Perhaps, like me, you’ve used terms like interest, curiosity and engagement interchangeably.
Are you interested in this? Has your curiosity been piqued? Are you engaged in what I’m saying?
They sound similar. But they’re not the same, and the difference matters more than you might think.
For example, when I watch a movie for the first time, I’m curious. I want to know what happens next. Curiosity drives me to stay with the story to resolve the unknown.
When I rewatch a favourite movie, I’m not curious anymore. I already know the ending.
But I’m still drawn to it because I’m interested. I enjoy the experience, I’m invested in the characters, the emotions and the meaning it holds for me.
So it might help to think of it this way:
👉 Curiosity is about acquiring new information. Interest is about deepening value.
What does this mean for your business?
Grabbing attention is only the beginning. If you want people to stay engaged with your brand, your product, your change program, or even your company’s purpose, you need to go beyond sparking curiosity. You need to build interest.
That means:
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Designing for depth of engagement, not just clicks or eyeballs.
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Connecting through emotion, not just information, and
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Giving people reasons to return, not just reasons to notice.
Curiosity can open the door, but it’s interest that keeps people in the room.
P.S. A reminder to Just Do This members…👋
Our open office hour is TODAY, 4 August 11.30am-12.30pm Melbourne time. Drop by and ask me questions about your business.
You’ll find the link to join in the New This Month section here.
🌟 If you found this interesting, let me know! Buy me a virtual coffee ☕ or forward this email ↗️ to someone who also might like it. Your occasional support means I can keep sharing ideas about behavioural science for free.
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