What is attention marketing — and why do you care?

Marketing guru Seth Godin says that is a business model that focuses on capturing users’ attention through non-invasive content rather than interrupting users’ attention with something like a pop-up ad.

The idea is that once you attract the attention of your intended audience, you can build a relationship and make your offer at the right time — — the time when they are most likely to buy your product.

Attention marketing focuses on the idea that you can attract the attention of those who will buy from you — not every person online. It starts with a clear audience definition and ends with lasting relationships that equal customer loyalty.

Social media, targeted ads, optimized content are all parts of a strategy that includes attention marketing.

How to get the attention you need

If you’ve read this blog at all in the past, you know that I like a list of the exact steps to take to achieve a goal. My theory is that none of us have time to try to put together a plan when we can simply follow steps that have worked and apply them to our businesses. To that end, here are a few ways that I gain the attention of my audience (and those of my clients):

1. Know your audience. Of course, you know that the first step in anything that we do in marketing is to identify exactly who we are talking to and what they need to hear. It’s something that I talk about constantly and a step that simply can’t be skipped.
2. Talk to them where they are. It is really tempting to create one social media post and then repost it across various platforms. Feels easy, right? The bad news is that every platform is unique in its voice — which means that you can’t say the same thing in the same way to an audience on LinkedIn as you do on Twitter. It’s like going to two very different dinner parties — you wouldn’t tell the same story at each one — and you can’t on social media either. Create content specific to the platform and to the audience — each time.
3. Speaking of stories…tell one. Stories can help bring your reader into your content in a way that a simple list of facts doesn’t. Elicit emotion with your stories and your content will be even better. You can share a list…just make it less a statement of fact (like lawyers give a court) and more information that is offered in a way that makes your reader see themselves in it.
4. Speaking of emotions…add them in. A friend recently shared a blog titled something like, “Nobody is ever bored into buying your offer.” It was brilliant! If you bore your reader with statistics and the features of your offer/product, they are far, far less likely to buy from you. Create content that makes them need what you sell…and you’ll never have an empty pipeline again.
5. Keep your message clear. You’re probably super knowledgeable in many areas of your industry. It’s sort of like a “halo effect” where you are an expert in one area of your industry — but know enough to get by in others. That’s great. However, to attract — and keep — the attention of your ideal audience, you need to stay in your lane of content. Talk about what you know — really well — all of the time. The secret to filling your pipeline is to be clear about what you offer and share it often.

Once you have their attention

Once you have the attention of your ideal client, you need to make it worth staying and reading what you share.

Do this using clear, simple language that gives value to the reader. Think of it as creating a relationship. Just as when you are making friends or dating, it is a slow process where you develop trust.

Hook them in with the headline. Back to dating…share your very best “line” in the headline. Get them interested.

Then, reel them in with a clear message and value proposition. Offer value, and make them consider how what you do can help them. Don’t — and I repeat don’t sell them. Share. Remember, it’s what keeps them up at night that you want to help — do that.

Repeat this and soon you’ll have developed trust with your reader. They will trust that you are the expert who can help.

You’ll get the second date…even better, the sale.