Made-Ya-Read Trivia in Content Marketing

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I know I’m not alone in enjoying trivia. In fact, through my work in content marketing, I’ve developed the theory that readers’ curiosity is triggered when they’re presented with “idea bytes”. In fact, when it comes to blog content, I like to say, trivia is hardly a trivial matter. There are at least four ways trivia can be used to keep content fresh:

  •  defining basic terminology
  • sparking curiosity about the subject
  • putting modern-day practices and beliefs into perspective
  • explaining why the business owner or practitioner chooses to operate in a certain way

Of course, blog content needs to be about much more than trivia tidbits. The tidbit is simply the jumping-off point for the message. Almost two years ago, in the 2023 Almanac for Farmers & City Folk, I’d come across an article, spending the next couple of blog posts suggesting ways in which different types of business or professional practices might use the trivia I found in that article.  The piece happened to be about (of all things!) antlers on deer.

  • The fact that every spring male deer grow themselves a new set of antlers might be used by a company selling fire extinguishers, water filters or dried herbs, each of which should be replaced at least once a year.
  • The fact that Chinese medicine has used antlers for thousands of years to support bone health could inspire a blog for an orthopedic medical practice – or a vitamin supplement manufacturer.
  • The fact that deer use their antlers to compete with each other for mates and territory might be mentioned in a martial arts studio’s blog.
  • Since antlers fill an ecological role (once shed, they become an important source of calcium and other minerals to a variety of small animals) those facts might be used by any company to show ways in which they are environmentally aware.

Where, other than a Farmer’s Almanac, do you find trivia? Everywhere, actually – magazines, newspapers, TV, social media sites – you name it. One of my favorite sources is MentalFloss.com. Here are just a few of their recent gems and possible content uses for each:

  • Before he became president, Abraham Lincoln was a wrestling champion. (Personal trainer? Gym? Physical therapist?)
  • Frederick Bauer invented the Pringles can. When he passed away in 2008, his ashes were buried in one. (Snack food company? Funeral home?)
  • The 100 folds in a chef’s toque are said to represent 100 ways to cook an egg. (Grocery store? Cooking school? Home meal delivery service?)
  • The mobile phone throwing world championships are held in Finland. (Phone vendor? Travel company?)

No, you can’t make ’em buy. But in online marketing, it all starts with “made-ya-look” content.

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Using “Did-You-Knows” to Suggest “Don’t-You-Wants?”

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Did you know that a) Asia is bigger than the moon? b) Alaska is the westernmost, easternmost, and northernmost state in the U.S.? c) Maine is the closest state to Africa? These are just three of the “facts that will change how you look at the world“.

As a blog content writer, I find seemingly “useless” tidbits of information extraordinarily useful for capturing readers’ interest, adding variety and fun. But much more than that, I teach at Say It For You, tidbits can be used to: 1. describe your way of doing business 2. clarify the way one of your products works 3.explain why a service you provide is particularly effective in solving a problem 4. Debunk myths about your business or profession.

For all these reasons, in corporate blogging training sessions, I often recommend including interesting tidbits on topics related to your business (or, if you’re a freelance blog content writer, related to the client’s business). If you can provide information most readers wouldn’t be likely to know, so much the better, because that information helps engage online readers’ interest.

The big caveat, however, when using tidbits and unusual facts is that the information has to be tied to the readers’ problem or need. Why does the business owner or practitioner care about the information? Why will the info potentially make a difference to readers? The secret is creating a clear thought path from the fascinating facts to the benefits online readers stand to gain.

For example, a travel agency blog might use the fact that Maine is the state closest to Africa to promote a tour of Quoddy Head Light, a quaint Maine lighthouse located at the easternmost point of the United States.

A travel agency might also spark interest in travel to Asia using that tidbit about the continent being bigger than the moon. But there could be marketing power in that fact for other enterprises as well. Because the brain perceives the moon as being farther away when it is high in the sky and closer when it is near the horizon, appearing larger when viewed through trees or buildings, Krisztian Komandi blogs in medium.com about the influence of optical illusions on business decisions. A fashion blog can explain how certain fabric cuts make the waist appear more chiseled.

A little-known fact can become the jumping-off point for blog marketing content.

 

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So What’s My State’s Insect?

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Imagine – up until five years ago, Indiana was one of only three states with no state insect! Chronicled by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, legislation was signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb rectifying the situation, naming the Say’s Firefly our insect of choice after students in several Posey County and West Lafayette schools wrote proposals and collected signatures while learning about the legislative process. As things turned out, not only is the Angled Candle Firefly native to Indiana, it’s named after Hoosier Thomas Say, father of American Zoology.

Ever on the search for fascinating factoids to spice up marketing content, I found mention of Firefly in the book What Makes Flamingos Pink by Bill McClain. (The cover describes the tome as “a colorful collection of Q & A’s for the unquenchably curious”, which is precisely the trait we treasure at Say It For You ).Fascinating tidbits of information lend variety to blog posts, and can be used to spark interest, to help describe the products and services offered by the business or practice, and even to clarify owners’ point of view.

