Pop quiz: When is the last time you took a quiz online? No matter the platform or the topic, online quiz creation seems to be at an all-time high. But if nobody really likes taking tests, what makes so many people crazy about quizzes?
How big is the quizzing trend online?
Facebook is a social juggernaut at the center of the digital era, carrying forward a fast-moving tide of interactions that reflects through quizzes, lists, videos, infographics, and messaging. In a research study conducted by Kissmetrics around a million posts in as little as 26 weeks, quizzes accounted for close to 5.2% of the total across likes and shares. It is, without a doubt, an engaging activity, drawing in friends and family to participate in the fun – testing and comparing in a friendly way.
What is the meaningful difference when it comes to quizzes?
The most profound feature of quizzes is their departure from the traditional approach for conveying content. The user has discretion on how to handle the content. It contains substantial flexibility unavailable with one-way promotions and communications.
Quizzing is not dissimilar to visiting the palm reader at the carnival who claims to “know all.” Your brain tells you it’s impossible, but your heart and emotions rebel, convinced there may be something in it. The designers waste no time in exploiting this mysterious aura, promising to reveal disguised talents, valuable personality nuggets, or skills the quiz-taker never knew they had. The quizmasters – like Buzzfeed and others – push the notion that quizzes are the “open sesame” to hidden treasures and untapped potential. So, they say, if an individual comes through a quiz with flying colors and unexpected capabilities, don’t write him or her off too quickly.
Is quiz popularity sustainable?
People, in general, cannot stop wondering if there’s more to themselves than meets the eye. They’re driven to introspect at every opportunity, get to appreciate why indeed, they do the things they do. They regularly ask questions like:
- Is there a better life?
- Is there something more to my everyday routine?
- Is there a pattern I’m destined to follow, or is my life some hit-or-miss affair.
Quizzes, as strange as it may sound, peel away the layers, creating a higher degree of self-awareness. They cleverly observe and then configure our reactions to a well thought out set of questions. Aside from this, the thing that bolsters the quiz trend the most is its undeniable social gratification. Frequently the people we want to impress the most buy into quizzes as well. The digital momentum has helped the quiz arena to build a level of authenticity that somehow says the quiz results speak the truth. The more people are drawn into the quiz fold and the wider the circle of sharers, the more engaging it becomes.
Why marketers are paying attention to quizzes
Marketing benefits are compelling from two principle angles:
1. Categorization is a process that connects us to others we most admire, crave recognition from, or aspire to join. If there’s a quiz that can somehow prove we belong to that group, the power of belonging will take over. The quiz trend lends genuine credibility to one’s right to enter a desirable community. The latter exerts an undeniable force, fueled by its:
- Coveted status symbols.
- Preferred styles and fashions.
- Leisure habits
- Work ethics.
- Attitudes and opinions
Aspirant group behavior can change the way we socialize, where we go to college, and the restaurants we eat at. Also, the stores we frequent, cars we drive, and the neighborhoods we live in. All are group-driven and influenced. It’s incredible to think that a leisure event as fleeting as an online quiz can impact the quiz-taker’s life in such a radical way, so quickly. There’s evidence that some of the giant quiz creators like VisualDNA are delving into the Big Data. It’s deriving information from the quiz trends to give marketers insight into new customer preferences and developing tastes.
2. Social spread: Marketers also notice that the sharing of quizzes through social media creates a relatively inexpensive and effective way for promotional messages to resonate with a broader audience. Indeed, if a quiz goes viral and a brand happens to be connected to it, the market impact can be nothing less than astounding.
The promotional power of a well-constructed quiz as a content option can no longer be ignored. Competitors paying heed to one of the most underrated types of content can get a leg up, thus disrupting markets under your nose if you choose to bypass the trend. Don’t just take our word for it. Let’s take a look at what’s happening within the quiz arena all around us:
Retail employment of quizzes
Using a somewhat ingenious quiz – “What is your Z Gallerie Style Personality?” – Z Gallerie engaged interior designers to get the best out of the company’s offerings (cutting across a broad range of furnishings, art, and accessories). Starting with this quiz, the fashion entity developed personalized product recommendations that made ultimate sense to its audience, given the prospects’ visible engagement in the questioning process. It convincingly captured the attention of prospects resulting in a torrent of new leads intrigued by the modern take on customer guidance. The quiz format provided a new dimension to online shopping, creating incredible brand value at the same time.
Other industries
- A company (Cloud Sherpas), focusing on IT and cloud technologies, structured a quiz that it attached to a Facebook blog. The move resulted in a significant uptick of qualified leads, providing Sherpas with deep insight into potential customers’ level of interest.
- A consultancy entity, The Foundation, that promises to build startups into big enterprises quicker and with less risk, devised a quiz “Do You Have An Entrepreneurial Mind?”. Once done, it connected the company’s eBook to it, using a Facebook ad campaign to push both compellingly. The net result was 16,000 new leads and millions of dollars revenue inflow.
The Bottom Line
The quiz story is one of unquestionable human engagement in an intriguing pastime. Today it’s a firm fixture in the digital arena and a content vehicle of note – resting on a two-way interaction between the quiz designer and the quiz-taker. Personality quizzes are enormously popular, but so are those that add to knowledge in fields of keen interest and passion. They give us an entertainment channel to learn more about ourselves, create recognition inside our peer groups, and offer hope to our aspirations. There’s nothing in this promotional revelation that smacks of risk or threat, and marketers have used the opening to engage targeted customers more sustainably with lasting impact. All in all, climbing on the quiz bandwagon is one of the better recommendations going into 2020.
Ready to create your own online quiz? Start asking your own questions today!
