Shahrazad’s dazzling Arabian stories from the "
Thousand and One Nights" are nothing less than a masterfully executed content strategy.
We all know the story behind these tales, but have you ever considered that Shahrazad was not only the beautiful daughter of the King’s vizier, but also an exceptionally talented marketer?
Each night, Shahrazad faced the peril of execution at the hands of King Shahrayar. Yet, she masterfully evaded her fate by weaving a story, beginning anew each night but never concluding before daybreak. This left the King utterly enthralled, eagerly sparing her life for another night to satisfy his curiosity about the story’s conclusion. Whenever she finished a tale – always at a moment other than daybreak – Shahrazad was sure to start another, equally captivating one, thus ensuring her survival for yet another night.
Does this remind you of anything?
Apart from being a naturally gifted storyteller, Shahrazad employed a technique best known as the cliff-hanger, its impact evident everywhere today – from succinct adverts with compelling calls to action, to gated data collection and subscription models employed by news agencies and advertisers.
But allow me to share another application I've been testing recently.
The cliff-hanger technique can significantly boost traffic to your site without compromising the user experience. We're all too familiar with the annoyance of platform changes; many a time, I've abandoned a competition or newsletter sign-up just because it required transitioning to a different platform, like moving from Instagram to another site.
However, when you have an interesting piece of content – say, an exciting news article or a compelling blog post – try this:
- Craft an original copy for your website.
- Duplicate this content and share it natively on your social media channels, like a LinkedIn article.
- Remove the final segment of the content and, in its place, create an anchor link to your site using the cliff-hanger technique. This keeps the reader engaged and prompts them to visit your website for the exciting finale.
Imagine you're in an Arabian adventure, with your fate in the hands of the unpredictable King Shahrayar. Remember, in this world of endless content, it's not just what you say, but how you say it, that makes all the difference. Shahrazad's legacy lies not only in her stories but in her storytelling – a vital lesson for all content creators in the art of engagement.
By the way, Shahrazad’s tales encompass a wide variety of genres, including fables, adventures, mysteries, love stories, dramas, comedies, tragedies, horror stories, poems, burlesque, and erotica.
If you've never read these tales, I highly recommend giving them a go. I found Harvey Williams' adaptation particularly accessible for English readers. Here's a
direct link to his version on Amazon: Thousand Nights and Arabian Nights.
Credits:Arabian Nights Weaver: Victoria HuttonGenie of Edits: Chat GPT Loyal Caravan Guide: ClivePhoto location: Abu Dhabi, Beside the Grand Mosque