Holding Attention with the Written Word

They say the pen is mightier than the sword. Some argue that this is becoming less true as other mediums of media become more popular, but the truth is, nothing can beat the written word. Writing holds the power to influence opinions, evoke emotions, or persuade readers. It's been an invaluable tool for centuries, and the incredible potential the pen holds hasn't changed simply because our world is. The question that remains, however, is how do we convince readers that our article, book, or short story is worth their attention nowadays? 

It's the modern-day challenge, but no challenge is insurmountable. A background understanding of what catches consumers' eyes and, more importantly, what will keep their attention is crucial. "Listicles" have become increasingly popular, thanks to Buzzfeed and other similar websites. These articles, as I'm sure you know, are formatted with bolded headlines, often the main points of the article. Some will go on to explain the bolded point in more detail, and they all utilize plenty of photos. Some dismiss this type of media, but these "articles" can actually teach us a lot about how to grab and maintain attention. It's been suggested that our attention span has fallen from twelve seconds to 8 seconds thanks to the mobile revolution. That means we have eight seconds to make the reader understand how crucial it is to read our piece. Why do they care? What do we have to offer to our audience? 

Reflecting on these questions helps us market our article in the most efficient way possible. Think of your article in bursts of eight seconds. We have eight seconds to grab their attention, and then every eight seconds after that is dedicated to holding it. That means every sentence has to be spectacular. Writing is an art form - one almost as old as time. People still appreciate a well-crafted sentence. The fact that the majority of Internet audiences crave quick articles only emphasizes the rarity of a well-written piece. 

Writing precedes any other media medium, and other art forms still utilize writing - take videos, which first requires a written script. It's important to continue developing and creating well-written, well-researched articles to present to our listless audiences. We just have to change our formatting slightly. Personally, I'm up for the challenge.