Generative AI has made digital communication easier (and noisier) than ever. In a sea of marketing content, it’s easy to be forgettable.
So, how does your brand stand out? One way is by applying a concept called “micro-weirding.”
I first learned about micro-weirding from Stan Phelps and David Rendall. They define it as, “doing very small things to stand out.”
What struck me about this concept is that it’s simple enough to define, but fluid enough that it can apply to a variety of circumstances.
By creating micro-weird moments–either digitally or in-person–you can be memorable in a noisy marketplace.
Micro-weirding is not the same as hospitality
It’s worth clarifying that while it sounds a lot like hospitality, micro-weirding is a bit more than that. Micro-weirding can be a little thing you do for your customer, for yourself (i.e., your own brand), or for both.
For instance, let’s say you plan a networking meeting over coffee.
Calling the meeting something like, “Coffee Time! w/ *their name* & *your name*” is an example of micro-weirding.
It’s small, but it stands out from other titles of similar meetings.
Changing the name of the meeting, however, isn’t a hospitable act.
It’s not that micro-weirding can’t be part of hospitality. But micro-weirding need not be a hospitable act in order to be memorable.
Again, micro-weirding is a simple idea, but it can work in ways that go beyond hospitality.
Here’s an example…
Micro-weird the solution to a problem
This is something I typically do when networking with folks face-to-face. It allows me to communicate a solution that I provide in a slightly strange–yet memorable–way.
To micro-weird the solution to a problem, I take the same approach as I would take when telling a joke:
- Start with something normal
- Follow it by something unusual.
For example: Two guys walking into a bar (nothing unusual about that), one of the guys says, “Ouch” (there’s the unusual part; the punchline; the thing that stands out).
When I’m networking, I take this same structure and apply it to the problem and solution.
For the problem, I say:
“A lot of people don’t trust marketers.”
Nothing weird about this.
For the solution, I say:
“That’s why I hope that people will look into my black, soulless eyes and find something they can trust.”
This is a little weird, but not too weird as to be off-putting.
It’s a joke that’s wrapped in a truth.
And it sounds more memorable than just saying, “A lot of people don’t trust marketers, but I want them to trust me.”
That’s not to say micro-weird moments like this need to consist of jokes. But often, I find that micro-weirding follows this formula:
Usual + Unusual = Memorable
For instance, I end a lot of emails asking:
“Please let me know if you have any questions or dad jokes for me. [emphasis added]”
This isn’t a joke, but it does end the question on an unusual note.
It starts with something normal, followed immediately by something unusual.
The gist of this post
Micro-weirding is doing small acts to stand out. These acts can be hospitable, but they don’t need to be in order to be memorable. You can use micro-weirding to be memorable by saying or doing something usual followed by something unusual.