The digital age has brought with it a lot of noise. If you're trying to get heard above it, trying to get your reader's attention, can be a huge challenge. We have had mobile devices for over a decade now but many businesses still don't put mobile first in their marketing strategy. Think about the tiny real estate someone has on their phone and how quickly what they see disappears when they scroll.
What is a Pattern Interrupt?
A pattern interrupt is a technique used to disrupt a person's habitual thought or behavior pattern, allowing for an opportunity to introduce new information or ideas.
The concept of pattern interrupts comes from the field of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), which studies the relationship between language, behavior, and cognitive processes. By disrupting the flow of a person's usual thought processes, pattern interrupts create a brief moment of heightened attention, making the individual more receptive to new information.
So when it comes to the noise on social media, for example, a pattern interrupt is a tactic that stops the users scroll.
In the context of digital marketing, this method of grabbing attention ensures that your message stands out in a crowded online marketplace.
That's something to love. And to master.
Let's explore the concept of pattern interrupts, why they work, and how online digital marketers can leverage them to enhance their marketing efforts.
By using interruption tactics, brands can create buyer engagement and trigger events that prompt action from their customers. This works because our brains are wired to seek out patterns, which helps us make sense of the world around us and navigate our environment more efficiently.
But, this reliance on patterns also means that we can become desensitized to stimuli that we encounter repeatedly, leading to a decrease in attention and engagement.
A decrease in engagement is not good if we are trying to work with and cajole algorithms to boost our posts or videos. By interrupting familiar patterns, we can jolt our audience out of autopilot mode, making them more receptive to our message.
Research in cognitive psychology suggests that pattern interrupts enhance attention and learning by activating the release of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which plays a critical role in the brain's reward and motivation systems.
With that in mind, let's look at some tactics that you can use among text to break the monotony and stop the scroll...
How to use Pattern Interrupts in your online marketing strategy
Create unexpected headlines: When crafting headlines for your blog posts, social media updates, or email subject lines, try to break away from the norm and use language or phrasing that will pique curiosity. Use questions, bold statements, or surprising statistics to draw your audience in.
Experiment with visuals: In a world where visual content is king, using unexpected or unconventional images, graphics, or videos can help to grab attention quickly. This can be especially effective on platforms like Instagram or Pinterest, where visuals are the primary focus. Animated GIFs are also a really powerful way to pattern interrupt.
Change the format: If you typically share content in one format (e.g., blog posts, videos, or podcasts), every now and then switch things up to surprise your audience and keep them engaged. For example, you could create an infographic or host a live Q&A session if that's not your usual way to interact with your audience.
Tell a story: Storytelling is a powerful way to engage your audience and keep them interested. By weaving a narrative into your content, you can create an emotional connection with your followers, making them more likely to remember your message and share it with others.
Leverage humor: Humor can be an effective pattern interrupt, as it breaks through the noise and creates a positive emotional response. Be mindful of your audience's preferences and cultural sensitivities, and use humor in a way that aligns with your brand's voice and messaging.
Use personal anecdotes: Sharing personal experiences or stories can help to humanize your brand and create a deeper connection with your audience. By breaking the pattern of impersonal, sales-focused content, you can foster trust and loyalty among your followers.
Trigger events are a great way to start the interruption process. These could be anything from breaking news to a special offer that is only available for a limited time. Once you have identified your trigger event, it's time to use it as a pattern interrupt.
Of these seven interrupts, storytelling has a lot of power. By starting with an unexpected or intriguing statement, you can hook your audience and keep them engaged throughout the entire message. This works well with a hook that begins in the middle of a story. This is a technique that experienced TED Talk speakers use to instantly capture their audience's attention.
By breaking familiar patterns, you can jolt your audience out of autopilot mode and create buyer engagement, and trigger events that prompt action from your customers. Start with a compelling narrative so you can draw your reader in and keep them engaged throughout your content.
Remember, in a world where everyone is scrolling with their thumbs, it's the unexpected moments that can make all the difference. But it's not just about creating interruptions for the sake of it.
Successful pattern interrupts must be relevant to your brand and add value to your customers' experience. This is where knowing your Target Audience is important. By understanding their pain points and motivations, you can create interruption tactics that resonate with them on a deeper level.
Dove's "Real Beauty" campaign
For years, beauty ads had followed the same pattern - showing impossibly thin, airbrushed models. Well, Dove decided to mix things up and interrupt that pattern by creating a campaign that showcased real, everyday women instead.
In 2004, Dove launched an ad that showed "real women" of different shapes, sizes, and ages. The ad aimed to redefine what true beauty means.
This pattern interrupt campaign was incredibly successful at getting attention and sparking conversation. It positioned Dove as a brand that celebrated all kinds of beauty, in contrast to other brands focused on unattainable ideals.
The "Real Beauty" campaign went on to include a series of ads, forum discussions, and even a documentary film - all featuring "real women" and aimed at challenging stereotypical images of beauty.
The results for Dove were significant. The brand experienced a major boost in sales, grew its market share considerably, and strengthened its emotional connection with consumers - especially women. The "Real Beauty" campaign helped transform Dove's image and brand perception.
So by interrupting the usual pattern of thin, airbrushed models in beauty ads, Dove's campaign stood out, grabbed attention, sparked thought-provoking discussion, and ultimately aligned well with Dove's brand values.
Are you starting to think about your brand values and how you can use them with a pattern interrupt?
Don't do these:
Being too gimmicky
Some pattern interrupts are just style over substance, aimed at grabbing attention for attention's sake. Make sure your campaign has a meaningful message that aligns with your brand values.
