The statistics are depressing. The average attention span of a human (8.25 seconds) is now LESS than a goldfish (9 seconds) – and it has decreased by almost 30% over the past 15 years. 7% of people forget THEIR OWN BIRTHDAYS. 17% of internet page views last less than 4 seconds. (source: Statistic Brain)

If you thought it was hard to get someone’s attention before, it just keeps getting worse and worse. Which makes it that much more important that we understand what drives attention and how it can best be commanded.

Here’s the deal. While attention may seem arbitrary or whimsical or random – there is actually a science to it. In fact, Brand ManageCamp speaker Ben Parr has written a whole book about it – “Captivology: The Science of Capturing People’s Attention.” See – “Science” – it’s right there in the title!

According to Ben (and I agree), “attention is the fundamental currency and lifeblood of the modern economy.” That’s why he wrote “Captivology” – to “teach you the real science behind attention and how to utilize that knowledge effectively for whatever you’re passionate about.” In putting together the book, Ben “analyzed more than 1,000 research studies and interviewed dozens of researchers and thought leaders to uncover the science of attention.”

Ben’s science of attention focuses on two areas:

1 – The Three Stages of Attention

Here, Ben breaks down the differences between immediate, short and long-term attention, including the relative benefits of each and how each can be earned.

2 – The Seven Triggers of Attention

Here, Ben details 7 distinct and powerful ways that attention can be triggered in your audience. They include: Automacity, Framing, Disruption, Reward, Reputation, Mystery, and Acknowledgement.

The main thoughts I’d like you to take away from this:

1 – Your customers’/consumers’ attention spans are SHORT and getting SHORTER.

2 – If you are going to capture that fleeting attention – and do it better than your competition – you MUST understand how attention works.

Luckily, Ben Parr has done most of the work for us. Which is why I highly recommend getting his book. And, of course, come see him in person at Brand ManageCamp 2017, September 26-27, Las Vegas. While there, Ben will break it all down for us and give us the actionable insights and tools we need to make immediate impacts on our brands, our strategies, and our communications.

Of course, if you have made it all the way down here to the end – you are one smart goldfish! 🙂