Design for the
Occupied Mind
Congratulations, fellow citizens! Our attention span is now less than that of a fish. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span in 2000 was at twelve seconds. Jump to 2013 when it dropped to eight seconds, one second less than the nine second average of a goldfish. A. Gold. Fish.
So what could have possibly happened in the past thirteen years? A bit of a facetious question and you’re mostly likely staring at the answer right this second. Yes, the internet in all its technological glory. During one of our many creatively fueled pow-wows here are at CultureSpan, we started discussing this issue and how it pertained to marketing. More specifically, do people view digital advertising elements any different than traditional versions and if so, how?
Research shows that digital is often consumed in conjunction with other types of media such as television. So, while Deb is watching her favorite TV show, she’s also scrolling through websites on her laptop and occasionally checking the Instagram or Vine feeds on her mobile phone. How then, do you garner interest from Deb when her attention span is all over the place?
It’s an insane and hectic hodge podge of messaging efforts but there’s always a way to get the attention you need. One key point to keep in mind, though, is that the rules of designing for print and other traditional forms of advertising aren’t compatible with what needs to be done for online or mobile efforts. Every design element utilized for this non-traditional format will be developed differently from a standard advertising tool.
MOTION
One of the biggest advantages to designing for digital these days is motion. An ad that consists of rotating banners or animated elements running across the messaging area will undoubtedly capture a viewer’s attention.
SPACE
A point of contention can be the amount of space that’s provided and how much content can be used for the message you want to convey. For example, a two-inch wide by half an inch tall area in a newspaper is not much of an advertising area. On a mobile phone, it may still not seem like a lot of space but think about the environment. When you’re merely focusing on five email messages at a time or perusing through an app, it’s definitely a different ballgame.
BACK TO BASICS
When it comes to the messaging elements, classic rules come into play. The use of engaging or clever copy, clean design and an irresistible call-to-action that entices the user to click on the ad can help increase traffic to your online destination.
THE WAITING GAME
Your clean and clever ad caught the user’s attention so they give it a click and wait… and wait… and… goodbye! This attention span deal is no joke. If the user’s final destination is taking even a few seconds too long to load, they’ll go elsewhere. This is a good time to get with your website team to ensure that your online presence is up to speed.
INSTANT GRATIFICATION
It’s a no-brainer that information about nearly anything is now available with a few finger taps and clicks. So if a customer visits your site and isn’t finding what they want, you may as well kiss that potential sale goodbye. The final destination for your digital advertising efforts requires as much attention as the ad itself so be sure to provide information that is concise and, if possible, includes a call to action.
We could go into much more detail about how we work but you really don’t think we’re going to give away our secret sauce that easily, do you? If you’re interested in CultureSpan Marketing developing your marketing campaign, give us a call at (915) 581-7900 or shoot us a message today!