How would you talk to a goldfish? The average human today has an attention span that’s shorter than our aquatic friends. So you might want to stop and consider how this impacts you. 

You have about 2 to 3 seconds to catch someone’s attention with a social media post. For website content? Maybe 10 seconds. If that’s not scary enough, attention spans are only getting shorter. The acceleration of fast-paced apps and AI tools continues to diminish our capacity to be patient in the world, whether it’s holding a conversation or reading a piece of content.

First impressions are more important than ever. That goes for websites, introductory client meetings, marketing copy, pitch decks, emails — you name it.. You need to hook your audience. Immediately. 

But here’s the good news: If a reader stays with your content past the first quarter-minute, they are unlikely to bail from that point forward. Fast Company notes that most consumers stick around for seven minutes once they cross that ever-so-brief threshold. 

So, how can you sharpen your approach so as to not lose your audience?  

The psychology of attention

Scientists have coined the term “Primary Effect” to explain a phenomenon we’ve all experienced. Have you ever made a long to-do list, memorized it, only to forget all of the items but the ones at the very top? 

Human beings tend to remember the beginning of an event or experience much more than whatever takes place during the middle. And because human memory can be fickle, planning for that fact is essential to your business. 

Grip ‘em

It’s common sense that a “catchy” opening is important. But what does that mean? Here are some tips to keep in mind: 

• Command attention with strong opening language: Cut to the chase on your website homepage, the first sentence of your LinkedIn bio, the subject lines of emails, etc. 
• Emphasize solutions: Provide actionable advice so that your audience clearly understands the value of your content. 
• Think “elevator pitch”: Distill your ideas into their most basic form. Don’t write a thesis.
• Be confident: Too much hesitation will make you forgettable. 

Here’s an example of website messaging — from one of our clients, GTM — that utilizes these tactics well. The homepage is clean, clear, and concise.   

In this blog from another one of our clients, Endeavor Advisors, see how the title and first sentence convey the promise of the story without being generic? That’s the goal!

Common missteps

If you don’t want to be forgettable, here are some things to avoid: 

• Verbose language: You’re not writing a novel! People often think that long sentences or words make you sound smart. But the goldfish doesn’t care. 
• Generic terminology: Be clear, but don’t be boring. It’s important to maintain a distinct voice throughout your messaging. Don’t try to emulate your competition and instead embrace what makes you unique. 
• No throat clearing: You need to know what you want to say before you say it. Cut to the chase.  

How we can help

We have a tried-and-true process that we use to craft messaging for our clients and help them make the best possible first impressions.

One element of our process is interviewing  not only our clients themselves, but also the clients of our clients, and incorporating  these findings into their messaging and positioning.   a client is speaking to their target audience live or on social media, in a blog post, in an ad, or somewhere else, they’re doing so in a consistent voice, and with a true strategic underpinning.

We may not be psychologists, we understand the Primary Effect intuitively. People are impatient, and there is tons of content out there. While that might sound like a daunting challenge, we like to think of it more like an opportunity: Good content can still win out. We see it — and produce it — every day.