Failing to explain the idea
Don't just interrupt patterns without explaining the thinking behind your campaign. Otherwise, people may find it bizarre or irritating rather than thought-provoking. Provide context and rationale for your different approach.
Not following through
A successful pattern interrupt is just the first step. You'll still need compelling marketing messages, products, and experiences to engage consumers on a deeper level. Focus on the full customer journey, not just the initial interruption.
Being too disruptive
Choosing a pattern interrupt that's overly extreme or annoying can backfire. Test different options to find an intriguing approach without being off-putting. Target the right level of disruption for your brand and audience.
Using a one-time gimmick
Aim for a pattern interrupt campaign that you can build and expand over time. Look for interruptions that tie into your long-term marketing strategy and brand positioning.
Failing to connect to real values
Avoid interruptions that feel contrived or inauthentic. Make sure your campaign grows from your brand's core strengths and connects to something your audience truly cares about.
The key is to find a sweet spot where your pattern interrupt is noticeable and thought-provoking, without being gimmicky, extreme, or irrelevant. Creating the right amount of curiosity and intrigue can pay off for your brand - if you follow through with real substance that backs up the interruption.
This is not what happened with New Coke.
A bad idea
New Coke - Coca-Cola's infamous 1985 launch.
In 1985, Coca-Cola introduced "New Coke" - a reformulation of its classic soft drink - in an attempt to compete with the growing popularity of Pepsi. The company saw this as a potential pattern interrupt that could shake up the cola wars.
However, the "New Coke" launch turned into a marketing disaster for the brand.
Big time.
Coke loyalists were outraged by the change and launched a massive backlash. Consumers complained, boycotted New Coke, and demanded the return of the original formula.
Coke had failed to anticipate how attached people were to the brand's history and tradition. The reformulation disturbed customers rather than intrigued them. The pattern interrupt just felt like an unnecessary disruption, not an improvement.
So after just 79 days, Coca-Cola scrapped New Coke and re-launched the original Coca-Cola formula under the name "Coca-Cola Classic." The brand seriously misjudged consumers' loyalty to the patterns and habits associated with the original Coke product.
This example shows why it's so risky for heritage brands to try pattern interrupts that involve significant changes to their core product. You have to deeply understand your audience's motivations, rituals, and emotional connections to avoid alienating loyal customers.
For Coca-Cola, the "New Coke" fiasco damaged the brand's image and boosted rival Pepsi's market share for a time. It serves as a cautionary tale of how difficult - and potentially costly - it can be for an established brand to successfully interrupt longstanding patterns and relationships.
If you don't have a monster brand, like Coca-Cola, you can still affect what branding you have, even a personal one.
So, now you have several ideas you can use, and you know what not to do, let's cover some ways to maximize a pattern interrupt campaign, and make it more engaging—a real knockout:
Don't just tell a story. Tell a compelling story. Capture people's attention with an intriguing narrative that holds meaning for your audience. Show how your brand can help write a better story in their lives.
Spark discussion. Provoke questions and dialogue that tie into important issues or topics. Get people talking about your brand in a positive light.
Show humanity and authenticity. Connect your brand's interruption to real people and genuine emotions. Show you understand your customers' struggles and desires. This is huge!
Engage the senses. Use sensory details, vivid imagery, creative copy, and unusual formats that stimulate people's imagination and interest.
Deliver experiences, not just ads. Go beyond traditional marketing to create interactive campaigns, events, simulations, games, etc. that bring your brand's interruption to life.
Go deep, not just wide. Don't just interrupt patterns to grab attention - dive into the insights and issues that truly matter to your target audience. Show your substance.
Build over time. Develop your pattern interrupt into an ongoing campaign with multiple phases, content pieces, and stories that build on each other. Keep audience interest and engagement rising.
Involve influencers. Partner with relevant bloggers, advocates, niche media, and other third-party voices to spread and reinforce your message through more trusted channels.
Foster sharing. Make your pattern interrupt shareable and discussable across social networks. The more people talk about it, the more it can penetrate habits and mindsets.
As you can see pattern interrupt goes way beyond just an ad or an Instagram reel – these tactics should be embedded in your marketing strategies and marketing plan. They should generate not just notice and novelty, but also meaning, insight, and ongoing engagement with your brand and products over time.
Focus on forging an authentic emotional connection that captivates and inspires your target audience.
When your audience knows that you care about them, then they will care about you. What you put out on the interwebs should always be of value. And think about it, if your content is that good, shouldn't you be doing everything you can to stop your viewer's scroll? They need what you have, right? You need to stand out. Your content needs to stand out.
So...
Always give value
The ultimate goal of using pattern interrupts is not just to grab attention but to deliver value to your audience. Use these tactics strategically to enhance the effectiveness of your marketing efforts and ultimately drive conversions.
Experiment
As with all marketing you want to experiment and test to see what works.
Test unexpected headlines, visuals, formats, storytelling, humor, personal anecdotes, and trigger events to keep your audience engaged and interested in your content, but remember to be mindful of your brand's voice and messaging when using these tactics.
Mastering the Art
So, if you want to stand out in today's crowded digital landscape, mastering the art of the pattern interrupt is essential. Use visuals, storytelling, and relevance to create meaningful interruptions that will capture your audience's attention and keep them engaged with your brand.
And remember that the key to success with pattern interrupts lies in balance.
Use them sparingly and thoughtfully to maximize their impact, and avoid overusing them to the point of becoming predictable. Experiment, analyze, and iterate to find the right mix of pattern interrupts that works best for your brand and audience.
Now, go out there are stop that scroll!!!