It may come as no surprise that the average attention span of us humans has dropped somewhat over the past 12/13 years. What with micro-blogging and Vine's 6-second videos at the height of their popularity, it was probably always going to end up this way. Did you know, though, that the average attention span is now down to just 8 seconds?!
So, your brand has less time than the average television or radio advert to grab your prospects' attention. When you consider that most web users dedicate only 4.4 seconds to each 100 words they see on a webpage, this isn't such an easy task. However if you keep your content marketing simple, concise and eye-catching, it is less likely to flatline - as this latest infographic shows...
Archive for Deborah Bates 
Is your content headed for the Emergency Room? [Infographic]
Posted by Deborah Bates on April 10th, 2013 at 12:39 am
Content marketers: Be your own press regulator
Posted by Deborah Bates on March 19th, 2013 at 7:37 am
There's been lots of speculation around the announcement from David Cameron that the government will create anew system of press regulation within the UK, which will replace the Press Complaints Commission. An independent press regulator and accompanying code of conduct (written by the industry itself) is to be established, which will decide whether or not publishers have breached any ethical guidelines. Although most of us working in the media saw this coming, it may have been a little surprising to find out that the regulations will apply to online content, too - even if publishers don't opt in to them.
Content marketers - this isn't your cue to panic.
All you have to do is take action now to ensure your content meets all ethical and quality best practice guidelines. Admittedly this will require a bit of time, effort and ongoing work; however it's absolutely necessary if you wish to maintain your brand's reputation as a white-hat publisher... and actually, it's not so difficult. So, how can you become your own regulator?
1. Set up a house style guide
Create a house style guide for your brand and circulate amongst every single member of staff. You may think only the regular content contributors need to see this,... Read more
Five things Scrabble and content marketing have in common
Posted by Deborah Bates on March 5th, 2013 at 3:22 am
It’s probably no surprise to hear that content marketing and Scrabble aren't so dissimilar. To a certain extent, achieving great success in either requires a little bit of luck. Plus, they both require a pro-active attitude, a head for words and the courage to go where no-one has gone before. Ok, that sounds a little dramatic, but you get the gist!
In fact, the two have so much in common that there are many ways in which content marketers can take inspiration from this much-loved board game. Here are five to get you started...
1. It’s all about balance
Balance is vital in Scrabble. Experienced players will tell you that having a balanced rack of letters (ideally with four consonants and three vowels) is really important if they’re to land that all-elusive quadruple-word score.
It’s key in content marketing, too. Brands need to strike a balance between all sorts of things – stock and flow content, word-based and visual pieces, serious and light-hearted topics... In fact, it’s key to creating content that appeals to people at all stages of the buying cycle.
2. Strategy is a must
Serious Scrabble players often start forming a strategy in their minds as soon as their first word hits the board. They... Read more
