Every day, millions of people go to a movie theatre and watch the latest comedy or action flick. Movie-making is a huge industry, with billions of dollars of revenue every year.

What is the secret to movie success? Suspense!

And I don’t mean suspense in the cinematic way. I’m not talking about the edge-of-your-seat feeling you get when you are watching a thrilling scene. I’m talking about the way that movie companies advertise their movies. Their ads are built around keeping you – the customer – in suspense.

Movie companies do this by showing previews of their upcoming movies. The goal in a movie preview is to show just enough to keep customers interested, but not so much that the movie is spoiled.

This is a wonderful technique that you, as a businessperson, should incorporate into your marketing strategy as you are preparing to start your company. Consider making some advertising flyers that appeal to your target audience, but that do not reveal what your business is. Later, as your grand opening date gets closer, do another flyer printing, and this time reveal just a bit more about your business, but still not too much. You want customers to come back to see your next ad.

You might even want to expand this idea into postcard marketing techniques. Send out postcards that resemble those advertising flyers you made earlier: neat and attractive, but not very revealing.

You may just find that, when you finally open your doors, you are flooded with intrigued customers who have been waiting to find out what your business is all about. That is exactly the reaction you want.

Even after you are established, keep using suspense as an ally. Establish a newsletter that you send to customers. In one newsletter printing, include some catchy info about an upcoming product release or promotion, but don’t say too much. You’ll be amazed at how much interest that simple technique can generate.

Hey, if movie companies keep using this strategy over and over, it must be worth something, right? Anticipation is an incredibly powerful tool, and you can use it to boost your bottom line. The key is starting early – before you’ve even opened your doors – and sticking with it. Find new ways to use suspense marketing in your ads. This is a trick that can work over and over again.

When you have succeeded in getting your customers on the edge of their seats, go out and see a movie.