• by Ahnalise Draper , March 13, 2020

With the average person thumbing through 300 feet of content every day on their social feeds, and YouTube uploads over a 30-day period totaling more than the major U.S. TV networks created in the last 30 years, how can your brand break through this never-ending feed of clutter? 

It’s no secret people have short attention spans (less than a goldfish is what they say, right?). 

When someone finds your content in this deluge of options, the average user decides whether or not to watch in fewer than three seconds. 

Six key tactics have emerged which will greatly enhance your ability to capture and effectively engage your audiences. 

1.Flip the script. When broadcast TV was king and viewership was passive, advertising often followed a story arc similar to a melodrama.  Slow lead-in built to a climax, then the big reveal and branding served as the finale.  But with today’s active audiences, you have to flip the script by first starting with a bang, showing subtle branding, followed by something unexpected, and then you must allow consumers to follow along with your story if they are interested.

2.Create franchises Once you have built your brand, do not be afraid to build   .successful campaigns.  Whether it is creating a video series or empowering a brand ambassador or influencer to craft content, once your consumer is interested, you can diversify what you do as long as it is uniquely yours and easily identifiable.  This may even lead to business partnerships and monetization. 

3.C.O.D.E.: Create once, distribute everywhere. The development of great content requires resources, so re-purpose it wherever possible.  In addition to saving time and money, all of your channels will have a unified, consistent story.  Keep the look and feel and make small changes to adapt to each platform, from your website to paid media to owned social.  

4.Reimagine & reuse.When you’ve invested in quality content, you should explore how you can use it in new ways, so your content can have a second or third life.  Build an asset library for future internal and external uses so you can quickly turn around projects that are engaging and on-brand.

5. Be single-minded. ‘The beauty of short-form content is the ability to be single minded. This allows you to be laser-focused with your targeting of specific audiences who are most likely to be receptive and engaged in the message. This also allows you to more effectively tell the story without sound using supers and graphics.

6. One size does not fit all.The opportunity for effective development and distribution of content comes in all shapes and sizes. Design content that fits its environment.  Understand the difference in user intentions and behaviors on social platforms, and customize your KP’s and expectations for each platform.  A person watching a video on Instagram expects something short and sweet, while the same person watching on YouTube will have a longer attention span.

Once you master this formula for consumable content, make sure you stay true to your brand.  Consumers don’t care where content comes from, as long as it speaks to them and it exemplifies a brand’s values and purpose.  If you focus your investment and efforts on creating content that is designed for today’s sensibilities and short attention spans, you will achieve stronger impact.