How Stimulating Dopamine In Content Marketing Fuels Audience Engagement And Activity

byrichardgb

2.3K followers

10 months ago

I recently wrote about dopamine and mastery here at WA.

When writing that post, I started to wonder if dopamine could have an effect on readers and their interest in my posts.

I’ve been a student of the human brain and how our minds work for more than 45 years so far.

I’m surprised that I didn’t think to ask earlier if it’s possible to tap into the brain’s natural reward system to make marketing more effective!

I discovered that it’s something of a science!

A challenge that we all face with content marketing is encouraging high levels of audience engagement with our writing.

The level of engagement in turn triggers decisions and actions; the more our readers engage with our content, the more chance there is of them following our calls to take action.

The thing is that when you understand how to stimulate dopamine from within your posts, it can influence your audiences’ engagement and potential actions.

So here I explore how stimulating dopamine can create value in content that leads to anticipation—and why this matters for your bottom line.

What is Dopamine, and Why Does It Matter?

A quick recap is that dopamine is a neurotransmitter that drives goal-directed behaviour.

To clarify, behaviour implies some kind of activity, perhaps cognitive activity such as decision-making or physical activity such as clicking a buy button!

Dopamine is often released in response to experiences that the brain finds rewarding—like eating your favourite food, buying something you’ve wanted for a while, or achieving a goal.

But what I hadn’t realised, and a key point, is that the biggest dopamine spikes don’t happen when you achieve a reward.

They happen earlier—during anticipation.

So anticipation is what initially drives eventual action.

In marketing, then, this means your goal is, while delivering value, to make your audience expect more value, which, of course, you then have to deliver!

The Role of Dopamine in Content Marketing

As you know already, content marketing is about creating valuable, relevant information to attract and retain your audience.

But information alone is often not enough.

Researchers at UC Berkeley found that information, presented well, can trigger the brain’s reward system in the same way as food or money.

That means your content can literally stimulate dopamine release when done right.

The trick they discovered?

They found that by setting up your audience to expect value from your brand—whether it’s entertainment, insights, or practical advice—you activate their brain’s reward system, thus driving engagement and, ultimately, action.

How to Use Dopamine Principles in Your Marketing

Here are 3 examples of how to apply dopamine-driven strategies with internet marketing:

1. Build Anticipation Through Storytelling

I know this has been said many times.

When done right, storytelling has the power to hook your audience.

But how do you “do it right?”

With a little research, I came across the example of “The Most Interesting Man in the World” campaign by Dos Equis (a beer maker in the U.S.A.).

It was a video series of commercials featuring an adventurer whose exploits kept viewers going back for more.

Each commercial was built on the previous one, creating an ongoing story that viewers looked forward to.

Apparently, from 2008 to 2013, the Dos Equis campaign drove a 116% growth in the U.S.A. market, making them the fastest-growing beer brand at the time.

How to apply this:

• Use cliffhangers to build suspense, leaving the audience eager for the next “installment.”
• Make sure each piece of content delivers a small “reward” that triggers and stimulates an emotional connection, whether it’s a surprising fact or even a little humour.
• In single pieces of content or in a series of posts or videos, include a story line.

2. Email Marketing: Make Your Sender Name or Brand a Cue for Reward

Emails are essential in any marketing strategy, but how do you encourage people to open them?

They often open the first one then go silent!

The key is conditioning your audience to associate your emails with something valuable.

Your emails need to consistently deliver educational insights, entertaining content, or exclusive offers, and then your sender name or brand becomes a “cue” that signals to the reader that “there’s something good in here.”

Over time, this builds anticipation, increasing open rates and engagement.

How to apply this:

• Deliver consistent value in every email; create curiosity-triggering content.
• Use subject lines that hint at rewards without giving away too much.
• Over time, analyse what type of content your audience responds to best and double down on it.

3. Webinars and Beyond: Tease What’s to Come

As your confidence grows, you may want to deliver webinars and maximise attendance or downloads by generating curiosity beforehand.

Use teaser campaigns to hint at the value your audience will gain, creating excitement in the lead-up to the launch of a webinar.

How to apply this:

• Share sneak peeks of what you will cover over time.
• Ensure content delivers on its promises to reinforce your audience’s trust.
• Using countdowns or exclusive invitations can build anticipation for webinar launches.

Consistency + Anticipation = Loyalty

Building a lasting connection with your audience requires consistency.

When you deliver value regularly, you condition your audience to expect—and look forward to—your content.

This drives engagement and turns your brand into a trusted source of rewards.

A successful example is when Netflix releases a new season of a hit series.

Fans eagerly await the release date because they know to expect quality storytelling and entertainment.

Your brand can achieve the same effect by consistently delivering content that feels rewarding.

Practical Steps to Implement Dopamine-Driven Marketing

Ready to put this into action? Here’s how to start.

Understand Your Audience’s Desires

What does your audience value? Is it entertainment, knowledge, or practical tips? Ask them with surveys, evaluate feedback, and use analytics to find out what works.

Plan for Anticipation

Put a little thought into structuring your campaigns to build curiosity. Tell them what’s coming next without giving everything away.

Test and Learn

I know you’ve heard this before, but do you actually do it? Use A/B testing to see what types of content generate the most engagement. Experiment with subject lines, cliff-hangers and valuable content.

Stay Consistent

Deliver valuable content regularly to build trust and maintain anticipation.

Measure Your Success

Track metrics like email open rates, video views, and social media engagement to assess the impact of your dopamine-driven strategies.

FAQs

As I was editing this post, I asked myself a few questions: Do you have any other questions to add?

Can this work for all types of businesses?

Yes. Human readers are all similar. Whether for B2B or B2C relationships, understanding your audience’s desires and creating valuable and dopamine-triggering content is universally effective.

What’s the biggest mistake marketers make with dopamine-driven strategies?

Over-promising and under-delivering has a negative effect. If your content doesn’t meet expectations, you risk breaking trust and losing engagement.

How long does it take to build anticipation?

Consistency is key. You can start seeing results quickly with the right approach in every piece of content. Long-term loyalty comes from sustained effort.

Does this approach work for serious industries, like finance or healthcare?

Absolutely. Even in serious sectors, storytelling, value-based insights, and anticipation can make your content more engaging.

Summary: Dopamine Drives Action

If anticipation is like the engine that drives action, then dopamine is the fuel.

By understanding how the brain’s reward system works, you can design marketing strategies that capture attention, hold it, and turn anticipation into action.

Whether you’re creating posts, newsletters, email campaigns, videos, or webinars, remember this: success lies in delivering consistent value while keeping your audience excited for what’s next.

Stimulating dopamine via your content can help build lasting connections that drive real results.
;-)
Richard