Content Underperforming? Can’t Blame Short Attention Spans Anymore
It's common to hear that people's attention spans are decreasing, but research suggests that this isn't entirely true.
In this article, we will explore how businesses can adapt to this shift in consumer behavior.
Myth of Short Attention Span
Research shows that people can still focus when interested, but there's a lot of competition for their attention in the digital age. We’ve all binge watched a new show in a weekend. I wouldn’t call that a short attention span.
Rise of Information Overload
People are becoming more selective about what they choose to pay attention to due to the abundance of information available.
A new study in Nature Communications finds that our collective attention span is indeed narrowing, and that this effect is due allocated attention in our collective minds has a certain size, but that the cultural items competing for that attention have become more densely packed.
Importance of Standing Out
To capture people's attention and stand out from the competition, businesses need to create engaging content. Here are some tips on how to create content that captures people's attention:
Tell a story: People are naturally drawn to stories, so incorporating storytelling into your content can help make it more engaging. This could include sharing personal anecdotes or sharing customer success stories. And make sure you’re formatting the story for the platform you’re posting on.
Use visuals: Visuals can help make content more engaging and easier to consume. This could include incorporating images, videos, infographics, or other visual elements.
Be interactive: Interactive content, such as quizzes, polls, and surveys, can be a great way to engage with your audience and encourage them to participate.
Provide value: People are more likely to engage with content that provides value to them. This could include educational content, how-to guides, or tips and tricks that can help your audience solve a problem or improve their lives in some way.
Be authentic: People can spot inauthentic content from a mile away, so it's important to create content that is genuine and authentic. This could include sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses into your business, sharing personal stories or experiences, or simply being honest and transparent with your audience.
Personalize: Creating content tailored to the audience's interests is critical in capturing attention and keeping people engaged.
People's attention span isn't decreasing, they are just more selective about what they pay attention to, and businesses must adapt by creating personalized, high-quality, and unique content that incorporates storytelling, visuals, interactivity, value, and authenticity to win in today’s busy world.
