I just got asked to give a talk on distraction and social media and relationships at a conference in late March. I’m still weighing if I want to do it, as it’s WAY out of my comfort zone, but it brings up a really interesting point. Today’s average attention span is 8 seconds. 8 seconds! That’s the same attention span as a goldfish!

So, while people are mindlessly doing the endless scroll, how can you disrupt it and grab attention in an 8-second world?

Language is a big issue: only 27% of people in the world actually speak English! However, it’s also a problem you may not be able to solve, but it is good to have an awareness of it.

Consistency: it really is the “magic bullet,” which is to say, it’s not any form of magic at all, simply planning and execution. Ensure that you have content on all channels, and ensure you do it consistently.

Personalization: there’s an e-newsletter I subscribe to, and often when it comes, it’s personalized, using my name in the subject. Do you not think that grabs my attention?? You can bet it does!

Providing value and knowledge: if you create value on your social channels, they will come back. They will seek you out. If you are answering questions they are asking, they will stick around.

Engagement and Responsiveness: we like to give our money to likeable businesses. This means businesses that take the time to interact with us, to engage, to respond. There’s a much better chance you’ll be remembered by that consumer the next time they see something from you.

Incentives: people will give you their attention if they think they might get something for free. I often will take the extra time to enter a contest, for example, if it’s something I really would like.

And now, here’s today’s infographic on How to Grab Attention in An 8-Second World: