If you rely on writing to get your message across, your window for communicating impact is closing. According to The Atlantic:
- Attention spans have dropped from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to about 47 seconds today.
- Nearly 30% of adults can’t paraphrase a multi-page document.
- Fewer than half of American adults read a book last year.
Have you pivoted? How do you make sure your messages land?
Everything you share (i.e., rate structures, make-ready incentives, CCA programs) carries assumptions about your reader. Do we expect consumers to read a paragraph, follow the logic, and reach a conclusion? Give us many of their precious minutes?
Most won’t. Not because they’re incapable. We just don’t consume information that way anymore.
Let’s check – who made it this deep into this blog?
When a program underperforms, what happens when we know your intended audience never finished reading the thing that would have told them why they should care? That 12-page program guide is competing with multi-second videos, short captions, and AI summaries.
What’s the answer? The answer isn’t just about simplifying. We don’t just need compelling headlines. We need messages that stick.
In practice, this looks like prioritizing short, visual, plain-language explainers and providing opportunities for depth for those who want it. Integrated campaigns repeat messages across different formats, finding people where they are and providing the repetition that will help cement awareness.
