There is a HUGE myth that attention spans are getting shorter.
This is bollocks. If it were true, then box set binges and video game marathons wouldn’t exist and soap opera TV shows wouldn’t run for 50 years.
How is that possible if attention spans are the mythical ‘9 seconds’?
We have LOADS of available attention. What is happening is that we are becoming ruthless in terms of switching our attention off, from those things that don’t pay off for us…quickly!
Ladies, Gentleman and non-binaries – let me introduce you to the most important question, you can use to design your content.
How does your message express a High Value Idea?
Because if it doesn’t, you are wasting your own time…
You may not have heard of this concept before, but I promise you that by the end of this email, I promise you will be able to crush your competitors by writing magnetic copy, knowing exactly how to position your message, and seize the attention of your audience.
It is the mechanism of the ‘What’s in it for me?’ mindset of everyone you meet, everyone who sees your stuff and you yourself. – you have considered that question already when reading this.
Without visible high value, there is no attention – without attention, nothing is possible.
After fifty years of consistent work, researchers into the science of attention have turned up a surprising fact.
Our attention comes in two speeds:
‘Bottom up’ attention, things that we find novel, loud, colourful or threatening – driven by urgency (Gallagher, 2009)
‘Top Down’ attention, things that we are looking for, have meaning for us or are part of what we are looking to have more of – driven by importance (Treisman, 1964)
Simply put, our attention is drawn to things that jump out at us, or things we are deliberately looking for.
When you look at the painting below, to where is your eye drawn first?
The Horse being attacked by the lion right?
Why is that?
…because that’s where the action is…right…?
Despite the lion and horse taking up less that 25% of the image, that’s where we look…because it has the highest value. (despite the background scenery being quite detailed – go on, take another look!)
‘action’ = value
And its the same with every single message or piece of your content. Unless the action is obvious, then you wont snatch the attention of your audience.
Your High Value Idea enables your audience to opt in.
Now, here is the interesting thing, whatever you make high value in your message will grab the attention of people who find that particular thing important.
If you make the price important – it will attract the people who are super conscious of price.
If you make how it is made important – it will attract people who care about that kind of thing.
If you make promises of easiness important – you will attract, well you see where this is going…
You may think – everyone cares about price right? meh. You don’t buy the cheapest everything and neither does everyone else.
Nobody cares as much about price as much as they care about feeling like they are winning and getting a great deal.
How are you presenting those two things in your message?
(unless your conversion rate is 100% you have room for improvement)
What do your readers see as ‘winning’ for them? – winning = High Value Idea.
What do your readers see as a ‘great deal’ for them – getting a great deal = High Value Idea.
You see where I am going with this?
By understanding what your customers see as either ‘urgent’ (bottom up attention) or ‘important’ (top down attention) – you can predict what your audience will value and craft your message to position you as the obvious choice…based on your understanding.
The Takeaway.
Look at your current messages and content:
How are you presenting the ‘action‘?
How are you creating a sense of urgency?
What are you making important?
How are you increasing the feeling of winning for your audience?
EVERYTHING you put into the public domain either adds value to your audience, or wastes their time. There is no in-between.
I promise you that if you aren’t being ruthless in paying off your readers attention – your readers fucking are.
Do yourself a favour. Make everything you do Brilliant!
Thanks for reading…if you have a question, or want to fight me…hit me up on twitter or Linkedin or use old fashioned email 🙂
Neil x
I am not talking about this yet….launch coming soon.
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