{"id":859,"date":"2024-08-10T15:02:19","date_gmt":"2024-08-10T15:02:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/okonet.kinsta.cloud\/?p=859"},"modified":"2024-08-10T15:02:19","modified_gmt":"2024-08-10T15:02:19","slug":"trivia-best-practices-engagement-without-frustration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cool.co\/publisher-experiences-home\/2024\/08\/10\/trivia-best-practices-engagement-without-frustration\/","title":{"rendered":"Trivia Best Practices: Engagement Without Frustration"},"content":{"rendered":"

People love trivia, and it can boost engagement on your site. But how do you write effective trivia that draws them in and calls them back for more? In this blog post, we explain how to write effective trivia questions for engagement.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve ever packed into a crowded bar on a weeknight, you\u2019ve probably experienced the phenomenon known as \u201ctrivia night.\u201d And if you have, then you know: trivia is serious business. Trivia night regulars take everything seriously, from ambiguously-phrased questions to their team\u2019s pun-centric name (\u201cTrivia Newton John\u201d and \u201cTequila Mockingbird\u201d are two perennial favorites).<\/p>\n

In addition to being serious<\/i> business, though, trivia can also be big<\/i> business<\/a> for publishers who know how to wield it effectively. People have a natural compulsion to test their knowledge of fun facts and obscure information. If you deploy trivia<\/a> questions and quizzes on your site, you can leverage that compulsion for improved engagement \u2014 and revenue.<\/p>\n

The only thing harder than answering a trivia question, though, is writing the question to begin with<\/i>. We should know: Insticator\u2019s Content Operations team writes thousands of trivia questions every week for our clients, to keep their user bases engaged and clicking.<\/p>\n

In this blog post, we unveil some of the secrets to writing effective trivia questions that engage your audience without making them angry. We\u2019ll also be sharing some trivia about<\/i> trivia while we\u2019re at it. Read on:<\/p>\n

Why Use Trivia?<\/h2>\n

\"fun<\/p>\n

Integrating trivia into your website isn\u2019t just about adding a fun feature\u2014it\u2019s a strategic move, one with tangible benefits for your site\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

A strategically-placed trivia question can act as a last-minute deterrent for a user who was about to leave, or a lure to convince them to stay even longer. As they click<\/a> through trivia questions, they are simultaneously exposed to your site\u2019s other elements, such as links to top stories, comment sections, or ads. This engagement<\/a> creates a ripple effect, encouraging users to explore more of your content and interact with different features on your site.<\/p>\n

The ripples of this will spread out to your various key metrics. Firstly, as users spend more time clicking through trivia, your average time on page rises. This extended time-on-site<\/a> is a critical factor in improving your search engine rankings on Google.<\/p>\n

Plus, combining trivia with content recirculation tools\u2014such as related articles or content recommendations\u2014can further improve your bounce rate<\/a>. When users are engaged with trivia, they are more likely to click on related content or explore other areas of your site, thereby reducing the likelihood of them leaving immediately after viewing a single page. This creates a positive feedback loop: improved engagement metrics lead to better search rankings, which in turn attract more qualified visitors and enhance engagement even further.<\/p>\n

Beyond all that, though, trivia is also fun<\/i>. Visitors will have more to do and more ways to interact with your site, boosting their overall satisfaction. Satisfied visitors are repeat visitors, and before you know it, you\u2019ve got a solidly-growing audience.<\/p>\n

Make It Thematic<\/h2>\n

\"fun<\/p>\n

A random pub quiz or trivia night is generally well-attended \u2014 but if you really<\/i> want to draw a crowd, wait for a theme night. Harry Potter trivia, Star Wars trivia, The Office trivia: themed trivia makes people feel like they know what to expect, and lets them gauge how well they think they\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n

The same is true if you\u2019re using trivia for engagement online. Building your trivia questions around a theme helps set expectations, and makes the challenge you\u2019re throwing down more-specific. But it also allows you to provide greater relevance for your audience.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re running a website for car enthusiasts, they won\u2019t be enticed by trivia questions about pop music. Likewise, if your website is devoted to K-Pop music<\/a>, people are unlikely to be interested in questions about the engine size of a 1965 Mustang. Whatever the focus of your website is, you\u2019ve already filtered your audience towards people who feel strongly about that topic. Trivia questions grab the attention of your most-engaged members of that already-engaged audience.<\/p>\n

Keep It Timeless<\/h2>\n

\"fun<\/p>\n

Quick: what\u2019s the tallest building in the world?<\/p>\n

As of this writing, it\u2019s the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which it has been since 2010. But if we\u2019d asked that question in, say, 1990, the answer would have been the Sears Tower in Chicago. Not only is the Sears Tower not the tallest building in the world anymore, it\u2019s also not called the Sears Tower anymore. And if you\u2019d been asked anywhere between 1931 and 1972, the answer would have been the Empire State Building in NYC.<\/p>\n

Skyscrapers take years to build, and many of the \u201cworld\u2019s tallest buildings\u201d hold that title for years or decades. But what about questions about who has the #1 single on the pop charts? Who is leading in the Presidential race?<\/p>\n

You want to be able to spend your time working up new and fun trivia questions for your audience, not constantly digging to correct your previous ones to make sure they\u2019re up-to-date. So part of this is to avoid referencing fleeting trends or specific current events that may quickly become outdated. Instead, focus on timeless topics and factual information that stand the test of time.<\/p>\n

But part of it is phrasing. \u201cWhat is the tallest building in the world?\u201d is a question that changes periodically. \u201cWhat was the tallest building in the world in 1950?\u201d is a question that will always have the same answer no matter how high new skyscrapers climb.<\/p>\n

In fast-paced industries like music, pop culture, and politics, you can utilize phrasing to ensure your questions are always accurate. \u201cWho is the Democratic nominee for President?\u201d changes every four years (or, uh, sometimes even faster). \u201cWhat incumbent US President was the nominee for the Democratic party in June of 2024?\u201d will always be the case, no matter what changes happen later.<\/p>\n

Check Your Facts<\/h2>\n

\"fun<\/p>\n

Trivia depends on credibility more than anything else. You need the authority to tell someone they\u2019re wrong and have them believe that. Once a teacher reveals they got something wrong, they lose control of the class \u2014 and once a quizmaster reveals they can\u2019t keep their facts straight, the game<\/a> is no longer fun to play. Accuracy is the most-important thing in trivia.<\/p>\n

Part of this is rigorously fact-checking your information, even things you\u00a0think<\/i>\u00a0you know. Knowledge is updating all the time, and many of us grow up to discover that things beloved teachers taught us in school are now considered wrong (or, worse yet, were already wrong when they taught it).<\/p>\n

The other part is making sure to use credible sources when checking your facts. Wikipedia is not always reliable, for example (your teacher was right about that). Journals and official reference material, first-party sources like official documents, and news websites that are known for their fact-checking capabilities are all worth a check (and not all news is created equal).<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re unsure, check your information in more than one place. And if you can\u2019t find answers that all agree, you should probably pick a less-controversial question. Trivia is about settled facts, not about starting arguments.<\/p>\n

Make It Fun<\/h2>\n

\"fun<\/p>\n

This should go without saying, but trivia is supposed to be fun \u2014 that\u2019s what separates a game of trivia from a round of homework. What\u2019s fun for some people may not be fun for others, but there are still a few simple guidelines you can follow when trying to make your trivia a fun experience:<\/p>\n