To catch attention online, be witty and pithy

 The rule for effective communication on online channels can be summarised by three “C” s: Clear, concise, and consumable. These three words can be wrapped up with one word: brevity. Netizens detest lengthy texts and video clips. Like bees to flowers, netizens are lured by pithy and catchy content.

Online audiences are so distracted that one must be strategic and witty to catch them. A study conducted by Microsoft Corp indicates that people generally start to lose concentration after about eight seconds. Therefore, in one minute, the average online person will have jumped to at least six video clips, posts, or texts.

Short attention span aside, long content eats more data and constrains bandwidth. In most low-income countries, most people access the internet with their phones. Download speeds are not only slow, but they are also prohibitively expensive compared to internet connection speeds and cost in rich countries.

If you want to convey a long message, you don’t have to pass it along in one go. Present it in brief, witty chunks. That way, you are more likely to get the message home compared to longer content.

TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, and other alike platforms are masters of brevity. The content that attracts the most views and likes is often the short one. TikTok users love bite-sized video content. The optimal length of those videos is between nine to 15 seconds, although you can do 60 seconds in total.

 On Twitter, videos can be no more than 140 seconds long, but those between 20-45 seconds get more views.

 The only exception to the brevity rule is Facebook Live which broadcasts events as they unfold. That can be as long as people are willing to watch, just as they watch their television programmes.

 Marketers understand that internet users suffer from a content-overload syndrome. They, therefore, use short-form videos to catch and keep the attention of buyers. They don’t try to weigh them down with a huge digital download — because they would lose them instead. Conciseness is king in marketing. 

Nike markets its brand with three memorable words: “Just Do It.” Apple says, “Think Different.” Coca Cola – “Open Happiness” and so on. While technology has significantly changed, the power of concision stays the same. Likewise, in communicating online, less is more.

 When it comes to emails, there is little room for verbosity. Short emails are more effective — they are more likely to be read compared to their lengthy counterparts. It is impossible not to read a short email because you will have already reached the end by the time you decide not to read it.

 If you manage any social media outlet, you must have noticed that pictures inspire far more engagement than their wordy counterparts. Above all, remember the witty words of William Shakespeare: “Brevity is the soul of wit.”

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