💭 Curiosity Gap:
Increased interest when information is incomplete.
MorningBrew
Mid-email puzzles
Buzzfeed
Buzzfeed Hiding half an image
Hidden behind a paywall
When presented with obviously-incomplete information, people have a tendency to try and fill in the blanks.
People often even experience a craving to complete the information.
The human brain is keen to solve puzzles—for example, what is the car that people are so excited about below?
The wheels are a clue. You might not even care, but it's hard to not want to know.
This is why clickbait titles work so well.
Not the Knowledge Gap:
The Knowledge Gap refers to information that the user must know, in order to complete a task. i.e., a gap in their knowledge.The Curiosity Gap is more the tendency to find missing information, even if it's not necessary for them to solve. i.e., a curious omission, like a missing puzzle piece.
✅ Conversion rates
It can help people reach a non-financial goal, if there's an open loop (i.e., incomplete information). An example of this is retention on YouTube.
✅ Attention & interest
Open loops will often increase attention and interest, as people seek to solve the missing information.
✅ Effort & motivation
Complexity & understanding
To retain attention, MorningBrew will include a small puzzle in their emails.
As shown here: guess the logo.
At the end of the email, they provide an answer.
It's not a super novel puzzle, nor is it massively clickbaity. But it provides just enough curiosity for the user to continue scrolling (and hopefully, reading the email).
Buzzfeed will intentionally crop half of a tweet out of the thumbnail, but leave in enough that it grabs your attention.
Perhaps they'll also show the face of someone looking shocked.
The hope, is that you'll see half the tweet, and be curious enough to click on the full article.
You may even find it hard not to, because you crave completing that information.
LinkedIn will give you some information about who's viewed your profile, for free.
But then to see the individuals, you need to pay. The blurred profile pictures will tease their curiosity.
