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Curiosity: How To Capture Client Attention

August 4, 2024

Tyler Suomala

Founder of Growthitect

It’s the weekend. You’re relaxing on the couch, casually scrolling your feed.

Picture, post, picture, video, life update, picture, post…

But then, a headline stops your scroll:

“10 Incredible Tiny Homes with Big Surprises Inside”

Curiosity piqued, you click. And the headline didn’t let you down. Each tiny home has something ridiculous inside - a jacuzzi, a mini theater, a recording studio, on and on…

Who’s the company behind your engagement? BuzzFeed, of course.

They’ve built a $100MM media empire leveraging one powerful behavior - curiosity.

They’re masters of the curiosity-driven headline that pulls you in and won’t let go.

I know, I know…you’re not writing about viral sensations or celebrity antics. But architects can still tap into the same magic.

The stories behind your projects are ripe for more attention from future clients. Let’s talk about how you can get it.

What is curiosity-driven content?

Curiosity-driven content stops the scroll. It’s designed to spark interest and engage your audience.

How? By leveraging the natural human desire to seek out new information and resolve uncertainty. This type of content often teases a story, challenge, or mystery that invites people to learn more.

If the content delivers on the promise, then you continue to add fuel to your conversion engine.

Why is it helpful for architects?

While other architects post dry, jargon-heavy content that celebrates their own accomplishments…you’ll reel in more future clients.

By leveraging curiosity, you’ll benefit from:

Differentiation: It sets your firm apart by showcasing your problem-solving skills and creativity rather than just finished projects and awards.
Engagement: Keeps potential clients interested and engaged with your content, increasing the likelihood they'll consider your services.
Storytelling: Allows you to tell the story behind your work, highlighting your expertise and unique approach to design challenges.
Emotional Connection: Builds a connection with your audience by tapping into their emotions and curiosity, making you far more memorable.

How to make curiosity-driven content

Alright, enough theory. Let’s dive into some actionable steps.

01 // Find the unique challenge

Start by identifying interesting aspects of your projects that aren't immediately obvious. Here are three places to look:

Project outcomes: Look back at your portfolio. What unexpected successes or wild transformations occurred? Look at your portfolio and identify projects with interesting stories or unexpected challenges.
Project process: Think about the journey of each project. Which ones had unexpected challenges and unusual solutions. Consider the problems encountered and how your team’s creatively overcame them.
Client constraints: Every project comes with a set of boundaries. Which constraints required you to explore innovative solutions or rethink relationships?

For example, maybe there’s a past residential project with poor soil conditions that required a unique foundation design. Or a retail renovation that didn’t demo any walls but still transformed the experience.

All good? Moving on.

02 // Craft your headline

This is the scroll stopper. What can you say that will be so interesting that your ideal clients can’t help but click it? Here are three strategies:

Use trigger words: Incorporate words that spark curiosity, like "secret," "mystery," "surprising," "hidden", or “unexpected.”
Ask a question: Frame the headline as a question that your content will answer. This taps into everyone’s desire to resolve the open loop.
Include numbers or lists: People are drawn to numbers because they promise specific, digestible information.

For example:

The Unexpected Way We Built A Dream Home On Shaky Ground
3 Design Hacks We Used to Revamp This Store Without Removing Walls

The juices are flowin’ now, right?

03 // Tease the story

Whether it’s a blog, social media post, or email, you always have a little bit of space in your caption to provide context. Here are three ways to leverage curiosity:

Provide incomplete information: Give just enough detail to make the audience interested but leave the full story untold until they engage further.
Create a narrative arc: Start with the challenge or problem, hint at the complexity or stakes, and then stop short of revealing the solution.
Use visuals: Incorporate intriguing images or diagrams that hint at the story behind the design. (Contrast is great for this…)

For example:

Unstable soil threatened to derail this dream home, but a clever secret kept it on track. Here’s what we did.
Who says you need a hammer to transform a space? Here are three game-changing design hacks that made it possible.

04 // Deliver on your promise

This is actually the most important step. Why? Because if you don’t deliver value then all your work up to this point was just click-bait. And your audience is going to leave with a sour taste in their mouth. Here’s how to leave them satisfied:

Reveal the solution: Don’t leave them hanging. You’ve got their attention, now deliver on the promise. Share the solution and the benefits.
Offer insights or lessons learned: Share takeaways or lessons that can help your audience. This will establishes you as the expert and provide value beyond the story itself.
Encourage action: Never miss an opportunity to generate a valuable client lead. Invite visitors to contact you for similar solutions, or offer access to a lead magnet that expands on the topic.

TL;DR

Curiosity might have killed the cat, but it can definitely bring in new clients. Leverage curiosity to craft content that hooks people in and keeps them wanting more.

Here’s how: