The average attention span of a human has decreased from 12 seconds long in the year 2000 to 8 seconds in 2013. Did you know that a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds?
With that being said, take a moment to reflect on your actions. How often do you find that you are scrolling through endless news feeds and clicking on articles that you are only partially reading?
The truth is, we are living in such a fast-paced and modern world where we can’t get enough of our phones and emails.
So, the real question is: how do you get your online content to attract attention – for more than 8 seconds? One thing content writing services specialize in is properly attracting an audience without bombarding them with information. That is key.
Beware of Information Overload
We don’t like information with no value
Most of us are accustomed to using multiple platforms and channels to get our content, which has helped us evolve and start to process information quickly and painlessly. However, our cognitive ability is limited, believe it or not, and information with no value, is simply that – valueless – which is why we don’t like it.
Retaining valueless information can cause our brains to tune out or lose interest faster than you think. That is why you, as an entrepreneur or digital marketer, have to understand how the human mind works if you want to attract and hold onto the attention of your audience. This way, you can help create a positive user experience for them that can out-perform the competition and please your readers.
Take the following tips into consideration:
1. Spark Interest By Capturing Their Eyes
This is likely to be the initial interest
We take in content with our eyes, right? So it’s only right to spark interest by capturing the audiences’ eyes. You can do this by:
Using Human Faces
Incorporating human faces within your content can capture interest because we have evolved to recognize them, which is what can often grasp and hold our attention. It’s almost impossible to ignore a face, especially when it is looking right at you.
The Use of Bold Text and Colors
Coloring certain information in your content can make it stand out – like your call-to-actions for example. This is due to the vivid coloring, but don’t go overboard and color each sentence. On the other hand, bold text can also catch the readers’ attention. Providers of content writing services tend to know what to put in bold font, italics, and different colors for them to stand out.
Animation and/or Movement
This is an effective technique due to our peripheral vision. Our eyes are constantly drawn to movements around us so that we can avoid danger.
2. Connect With Primal Urges
These are things that are apart of our minds
We are constantly scanning our surroundings and connecting what we see to a potential food source, mate, or even potential danger. Can we eat it? Can we mate with it? Can it kill us? Connecting with these urges, as a marketer, can be powerful when it comes to attracting attention.
Food
Do you know those restaurant ads that left your mouth watering and your stomach growling? That’s what I’m talking about. Food imagery can do powerful things.
Sex
You can find numerous ads tapping into these urges by adding images of attractive people of the opposite sex. Think about almost every beer commercial.
Danger
I’m not necessarily talking about physical or immediate danger, but more so about the scare/shock factor. This can be done through reverse psychology or hypothetical examples.
Keep in mind, not all businesses can take advantage of these urges as they won’t always be appropriate. Those in the food, hospitality, entertainment, tourism, or travel industries can find easy ways to use these techniques. However, if you are an accountant, you may have some trouble.
3. The Influence of Emotion and Storytelling
Open their minds and engage them so they can explore and learn
Emotions can open your mind to new things, and the same goes for your audience. Both negative and positive emotions can work here. With positive emotions, you will place your audience in a more receptive state where they may pay attention and create a positive association with your product. Negative emotions can be used to target those primal urges that I mentioned before.
You can influence emotion by tapping into the different human senses. From imagery and video to sound with the power of music.
Storytelling also evokes emotion. Content writing services here are key to helping you make sure that the story you are telling is the same throughout your various marketing channels.
Stay True and Honest
This can create a positive user experience in itself
Creating valuable content is one of the most crucial points in attracting and holding the user’s attention. Providing information that is true and honest can get them to trust you, which is the first step. Once you do this, you can apply the additional techniques to help you stand out. Capturing their attention and holding it is one thing; however, be sure that you also get others to engage with your content.
Using content writing services can help you with your strategies. This way, your website will appeal to your audience and help it stay that way.
