A Twitter buddy of mine influenced me to take the triggering tidbits blogger challenge and I must say that it has worked wonders for my creativity! I recommend trying this exercise for anyone who needs a spark of creativity to create content, whether it is a press release, a blog post or more. Here’s how it works:
A “triggering tidbit” is nothing more than a piece of unusual or little-known piece of information which bloggers for business can use in their posts, tying that information to explanations of their own company’s products, services, and culture in order to capture online readers’ interest. – via Rhoda Israelov over at Say It For You.
Rhoda suggests using Mental Floss magazine to find these tidbits, and detail who might use each tidbit in blogging for their business. Then, develop a blog post by writing around that tidbit of information. Use that tidbit to clarify the way one of your products work, or why one of the services you provide is particularly effective in solving a problem.
Here are four interesting tidbits I found:
Tidbit #1: The word “upset” came into use for a surprise outcome when a horse named Upset became the first to ever beat the legendary Man O’ War.
Who might use this tidbit: Copywriters, bloggers or press release crafters who are looking for new and interesting terms or phrases to create and give new meaning in their writing. Instead of using buzzwords, creating a new meaning for a word or sometimes even creating a whole new word can make your writing irresistible. George Orwell did it.
Tidbit #2: Most supermarkets place their bakery areas near the entrance, because studies have shown that the aroma of fresh-baked goods makes customers spend more money.
Who might use this tidbit: Supermarkets, convenience stores, and delis might all try this tip to increase sales. If a business is not in food service, this still sparks the idea of putting your most tantalizing product in front of your prospects sooner rather than later to tease their eyes or ears. For example, a music artist putting their best single on the front page of their website with a 30-second preview, or a retail store putting their most colorful clothes in the window.
Tidbit #3: Hawaiian Punch was originally developed in 1934 as a tropical flavored ice cream topping.
Who might use this tidbit: Businesses who are looking to put a new angle on their product. This is often done in press releases to make news more unusual or interesting: by creating a new angle not thought of before that can be extended to more audiences. Repurposing a product for a different use is just one example of doing this.
Tidbit #4: Hawaii is the most geographically isolated land mass in the world.
Who might use this tidbit: Small to large businesses who are trying to target their consumers should consider their geographic region. Can consumers easily find and access you without hassle? If not, make yourself accessible through a presence on popular social media platforms and the web to expand your market.
….and voila! That blog post pretty much wrote itself. I could title it: “4 ways any biz can attract more customers,” “Why thinking outside the box can get you more visibility,” or “Through the looking glass: 4 customer perspectives you might not have considered.”
Try the triggering tidbits challenge for your business and share your discoveries with us in the comments section below.
