In the world of short form video content, where attention spans are short and competition is fierce, understanding the psychology behind engaging content is crucial. We don’t just want to stop that thumb scroll and capture the target audience, we want to retain them for long enough to make the sale.
How can we do this? Emotions. Humor. Controversy. Downright weird stuff.
By incorporating psychological techniques into your videos, you can drive viewers to stay engaged. In this post, we explore how to use psychology effectively in your UGC videos to create content that compels viewers to take action.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PURPOSEFUL MISTAKES
HUMOR
CONTROVERSY
WEIRD STUFF
NEGATIVE HOOKS
Purposeful Mistakes
One powerful technique to capture viewers’ attention is through purposeful mistakes.
By intentionally incorporating typos or errors in your captions or videos, you can pique curiosity and elicit comments from viewers eager to correct you. Mistakes in ads have a higher chance of going viral. People are a*sholes. We love making fun of other people’s mistakes. An ad with a typo, misused apostrophe, or with a misquote can skyrocket a brand. Even just a simple math mistake. 16+16=42. Let people correct you.
So how do you use this as a UGC creator? Offer an additional hook. You’ve got your brand approved script and you’re good to go, but why not give the brand the stats on misspellings and intentional errors and offer to record a variation with a slight change. Let them run an A/B test. If you’ve never tested it yourself before, offer the variation to the brand free of charge and use it as a case study.
Humor
Humor has always been a potent tool for capturing people’s attention, and it’s no different for UGC. Let’s face it, some products are DRY. Toilet paper isn’t always interesting or engaging, but producing a video that includes a dash of humor can make boring products entertaining. That’s a win for elevating brand awareness and promoting your products, but humor goes farther than that.
Using humor can help humanize a brand. It can create an emotional connection between the consumer and a company, product, or service.
People also generally like people who can make them laugh: a funny ad can help a consumer subconsciously like a brand, and aids in building trust with viewers.
Humor works because laughter releases endorphins that make us feel good. Happy viewers are more likely to purchase.
Controversy
While treading the line carefully, leveraging controversy can be a highly effective method to engage viewers. By highlighting an unpopular opinion or initiating a debate, you can stimulate lively discussions in the comments section.
This could be in the form of a polarizing comment, eg your pillowcase is killing you, or a sexual innuendo that makes people stop.
Or, you could go ahead and just drop some food on the floor and then eat it.
1. Do something gross
— Alex Cooper (@alexgoughcooper) June 20, 2023
I don’t know if @binghott purposely dropped the popcorn on the floor, picked it up and ate it.
But if he did, he’s a genius.
Because he had half of the comment section talking about it. pic.twitter.com/S9cWx4Bx4B
Weird Stuff
Unconventional and unexpected elements can be magnets for engagement. For example, something moving in the background on it’s own (aka really bloody spooky), weird sounds coming from another room or changing clothes.
Negative Hooks
Negative hooks are intriguing statements or angles that highlight potential problems, mistakes, or misconceptions, designed to pique the curiosity of the audience. While it may seem counterintuitive to focus on the negative aspects, these hooks have a unique power.
They often leave a lasting impact on viewers due to their unique perspective. They stand out from conventional content and are more likely to be shared among social circles, fostering word-of-mouth promotion. The element of surprise or the challenge posed by negative hooks makes them shareable and sparks discussions, leading to increased visibility and engagement for the content.
A killer ad from @DrSquatchSoapCo using negatives…
— UGC Factory (@UgcFactory) July 14, 2023
They use “negative” hooks to :
1) Capture attention
2) Speak to audience’s pain point
3) Show social proof pic.twitter.com/yXFMinFvOE
🚀 Get Good, Get Paid
Mastering the psychology of short form videos is a powerful skill that can significantly boost your engagement and success as a UGC creator. By incorporating purposeful mistakes, humor, controversy, and unconventional elements, you can create videos that captivate and compel viewers to engage with your content.
With these techniques in your repertoire, you’ll be well on your way to UGC success.
