Busting the Short Attention Span Myth | Boring vs Interesting Content
Do we really have shorter attention spans now…or is something else going on?
Ever since Microsoft Canada released their paper stating that human beings have shorter attention spans than goldfish, marketers have become obsessed with attention spans.
But here’s the truth: You are not a goldfish. The Microsoft presentation got that information from a company called “Statistic Brain” and those statistics could NEVER be verified by multiple sources. The goldfish myth has been debunked.
In this article, I explore the real issue: We don’t have short attention spans – we have access to an overwhelming amount of content. So what does that mean for our marketing?
Message Length Is Not Tied to Message Success
Here’s a common scenario I experience that illustrates the attention span myth at work. While going through the first page of a brief for a video, I’ll list the length of the video which causes immediate concern.
Client: “No, the video can’t be 4 minutes. It must be 2 and a half minutes.”
Me: “Why?”
Client: “People have short attention spans. No one's going to sit for 4 minutes. It's got to be two and a half.”
This happens before I’ve explained the messaging and why 4 minutes makes sense.
Here’s my question: Where did two and half minutes come from?
Why not 15 seconds? Why not 3? Better yet, could we make it a photo with a two word sentence on it?
Alright, I’m getting a bit silly here, but do you see my point? The length of the message does not dictate the success of the message. The content of the message actually dictates the length of the message. A message will not succeed because it’s short; rather, it will succeed if it’s captivating.
A Complete Abdication of Responsibility
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: we are not goldfish.
People will sit down and binge watch an entire series on Netflix or Amazon Prime over a weekend. That’s easily 8-10 hours of just sitting still and watching content. I’d say that counts as a pretty long attention span.
So what’s really going on here? Attention spans are not the problem. Rather, some people have latched onto the attention span myth to remove responsibility for the quality of their content. It’s easier to blame the audience’s attention span instead of creating more interesting content.
Here’s the truth of the situation: There's a lot of competition out there for our audience's attention; therefore, they get to be highly selective about what they pay attention to. It’s about selectivity, not attention spans.
It doesn't matter how short you make your content if it's poorly executed. No one is ever going to pay attention to it, even if it’s just literally a 3 second video or a photo with a single word.
People aren’t walking around with a ticking timer on their head for how long they can pay attention to something. We can all pay attention just fine. The question for you is: Can you capture their attention? Do you know how to do that? That’s what you need to focus on.
Start to shift out of “I have to compete against my audience's short attention span” to “ I have to win their attention. I must capture their attention and keep them engaged by adding value and making my stuff interesting instead of boring.”
That’s the problem to solve.
Context Is Everything
The effectiveness of your content depends completely on the context. Understanding when and how your audience is receiving your message determines:
How to shape something that’s interesting
How long you have to hook someone
For example, there’s enough data out there to show that someone spends less than 5 seconds on a website before deciding if they’ll stay longer. That doesn’t communicate a short attention span. It shows how quickly someone makes a snap judgment of whether the content is worth their time or not. It doesn’t mean that after 5 seconds they are incapable of paying attention longer.
So how could you address this concern on your website? Be really obvious about what you do and connect with your customer quickly. You must think about the burning questions a customer has when they visit your website for the first time (who you are, what you do, and if you can help them), and answer those quickly before they’ll engage further. Think about what would be relevant, meaningful, and enticing to them within that specific context.
And how someone interacts with your website is completely different from what they’d do on Instagram. When I’m on Instagram, I’m in “Judge Mode.” As I’m scrolling, I’m acting like a talent show judge: Is this valuable? Hit like. Not so much? Scroll past. I’m just scrolling and looking for something to fascinate, inspire or encourage me.
Suppose I’m searching online for an answer. I’m going to click on links then scan super fast to see if it’s worth reading further. If the article is too short, I’ll skip it because it’s just fluff and can’t answer my question. But if it’s longer, then it might really be what I need, so I’ll slow down and read it. Or perhaps I need to find a new vendor. I go into “shop mode” and skim quickly to see if they offer what I’m looking for. Either way, I’m making a snap decision where I immediately decide if something is worth my time or not.
We’re Morally Obligated to Reward Our Audience
Everyone’s time is highly valuable. No one wants to waste it on things that are meaningless or don’t reward us for our attention. You have a moral obligation to reward your audience for their attention. It's an economic exchange. An audience member is investing their time, which is a moment of their life with you. They’re expecting something in return…something of value and worthy of their attention.
We hear “add value” so much that it can become an empty phrase. So, what do I mean by it? What is valuable?
To start crafting something valuable for your audience, you must understand the context in which they are consuming that information. How is their mind primed? What are they expecting? It needs to both meet and surprise their expectations in a good way.
Next, think about where this piece of content goes within your funnel. Is it at the top or bottom?
There's a continuum between entertainment and education that content moves through. When people are just getting to know your organization at the top of the funnel, focus your content more toward entertainment. Think about it like fishing. At the top, you’re holding out that flashy lure to catch someone’s eye and entertain them. Once you capture their attention, provide something that’s interesting and rewarding - that will keep them engaged to move through your funnel.
This is why storytelling works so well at the top of the funnel. They’re entertaining and emotionally engaging; you can share your message while the audience still has an enjoyable experience.
At the bottom of the funnel, you actually don’t want to tell stories. It’s frustrating to the audience and feels like a waste of time. Once someone is in decision mode, they just want the facts. Having to sit through a story to find out that information is simply annoying. You’ve already established that trust bridge and emotional connection; you don’t need to keep trying to build it. Just give them the facts and figures to close the buying decision.
In summary, ss you’re mapping out that content, answer these questions:
What platform will this be on?
What stage of the funnel will my customer be at when they experience it?
What do they need to know at this stage?
How can it present it in an entertaining way?
The Experience of Time Is Relative
Time feels different based on the context of the situation in which we're experiencing it. We assume it’s a quantitative set measurement like inches or feet, but our experience shows that’s not true.
Our perception of time changes based on conditions, particularly our emotional engagement. If you're bored, time seems to take forever. If you’re hyper-focused and engaged in what you’re doing; then, time seems to pass by very quickly or not even exist. When I get really focused, hours can slip by. I may not even realize I’ve skipped meals.
Considering that, your goal is to create that same kind of focus and emotional engagement to get your audience absorbed in what you’re doing. That engagement isn’t dictated by the actual time; it’s dictated by how you execute it. It’s beyond this article to explain how to do that, but you can get started by studying storytelling. Learn how to craft a great story to produce that emotional engagement.
To produce the best content, it must be specifically tailored for your audience. What are they looking for? What are their preferences? Once they see your content as both enjoyable and welcoming, you don’t have to worry about attention spans anymore. Heck, you don’t even need to worry about competition. Your audience feels welcomed and they’ll stay.
Your goal is to get them to welcome you into their door, not slam it in your face because you’re not holding up your end of the bargain. Remember, they’re trading part of the life to consume your content so it better be worth it.
Are you ready to start making welcoming content that captures the hearts of your customers? I’d love to help you. Please contact me here.