My toddler, Katie, reading a book featuring her beloved Daniel Tiger!
Daniel Tiger is toddler magic. To them, he is the true Tiger King. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is an animated PBS Kids show that is a spinoff of Mr. Rogers. It features a fuzzy little tiger and his adventures with family, friends and neighbors.
I had heard tales about the power of this show from my boss long before I had kids. His daughter, Scarlett, was undoubtedly Daniel Tiger’s #1 fan. I tucked that information away and, once I had kids of my own, was glad I knew about Daniel!
What’s so magical, you ask? Daniel Tiger teaches helpful lessons that stick with kids and actually work in the real world.
Whether it’s helping children deal with angry feelings, understanding that grown ups come back or remembering to keep trying when things are hard — the Daniel Tiger method really resonates with kids. I have several Daniel Tiger lessons in particular that I use regularly with my 4-year-old and 1-year-old (outlined in the Easy to Digest section)!
Daniel Tiger is so effective, that I thought I’d take a look at what makes his concepts so memorable and how we can use those techniques to create our own memorable content.
Repetition, Repetition, Repetition
Each episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood has a principle issue that it addresses, for instance how hard it is to end a fun activity. The lesson is repeated throughout the episode, as Daniel encounters the problem and is presented with a way to solve it, and his friends experience the same issues too. Episodes are broken into two stories (each about 12 minutes long) which serve as companion pieces: focusing on the same issue in different ways. By the end of the show, the message is very clear.
The show also takes those messages and repeats them in other episodes. Later in the season or in future seasons, we’ll hear the same lessons shared in other episodes to help ensure kids really retain them.
How to Harness the Tiger Power: Focus on repetition of your messages within the content you create. If you run a tree service company, for example, you’ll want to dive deep into the topic of tree service. Create blogs and content that complement each other – like what to know before removing a tree, options for dead tree removal, tree health check ups, etc. Within these blogs, you should repeat facts and “lessons” about your topics, but present them in different ways. Also, create internal links to your related content so readers can dig deeper if they would like. The repetition will help your message break through to your readers. Plus, creating multiple related pieces of content on a specific topic is good for search engine optimization.
Hit the Pain Points
It doesn’t get much cuter than this little tiger!
I think one reason Daniel Tiger is beloved by parents is that the show tackles the tough stuff.
The stories get right to the pain points many toddlers (and caregivers) experience daily. Daniel and his buddies offer practical ways to deal with common issues that can send toddlers into a tailspin, like feeling mad, learning to use the potty, trying hard things or waiting for something you want.
How to Harness the Tiger Power: Apply this same concept to your audience – hit ’em where it hurts! Figure out what problems your business solves, and share those solutions. Talking to your team about frequently asked questions, complaints, or objections when trying to make a sale can help you focus on the pain points your customers feel. For instance, if your potential customers come to you because they don’t have time to tackle whatever service you provide on their own – then give them tips on time management and focus on how your business can help.
Easy to Digest
Daniel Tiger’s best advice comes in the form of songs with catchy, easy-to-remember tunes and lyrics. These ear worms are easy for you and your kids to remember, allowing for quick recall when they’re needed. Some of the songs we sing in our household include:
- How to try when things are hard:
- What to do when you’re angry:
- When you need to use the potty:
- Time to stop a fun activity:
Hearing these songs and remembering what Daniel Tiger says goes over much better with my girls than me simply telling them what to do! My oldest daughter even asks me to sing the “grr song” when she’s trying hard at something. Eventually, she started adopting some of the techniques WITHOUT me using the songs! One of my proudest moments was when she stopped in the middle of getting the mail from the mailbox to run to the potty, because that is what the tiny tiger told her to do.
How to Harness the Tiger Power: Breaking into song won’t be an effective customer acquisition model for most businesses, but you can still apply the principles to your content. Don’t be afraid to use rhyming, alliteration or catchy wording to help a message stick, if it’s appropriate for your topic. Rhyming is one of the oldest tools used to help with memorization because it works! Most of Daniel Tiger’s catchy songs and phrases are one simple sentence, so apply that tactic by keeping your content as concise as possible. Fewer words = better.
Friendly Approach
The approach Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood uses on tough topics is a friendly one. They take big concepts and show how EVERYONE struggles with them. Daniel Tiger gets mad, his parents get mad, and the struggle with these issues is ongoing throughout multiple episodes. This method of sharing their stories and struggles makes the lessons approachable without feeling sanctimonious.
How to Harness the Tiger Power: Share real stories, and share your own struggles. Case studies are a great tool for creating an approachable vibe, as new clients can relate to the challenges other business owners face and see the solutions you provide. And including your own challenges in your content helps your clients feel more at ease, as they are reminded even the experts struggle as well. Just like Mom and Dad Tiger get mad and need to take a moment to regroup, a business consultant can lose sight of objectives and need to use his own tools to get back on track.
You don’t have to be a musical tiger to make your content memorable, but you can borrow his tactics for getting your messages to stick. Focusing on easy-to-digest content that hits your clients’ pain points with a friendly approach – and repeating it – will have readers roaring about your expertise!
