In 2015, Microsoft Corp. performed a study in Canada to find the average length of a human’s attention span. Their results showed that a person loses attention in as quickly at 8 seconds, a 5-second drop since their last study conducted in 2000. Scientists now believe that humans have shorter attention spans than goldfish who can focus on an object for 9 seconds.
This short attention span is daunting to many content writers and businesses since they realize the urgency of grasping attention quickly before the mind wanders away. Many readers have bypassed great blogs and articles simply because readers weren’t wowed within the first 8 seconds of viewing the material.
Catching attention within an 8-second deadline is challenging, but it isn’t impossible if you use one of the following 5 introduction strategies.
1. Statistic A great way to draw attention in your introduction is to use a startling statistic that relates to your content. One example of an introduction that uses a startling statistic is: “According to DistractedDriverAccidents.com, 37,000+ people die in automobile crashes in the U.S. every year.” This alarming statistic interests drivers and makes them wonder why so many accidents take place.
Tip: If you use a statistic that you found online, remember to credit the source. Crediting the source is beneficial not only because it keeps you from plagiarizing (which is important anyway), but it also gives your words substance – people know you didn’t just make it up!
2. Hint People are drawn to mysteries and cliff hangers. A great way to capture attention at the start of an article is to pose a problem and hint at the solution. For example, you might say, “People told me no one would read my blogs, but then I found this strategy.” This sentence draws the attention of blog owners who are not receiving the number of readers that they want. Suddenly, they need to know your strategy—what you’re doing that they haven’t tried. Bingo! You have their attention.
3. Question Since asking a question is the most overused and abused attention grabber, I highly suggest you use it in moderation and with care. So many times, I see questions that begin with, “Do you suffer with…?” and “Have you ever…?” These questions are noneffective because they narrow your audience too far.
If your readers can respond “No!” and never think of your article again, your question is nonfunctional. Instead, your questions should elicit curiosity from your readers. Ask them things they don’t know the answers to, such as, “In Japan, does the fast food taste the same?”
4. Quotation When using a quotation, writers must be careful of two things – first, that the quote isn’t cliché, and second that the quote is relevant (a quote about dogs has no business in an article about making hand-made chocolate.) Use quotations only when they are short, interesting, and sum up the point of the article.
5. Anecdote Anecdotes are longer than the other attention grabbers I have mentioned, but they can be just as effective. Anecdotes are stories that illustrate a point. They work great at the beginning of a personal blog because they create a deeper connection with the readers. An example of an anecdote is, “I visited England in my 20s. What most surprised me wasn’t the change in scenery, but the change in perspective. It’s amazing what a new location can do to jumpstart your brain and give you an appreciation for home.”
Capturing attention in 8 seconds seems daunting, but newly equipped with these techniques, your blog doesn’t have to fall behind.
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