Multiple Screens Limit Consumers’ Attention Span For Marketing Messages

The other day I came across new research conducted by YouGov on behalf of on-demand software provider Responsys. The survey revealed that Britons, who use multiple devices at the same time, are more difficult to entice through online marketing initiatives, as they dedicate just half a minute of their time to engage with brands’ messages.

Consumers now engage with a huge variety of devices every day. These devices include smartphones, laptops, TVs, tablets, and phablets, and they are causing enormous distraction. As a result, interaction with multiple devices significantly limits the amount of time it takes for a person to concentrate on one particular marketing message without losing interest. According to the survey, which polled over 2,000 Britons, consumers now switch between screens all the time to perform a variety of activities like surfing the web, social networking, TV watching, and sending messages. Multiple screening is now popular with 44% of respondents, who say they engage in the practice at least once a week.

The increase in access to multiple devices, along with growing volumes of digital information, makes consumers more selective about the messages they pay attention to from brands. For instance, 50% of users spend up to 30 seconds on marketing emails, while 32% dedicate the same amount of time on marketing SMS texts. Brand messages appearing on social networks and tweets, along with other content posted on social media, can win the attention of just 27% of respondents for 30 seconds or even less.

The increasing number of digital touchpoints and the ability to interact with a brand with just a click is raising the bar even higher for marketers, given consumers’ abundance of options and their constantly growing requirements. According to Responsys, the key to capturing the attention of the modern-day distracted consumer is by making a thorough review of current marketing strategies, with focus on users’ limited attention span, as well as their individual interests and preferences.