I live near the Flatiron Building in Manhattan. I was walking to work a few days ago and I happened to look up to see a man standing precariously on the edge of a building. “What the F….?!?!?” I watched for a few moments and realized that it was a statue. “Fantastic!” I thought, and snapped a photo.

The next day I was looking for him again, and I realized that he was not alone. There are figures placed on the tops of buildings all around Madison Square Park… 31 to be exact. It’s the newest installation in the on-going art series “Mad. Sq. Art”. These rotating public installations continually surprise and delight me. They make me pause in my usual manic city travel and investigate. I want to see what I might be overlooking, I want to learn more either on site or through the web, and I share the experience with everyone.

   
 

One of the great things about the “real” world is the never ending stream of discovery you experience simply walking around. When enter a store, even for a specific item, you will be hard pressed to ignore all the other things vying for your attention (that’s called merchandising).  Sometimes, in the digital world, we become so focused on the main message, we forget that this chance discovery can be an effective way to engage your audience. It appeals to our basic human nature. 

Clearly there are going to be many times when you will need to put your message or information out in a straightforward simple way. But if you are creating consumer touch points, don’t underestimate the ability for a little surprise and indirect messaging to engage your audience. People are naturally curious, and anytime you can pique that curiosity, you’ve got a hook. So think about adding some hidden interaction to your website or banner ads. Perhaps create some surprising visuals to surround your message, something that seems completely unrelated but will get your viewers interested and lead them to spend more time with your brand. This tactic may not always be a direct contributor to sales, but it will strengthen the connection to your brand. The longer you can keep the user engaged, the more opportunities you have to embed your brand or message into their thoughts.

It’s easy to see the power of “wow”: getting attention through some massive tactic, but often the ones that are the most engaging, rely on the power of “what?” Like the art in Madison Square Park, it is the little gems you seek out that create the strongest impressions. You don’t necessarily have to use a big rock to make a big splash.  Just think about what you can do to delight your audience. What small thing can you add to your website that will make them want to explore further or stay longer? It could be as simple as excellent copywriting adding depth to otherwise ordinary menu items. Or perhaps it’s a navigation paradigm that leads users to information in a unique and fun way. These little flourishes should not distract your user from their path, but instead should add a little extra something to their experience.

Curiosity may have killed the cat, but its king of engagement. Surprise me. Delight me. Engage me.