The ever-decreasing attention span of consumers presents marketers with a massive new hurdle to overcome.
Scientists all over the world have been discussing and debating the fast reducing attention span for years now. According to a study, the average human attention span has dropped to a mere 8 seconds from 12 seconds in the 2000s (before the onset of the mobile revolution).
Thanks to the rise of digital technologies and always-on mentality, hooking and retaining the attention of the audience is a bigger challenge for marketers than ever before.
If marketers fail to grab consumers’ attention within 8 seconds or lesser, consumers will move on to the next viral sensation they come across.
In the world of digital marketing, every second count. Here are some of the best tips to grab consumer’s attention before 8 seconds and to make the best use of every marketing opportunity.
1. Be Crisp and Clear
While drafting marketing texts and copies, marketers have to remember that simple messages that tug at the emotions are the best way to grab consumer attention.
Keep the concept clear, simple, and easy to understand. Avoid long, complicated sentences and technical jargon. Remember that the audience is looking for something that resonates and connects with them, but they don’t like to work too hard to get it.
Some famous examples include: Why boys should have all the fun? – The Honda Pleasure ad, the Cadbury Kuch Meetha Hojaye, and the adorable Vodafone ZooZoos that managed to get the message across without any dialogues.
It may be difficult to get the correct wordings in the first attempt. This is why marketers should rely on A/B testing to refine and optimize their approach.
2. Different Platforms Require Different Success Strategies
Today, marketers have access to plenty of platforms like social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, etc.), email, PPC, web, blogs, and more. The success strategies vary from one platform to another.
For instance, long posts over 1000 words work well on LinkedIn. However, using the same post on Facebook or Instagram will not fetch the desired results. Marketers have to alter and adapt content to suit the platforms they are being used on. It’s essential to stay updated with the trends and subtleties of each marketing platform to get the best engagement rates and to hook in the attention of the target audience.
3. Use Video Wisely
The new-age digital-savvy consumers of today are spoiled by choices when it comes to what the online content they consume. It’s true that video indeed is one of the most popular content forms today, and marketers are capitalizing this trend to amplify and monetize their marketing efforts.
With that said, marketers have to be extremely cautious regarding the use of videos. Too much of anything is not good, and that applies to video marketing as well. Here’s an example of how following a “video-first” strategy could end up backfiring.
For instance, auto-playing a video on a landing page is not the best marketing strategy. Not only does it cause pages to load slowly, but it also causes users to get distracted and even irk them. Also, remember that video is not appropriate at all times. Say, a user is browsing a webpage at work or on the commute. He/she may prefer reading a few short lines of text than watching a video in a public space.
There’s no doubt that video is a powerful medium to capture eyeballs. However, marketers have to proceed with caution. Before using videos as a marketing strategy, make sure to consider the relevancy and appropriateness. Also, keep videos short and crisp. This brings us to the next point.
4. Make the Best out of your Content – Split it Up
When using long, detailed content, try to see if you can split it up into easily manageable bites. Splitting content has several benefits like:
- improves readability (people are likely to read content when they see it has just a few paragraphs)
- boosts SEO
- helps you spread the content – for instance, posting a month’s worth of blogs each with 700 words rather than posting a long post with 5000+ words
5. Variety in Visual Strategy matters a Lot
In the digital world, “a picture or a video is worth more than a hundred words.” Try to add variety to your content with different visual elements like interactive videos, fun quizzes, infographics, charts, and more to hook in the attention of the audience.
6. Finally, Personalize It
One of the easiest and most effective ways to grab readers’ attention is to provide personalized content. Irrespective of the platform – social media, email marketing, PPC or search engine – today it’s possible to add personalized ads.
However, remember that there’s a thin line between personalization and invading user privacy. Marketers have to learn the art of striking the right balance and using personalization to their advantage without creeping out the audience.
As more and more gadgets sneak into every waking moment of our lives, marketers have to refine their approach. Make use of the tips listed here, and hook in audience attention, within the crucial 8 seconds.
