Divided Attention: How to Engage with Dwindling Attention Spans

A well published, and quite humorous statistic often thrown around the marketing world is that a humans attention span is now lower than that of the often slandered, absent-minded goldfish. A report by statisticbrain not only provides these important statistics, but it has also interfered with evolution and created a new race, the web-user human.

A quick look at these statistics simply states, yes the human attention span has dropped a remarkable 4 seconds in 15 years, but the study fails to show further insights in to dramatic lifestyle changes that have occurred since then. In the last two decades, a piece of technology (the mobile) has become an extension of the human body. This little bundle of audio and visual wizardry has become quite the distraction.

Or has it?

According to Deloitte's Mobile Usage Survey, over 40% of humans use their phone whilst watching TV or a film. We have gone beyond sprinting, for the remote control to switch channel when advertisements appear on our television; we now go to our mobile where we decide what captivates our attention.

How do marketing executives now grab the undivided attention of the user?

Elevator pitches are getting shorter, landing pages are getting bouncier therefore content needs to be sweet, short and precise. Your punches need to be more clear, powerful & dazzling, with timing and precision the key elements of the perfect punch.

Clarity of Purpose

To grab people's attention your message must be clear and concise. Text kept to a minimum. Language & product fully on show.

Powerful, you say?

Yes, POWER to grab the users attention. You must utilise contrasting colours, whitespace, bold text, humour, just be innovative.

Dazzle

Dazzle your opponents with sensory overload. Utilise movement (video, cinemagraphs & .gif's) with sound (audio) to captivate your audience instantly.

Precision

Establish your personas, segment your market and correctly know their desires and where to hit them in their sweet-spot.

Timing

Bad timing: a Guinness ad on TV at 8am in the morning

Good timing:

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