The curiosity gap is the space between what we know and what we want or even need to know.
Curiosity is a stronger driving force than fear of loss and desire for economic gain.
Think Pandoraās Box. Think Eve. Think of Lotās wife turning back to look, even though she knew the punishment was death. Think of every cliffhanger sinceĀ Scheherazadeās 1,001 nights. Think of those Upworthy headlines everybody whines about now (but I continue to love).
Not knowing everything yet is intriguing for people. We need to connect the dots. We need to bridge gaps.
For marketers, using the curiosity gap generally means:Introducing something new that our existing knowledge or previous experiences canāt explain; similar to cognitive dissonanceStarting a story, pausing at a climactic moment, and delaying the conclusion of withholding key information for a manageable period of time (but not too long, which can deflate curiosity)Introducing an idea, action or conceptā¦ and connecting it with an unexpected outcome or subject