Since 2000, the human attention span has dropped to from 12 to 8 seconds, according to a recent Microsoft study.
The 25% drop is alarming, but not surprising.
Technology has adapted over the last decade and humans have become reliant on its ability to simplify life and save time.
What does all this mean for a small business? Well, essentially it means marketers have less time to make an impression. Eight seconds is all they have to capture a customer’s interest.
So what can you do to make sure your message resonates with your customer?
A Clear Message is Key
Attention spans continue to get shorter. In order to capture a customer’s interest, a marketer’s message should be easy to understand. They should use active language that conveys their message and gives a call to action.
Keep it Short and Sweet!
Technology has groomed individuals to want instant gratification. Requiring individuals to dig for information will not work. Therefore, marketers should keep content short and sweet.
Of course, there are times when an informational video or article may be longer in length. That’s okay – content can be broken down into small snippets which are easier for the customer to digest.
Print marketing should include short paragraphs of only one to two sentences at a time. Full paragraphics and walls of text should be avoided. Images may be used to divide and break up the text. Tri-fold brochures are great for splitting up content since they are divided into six panels, naturally allowing content to be broken down.
For video content, marketers can split longer informational videos into smaller, shorter videos. This allows the viewer to take in the content and understand it, rather than be overwhelmed.
Not only does cutting content into snippets make it easier on the customer, it makes it easier on you, too! You are able to maximize your content by turning a single post into a week’s or a month’s worth, giving your brand more exposure to the customer.
Personalize Content
Personalizing content is a great way to capture a customer’s attention. Content is more likely to stand out if it appears that a message is tailored to them. For such a short attention span, it’s important to capture them instantly.
In order to effectively personalize content, marketers must collect data from their customers and segment their findings. Email programs like Constant Contact make it easy to segment customer channels, allowing business owners to tailor emails and target customers based on similar interests.
Use Visual and Video Elements
Visual and video ads stand out more than text ads. In fact, viewers retain 95% more of a message when a visual is attached. This is why it is important that marketers use a mix of video and images, in addition to their text ads.
Be sure to include a nice mix of colors. Color images increase a customer’s willingness to read content by a whopping 80%!
Infographics are a great way to capture attention and share information in an easy-to-understand format. Consider sharing infographics on social media, as well as creating flyers and posters to convey the message.
Times are changing which means marketers must change along with it. The ability to adapt to these changes will be key in setting one company apart from the next.
