The Attention Economy

“In the attention economy, anyone trying to connect with an audience must treat the user’s time as the ultimate resource.” - Jakob Nielsen

What is valuable? Usually, something scarce, difficult to obtain, or linked to “your money or your life” - things that impact your economic status or your physical, emotional, or spiritual health.

We now live in an “attention economy” where one of the most valuable assets is the ability to capture the attention of people who are typically bombarded with 3,000 to 5,000 messages per day. Think about your day - do you check social media, watch TV, read articles, or listen to the radio and podcasts? How much content is vying for your attention? How do you choose from the vast array of content available in your pocket on your “phone?” (and how many of you use your smartphone as a phone?!)

Some of the content out there isn’t especially valuable or edifying, as people ratchet up the outrageousness to capture eyeballs and the news cycle. Additionally, there is “content candy” - sweet and irresistible cat memes, jokes, adorable babies, and more.

In a world awash in all kinds of content designed to pull you into mindless scrolling or participation in the slinging of insults, political or otherwise, the competitive stakes of the attention economy are very real. Communications and marketing have become that much harder in the attention economy that provides endless options for consumption. Before embarking on a communications plan, it is very important to understand the current environment. Know that you are competing with cute cats, outrage, misinformation, and more.