Attention Spans in PR: Creating a New Kind of Content

Digital Public Relations

8.25 seconds. That’s how long the average human attention span is. In today’s episode of the Digital PR Podcast, AJ Scilla and Patrick Creedon dive into the difficulties Public Relations practitioners face in the age of a dwindling attention span. Getting your message across to your audience quickly is more important than ever, and Scilla and Creedon will dive into effective methods to keep your audience engaged while communicating your messages. They’ll also explore how first impressions, storytelling, and the use of influencers play roles in capturing and maintaining views. 1:25 – Creating Snackable Content: PR content should hook the viewer's attention right away, emphasizing the importance of capturing attention within 8 seconds. 3:07 – Visual Overstimulation in Social Media: The role of visuals in engagement is highlighted, with examples like TikTok and Instagram using overstimulating visuals to keep users engaged. 4:12 – Why the Right Audience Matters: AJ and Patrick stress the importance of knowing your audience well enough to cater content to their interests. 5:41 – AI in Content Creation: The hosts discuss AI’s use in content creation by generating hooks. 7:17 – Storytelling as a Strategy: They delve into the importance of storytelling and that it creates emotional connections and keeps viewers invested, even in longer format content. 10:03 – Influencer Marketing as an Attention Hook: AJ and Patrick talk about how influencers can act as “hooks” to grab attention and the role of celebrity endorsements in capturing audiences. 13:00 - The Importance of First Impressions: The episode concludes by explaining why first impressions are important, and how every aspect of a content plan should come together in a video.