In Pursuit of Consumers Doing More with Less Time
There’s officially more quality content out there than we have time for. Platforms from Facebook and Snapchat to Netflix and Amazon are in a tug-of-war for user attention. It’s what has led Netflix to invest $6 billion in original content and Facebook to pursue a set-top box app for users to enjoy exclusive Facebook content on their TVs. There’s a deluge of content, and a lot of it is really, really good.
Consumer time and attention is split across different content, devices and senses. Even when some content is being consumed, it’s often at odds with other content a consumer is engaging with on another device. 90% of Millennials use their phones while using another device, which is exactly why I constantly ask my wife what just happened on a show we’re watching.
A lack of attention will be one of the biggest impediments for brands looking to grow. When consumers are unable and unwilling to lend their attention, brand messages can’t get through.
This challenge has led to investments in mobile marketing, content that is quick and easy to understand and contextual targeting. All of that is in an effort to capitalize on where people are dedicating their already fractured and limited attention.
Meeting consumers where they are with attention-grabbing content is a must, but to truly capture a greater share of attention than typically achieved by brands, they need to help them do more with their limited amounts of time. How to do that?
- Leverage Personal Assistants. The rise of personal assistants in this age of media over-saturation is not a coincidence. People have started hacking their lives to create openings in time. That’s where products like Alexa and services like Google Now come into play. There’s a role brands can play in syncing their products and services into these devices, which is exactly why Amazon launched a new resource for brands looking to create skills for Alexa. But beyond personal assistants, bots can be used to answer simple consumer questions in a time and platform they’re comfortable with. No need to wait on the phone or for an email for a quick question. Get it now from a bot.
- Do More in the Moment. The lack of time and attention has proven to be a major driver in the growth of podcasting. People can listen to podcasts and stories while doing a variety of other activities from cleaning to driving in the car. Identifying those moments in which consumers are multi-tasking is an opportunity for brands to infuse themselves into consumers’ lives. Podcasts may be just the way to do that.
- When You Have Their Time, Don’t Waste It. The most important thing brands can do is not waste consumers’ time. Wasting time leads to ad blockers (due to slow loading times) and brand avoidance. Be useful in the what you do as a brand. This doesn’t mean you have to serve as a utility. Usefulness and value can come from entertainment as well. This is obvious, but so many brands fall short here by creating sub-par experiences and assets and assume media dollars will shove it in front of them. That is one approach, but another approach is investing in and creating experiences people seek out, spend time with and share.