A recent study found that consumers in their 20s (“digital natives”) switch media venues about 27 times per nonworking hour—the equivalent of more than 13 times during a standard half-hour TV show.
What does that mean for us as marketing professionals? At the most fundamental level, it translates to the fact that you have less than two minutes to grab an individual’s attention and invite them to further read your message. According to some scientific scholars, they’ve went as far as to say, you have someone’s attention for 8 seconds – that’s less than that of a goldfish. Which means – content needs to be engaging and clutch the reader’s brain to want more.
As we move further and further into the digital age, marketers also need to verify that they are reaching their audience from a variety of angles and grabbing their attention immediately. While traditional print may and will still work – there is a high possibility that the end user may be flipping through that magazine while watching a television show…only to put the magazine down and pick up a tablet. Our marketing strategy needs to ensure that all of these factors are taken into consideration, before we’re switched off and dismissed.
