The average human attention span is now said to be approximately 8 seconds. A Goldfish has an attention span of approximately 9 seconds. Yes. Let that sink in. Wait. No. That will take longer than 8 seconds. See how quickly that happens?
If you only have 8 seconds to grab the attention of online prospects and customers – then don’t waste it pushing ads at them. The majority of your audience doesn’t want ads blinking and popping up at them. They land on your site to discover more about who you are – the face behind the brand – what you can offer them – what you believe in – and how it is going to make them happy, solve a problem or teach them something they want to learn.
The best way for small business owners and entrepreneurs to be seen and heard online is to tell the real human interest stories behind your logos. Tell the stories about how your business came to be a business. Tell the stories about the people who work with you – the lessons you have learned together and how they have impacted your life. Tell the stories about the customers who keep your business alive and thriving – tell the stories about how your business interacts within your community. Think of your stories as an ongoing documentary of your life and the lives of everyone involved. Those are the stories people love to be told. Those are the stories that let them take that journey with you. Your business is a tree in the forest of your community. Your stories are the roots that keep it anchored.
If you really want people to pay attention to you online, to click, Like, and share your information – then you need to give them reasons to love what you do. We put together some quick storytelling tips that will help you start connecting with your audience in ways that matter to them. These are the basics – but they’re important to online small business storytelling. It’s up to you to fill them in with what matters: heart.
