As a society, we have grown to depend on the web and mobile devices. Of course, technology improves our way of life in so many aspects. We can connect with anyone in seconds and can access any information. So, many reasons that technology has improved the way we work as a society. But, this has come with some negatives. I have noticed, along with many, that people’s attention spans are lessening. Catering to this issue has been an ongoing problem for marketers and one of the main points they focus on.
“In fact, a study by Microsoft concluded that the human attention span has dropped to eight seconds – shrinking nearly 25% in just a few years.” –Boston Digital
With attention spans being a concern, we will focus on what that means to marketers. They need to find a way to quickly satisfy and connect with the user to get their message across. It is a complex task to grab a human being’s attention in the average eight seconds that it is told to be held for. So, putting ourselves in the mindsets of a marketer, our primary goal of the course is always to grab and hold the audience’s attention. So, with that, we have to put out content to achieve that goal. Boston Digital spoke about engagement saying “To break the eight, it’s critical that your content is engaging, authoritative, and thought provoking. It needs to spark emotions from readers, so that they feel a deeper connection to your content.” To create content that achieves our goals, we need it to be high-quality and immersive. A great way of engaging is through video, emotions are evoked, and a message is readily absorbed when watching a video. “In fact, viewers retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video, compared to 10% when reading it in text.” Said by Boston Digital.
In the first few seconds of an advertisement, consumers decide whether or not they want to continue to watch, view, or look into the brand or product trying to be represented. Marketing can be inexpensive and well done; it just has to convey the message and reach the right audiences. “Your advertising efforts ultimately boil down to the first five seconds. In these crucial moments, consumers decide whether they’ll buy into your brand or check out completely. After that, engagement drops drastically.” Said by Inc.com.
The simplest way to catch people’s attention is to relate to them. Everyone wants to feel they’ve supported a brand or product that gives them what they need/want. It’s always essential to make your message clear as well. If your advertisement overcomplicates and involves too many factors, this could drive away the target audience. So, even with much information, it could always be simplified. Of course, we want an exciting advertisement that keeps people interested, but too many factors could drive people away.
Emma Kogel 