The thing about tidbits, though, is they need to matter to the reader. Plus, I’ve learned over the years, there needs to be a back story. Skimming through the McClain book, my eye was caught by the statement “Every state in the United States has a state insect.” So, what’s my state’s insect? I immediately wanted to know. Still, absent the wonderful back story about students gathering signatures to support their choice of a name to propose to the legislature, I would have lost further interest in the subject of state insects.

I often recommend including interesting information on topics related to your business (or, if you’re a freelance blog content writer, related to your client’s business). If you can provide information most readers wouldn’t be likely to know, we teach at Say It For You, so much the better. But there has to be a “back story” showing a) why the information matters to the owner or to the history of the business and b) showing how the information might matter to the reader..

Tie In Tidbits and “So What’s” in Blogging for Business

So what’s MY state insect? And, what was “the deal” with MY state finally getting on board?

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Did-You-Know Content Teasers

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Tidbits of information can turn into content marketing treasure, we’ve learned over the years at Say It For You. Did-you-know content “teasers” not only spark interest when used in blog post titles, but can be used to describe your way of doing business, clarify the way one of your products works, or explain why one of the services you provide is particularly effective in solving a problem. A recent edition of the Farmer’s Almanac Gardener’s Guide proves my point…

  • Heirloom varieties of kidney, navy, and pinto beans, once considered a subsistence food (what you ate when the cupboards were bare) are now considered “gourmet”. Do not add nitrogen to the soil, because legumes “fix” nitrogen from the air around their roots.

Business owners and professionals stay abreast of trends in their fields by subscribing to trade journals and consumer magazines, scouring websites and newspapers, and by talking to colleagues and customers about the “latest and greatest”. Content readers, on the other hand, largely expect their service and product providers to have done all that work for them, keeping them up-to-date on trends and putting the information into perspective.

  • White asparagus is simply green asparagus that has been grown in the dark (sometimes under black plastic), because plants turn green only when their chlorophyll is exposed to sunlight.

(There are actually three different varieties of asparagus – green, white, and purple, each with a unique flavor.) Offering little known facts and explanations related to your own topic can engage readers’ interest, enticing blog visitors to keep coming back.

  • “Stand-ins” include Mexican mint marigold (stand-in for tarragon), lovage stand-in for celery), Vietnamese coriander (stand-in for cilantro) and salad burnet (substitute for cucumber).

Offering helpful hints is a way of engaging visitors through your blog articles. Find complementary businesses or practices, I advise content writers, asking those business owners or practitioners for tips they can offer for you to pass along to your readers. The best tips and hints, I added, are related to some a topic currently trending in the news, especially one affecting your industry.

 

  • Hummingbirds need an enormous amount of food relative to their size, so it may not be so much a matter of variety of plants but the quantity that attracts them.

In content marketing, quantity counts. It is difficult to get “traction” with an inconsistent or slow content publication schedule,; the “frequency illusion” refers to the fact that the more times time readers are exposed to your message, the more of a presence you will have in their minds.

  • All plants have specific needs pertaining to the amount of sun and water, type of soil, and growing space. Poor placement causes problems.

Find the right niche for your blog. When you demonstrate your own passion for a topic, readers will be more invested in what you have to say, Semrush.com advises new blog content creators.

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Blogging the Buck by the Horns

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This week’s Say It For You two blog posts are inspired by the 2023 Almanac for Farmers & City Folk…..

From the fascinating article “Shed Meds”, I learned that “sheds”, or deer antlers, are used for making not only buttons, lamps, knife handles, and dog chews, but are in world-wide demand for use in medical research. Of course, at Say It For You, I’ve long touted the advantages of using trivia in blogging for business. Trivia can help spark curiosity and interest in readers, at the same time helping business owners and professionals explain what they do and how they believe it should best be done.

I’m going to suggest ways in which different types of businesses or practices might use the trivia I found in this article, at the same time reminding readers that in blog posts, trivia are just jumping-off points for the main message…

  • Every spring mail deer, as well as elk, moose, and caribous, grow themselves a new set of antlers
    This fact might be used in a blog by a company selling fire extinguishers, water filters, or dried herbs, each of which should be replaced at least once a year.

  • Chinese medicine has used antlers for thousands of years to support bone health.
    This tidbit could inspire a blog for an orthopedic medical practice – or a vitamin supplement manufacturer.

  • Deer use their antlers to compete with each other for mates and territory.
    This information could be used in a martial arts studio’s blog.

  • Antlers fill an ecological role, because once they are shed, they become an important source of calcium and other minerals to a variety of small animals such as squirrels, mice, and porcupines.
    Any business might use this tidbit in their blog to demonstrate ways in which they are environmentally aware.

  • Rustic antler buttons are often used to adorn crunchy, hand-knitted sweaters and coats..
    Fashion boutiques and craft shops might feature this fact in their blog.

Use trivia to blog your buck by the horns!

 

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