Wheeling them in with promises you keep
I recommend this post from http://www.copyblogger.com/ on how to capture an audience's attention because it is not merely a matter of gimmicks. It includes some key points of engaging content that include making it personal and not stripping out emotion. Don't skip the comments, which contribute further insight. I've copied some of them below. These follow a comment on an anecdote in which no one came to watch the show until the manager wrote "Free beer" on the door.
This works, but only as long as there’s actual beer! I see way too many people using these kinds of attention-grabbers without actually following through on what they promise. If you offer free beer (or free business advice, or whatever), and then bait-and-switch people with a singing frog, all you’re going to get is a bunch of dissatisfied visitors.
- Excellent point! Delivering on promises made is is imperative to establishing and maintaining credibility.Conveying sincerity hinges upon credibility, and sincerity is generally the best way to capture a prospects attention. If people believe you’re earnest, you’ve got a food in the door. But fail to deliver, and you’ve probably burned a bridge.
