How Surprising Your Audience Can Drive Engagement and Boost Growth [Examples]

Have you surprised your audience?

I’m not talking about your-subscription-rate-going-up-$50 kind of surprise. I’m talking about pleasant surprises. 

It’s not just nice for the audience; it can also grow your audience because people who enjoy a surprise frequently share and talk about it with others.

In the past month, two content surprises made the headlines in mainstream media. 

Playing a prank

YouTuber Nikocado Avocado (his real name is Nicholas Perry) posted a 25-minute video saying: “Today, I woke up from a very long dream, and I also woke up having lost 250 pounds off of my body. And just yesterday, people were calling me fat and sick and boring and irrelevant … People are the most messed-up creatures on the entire planet, and yet I’ve still managed to stay two steps ahead of everyone. The joke’s on you.”

Now, let me back up a little bit. Nikocado Avocado has made his business on mukbang (a new word for my lexicon and one that isn’t my cup of tea). He posts videos of him eating large amounts of food, and he’s attracted over 4M subscribers.

The reveal video gained 26M views in the first couple of days. 

Nicholas, who went from 411 pounds to 158 pounds, explains to NBC News how he pulled off the surprise, “I’ve been strategically posting pre-recorded videos for two years on both YouTube and TikTok. I edited the videos so they would appear recent, allowing me to focus on healing my body behind the scenes.” 

That requires a lot of planning. Imagine creating a calendar with two years of content AND executing most of that content in advance. It’s an inspiration for all content entrepreneurs. You don’t need to plan two years out, but go ahead and plan further ahead. If you have one month done now, go for two more weeks. If you have planned a quarter’s content, add another month. Want some help? Here’s a basic content planning calendar template to get you tracking.

But has Nikocado Avocado’s content really been part of a prank or just an ongoing deception? The answer isn’t the same for everyone. Some may like the surprise reveal. Others might think he betrayed their trust that he was accurately portraying his current life and environment. I bet the kind of audiences that enjoy mukbag content will continue to watch his channel as he’ll continue eating massive quantities for the camera at his lower weight.

Should you pull a prank to surprise your audience? No. You’ve built (or plan to) build a business around your expertise and knowledge. Developing a trusting relationship with your audience is essential to long-term success. Don’t blow that just to get a laugh or surprised reaction.

That doesn’t mean, though, you can’t surprise your audience.

Unveiling a mystery in plain sight

Earlier this month, the Cleveland Guardians Hot Dogs posted on X with this message for Taylor Swift fans: “Check out the first word of our last 396 tweets dating back to October 14th! There might be something special waiting for you!”

You’re gonna love this, Swifties!