Jordan Ogren

October 19, 2021

Create bingeworthy content by doing this.

Have you ever binged an entire season in one sitting?

Be honest.

I haven't—I hate watching TV. I'd rather read a book.

So then why is it that people binge entire seasons?

Is the show too damn good to stop and save an episode for tomorrow?

Maybe. But I believe the answer is found within human psychology.

When a show's season has seven episodes, there is a clear end in mind, episode 7.

As humans, we love finishing things. That's why eating ice cream out of the tub is a recipe for disaster.

By having a natural end (for each season), instead of 44 episodes, we can finish the season, and we feel like we've accomplished something.

Another thing is that there is usually a natural storytelling arc within the season that keeps you coming back for more. For example, "Do they kill her? Find out in episode 4."

While the entire show will have an arc/premise, creating suspension and tension is much easier when there are only a few episodes (under 10) that you can create a mini storyline within.

Doing this creates friction and keeps people coming back to the next episode within the season. And before they know it, it's 3:13am, and they finished seven episodes.

Let me relate this to the world of content marketing:

Have you ever binged an entire YouTube channel?

Highly unlikely. Maybe a few videos, but I doubt the entire catalog.

That's because most YouTube channels don't do "seasons" of content.

What if we treated our content in the same way as shows do?

Defined season lengths, with specific storytelling arcs, instead of an endless stream with no clear end?

Creating content in seasons helps people (1) see if they want to engage with the season's topic and (2) feel motivated to put back a few episodes, maybe even the entire season, because it's achievable.

Regardless of the psychology behind why we binge, it's an arbitrage for your content.

Few are doing it. And that means if you do, you will stand out. 

And that's how you create real traction for your content.

When everyone ZIGS, you gotta ZAG.

🧠 + ❤️ // JO