Why Goldfish Like Your Social Posts More Than Your Customers

OK, so goldfish don't actually use social media networks. But, according to a recent study by the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of a human being is now only 8 seconds. That's one second less than a goldfish. Yes, that's right, goldfish have a longer attention span than you or I.

So, if goldfish could use Facebook, they may well spend longer looking at your posts than your average customer!

How Can You Grab Attention In 8 Seconds?

The same study suggests that our attention span is decreasing due to the vast increase in the past decade in the external stimulation that we are subjected to. We are constantly bombarded with information, social media messages, text, email, websites, and much much more. The result? We don't spend long making up our mind about what we will and will not read.

Which means you have precisely 8 seconds to grab the attention of your customers with your social media posts! 8 seconds to draw them in to want to read your content, let alone like it, share it, retweet it, favourite it, or pin it. So just how can you catch their attention fast?

Create Amazing Images

If you want to grab attention super fast, use images. Our brains can absorb and interpret an image in only 13 milli-seconds. So the use of eyecatching images and photos is absolutely crucial to catching the attention of your customers on social media.

• Try using images in 50% or more of your Facebook posts. Image posts tend to get more engagement than other types.
• Use tools such as Canva.com to make the job of creating your images much easier – especially if you're non techy.
• Overlay your image with calls to action or punchy headlines to instantly attract attention and put your message across

Use Attention Grabbing Headlines

A headline is crucial to catching the attention of your followers and fans. 8 out of 10 people will read a good headline, but only 2 out of 10 will read the rest. When you write it, ask yourself if it would make you want to read on. If not, don't use it. Here are some tips:

• Keep it under 65 characters, as this is the maximum character count before being cut off in search results
• 6 words is generally considered to be the perfect length for a headline
• Use numbers. People love them, as it suggests a list that will help solve a problem.
• Negative words such as ‘no', ‘stop' and ‘without' can lead to more shares

Keep Your Posts Short

On Twitter, you are automatically limited to 140 characters in your tweets. But it's good practice to keep all your posts short and punchy, whichever network you use.

• Under 80 characters in Facebook posts has been shown to increase engagement considerably. Disney have this down to a fine art on their Facebook page.
• Use no more than 2 or 3 lines if you can – so your message is seen before your reader has to click ‘see more'

None of this is easy, and it can take time to create a perfect headline and fabulous image. But, once you hit on a formula that works, and that your followers and fans engage with, then follow that pattern in all your posts. Just watch out for the goldfish!

What have you found works best at grabbing attention for your social posts? I'd love to hear your tips.