiting to be tapped.

Content that’s able to reach that resource immediately makes a connection with the consumer. As a result, the consumer is more likely to retain and absorb the content in front of him or her.

This is probably a good place for a bacon reference. Imagine that it’s Saturday morning and you have a chance to sleep in. As you’re balancing between sleep and awake, you notice the scent of something familiar and delicious.

Someone is in the kitchen preparing breakfast. You think of the incredible breakfasts your grandmother used to make. You can hear the sizzle of bacon in the frying pan, imagine it dancing in the heat, and smell that mouth-watering, juicy goodness.

Boom –you’re awake and hungry.

The brain likes to be stroked

Since the dawn of time, the human brain has developed into the organ that keeps us alive. When it senses danger, it provides us the choice of fight or flight. When it senses comfort and understanding, it’s able to relax and absorb.

Content marketing that can help consumers feel good about their emotional and/or physical well-being is more likely to be taken in. Anything that seems abrasive or threatening is more likely to be ignored, forgotten, or clicked away.

The brain likes familiarity

When people go into the world, their brains are constantly taking in information and putting it into some kind of order that makes sense. By recognizing patterns, people generally feel more comfortable and at ease. They’re able to take in more and not have to spend too much energy trying to decipher the messages.

Imagine the confusion when a supermarket changes the location of a product, such as bacon. Shoppers wander around in a fog and mumble, “It was better the old way”.

Where content marketing is concerned, consumers do not want a new experience each time they visit a website or blog. Familiarity—and comfort—is created through consistency in fonts, graphics, images, and color choice. Not to mention, it does wonders for your branding, too.

The brain likes it simple

If you want an easy way to shut down the brain, use a horrible font, complex and confusing graphics, and too-long text blocks. The brain really doesn’t have time to decipher that much information.

Besides, it’s also intimidating—consumers are not middle school students reading a 200 page novel of single-spaced lines in order to get a good grade. As adults, they can simply cut class with a click.

The brain also likes surprises

As with any relationship, it’s always good to keep things interesting. Although the brain enjoys the comfort of familiarity, it also likes a little bit of spice. Sensible creativity with words and phrases makes the brain take notice and pay closer attention.

Think of it as Brussels sprouts. As part of a buffet, it’s easy to pass them by. Oven-roast them with bacon, and your taste buds stand at attention.

The brain likes strong content

ContentBacon likes content and bacon. You could say it’s always on our collective brains—and why we chose it as our company’s name.

Our team of writers and editors would like to help you create a content marketing strategy that’s good for you and also appeals to your clients’ brains. Contact us today at 1.800.748.5805 or complete our online form—we’ve got you covered!