Author: Duke & Duck
In today’s fast-paced and digital world, you have about 8-seconds to make an impact. The best way to get your viewer’s attention is with bright colors, clear visuals, and a gripping story. These elements are excellent at capturing and keeping your audience. Let’s dive into these tips below.
Bright Colors
When you see a red car zoom by you notice it, right? That same thinking applies to ads and visual content, too. Bold, bright colors help attract the eye and bring an audience member closer to your content (GCU, 2019).
When developing your visuals, think about how you want the audience to feel. Will a bright red grab their attention and make them feel energetic and excited? Or will using purple help evoke a feeling of wealth and mystery? Since we associate certain colors with emotions and feelings, choosing colors that support your content helps build a connection between you and the audience. If you want to see examples of brands and their color stories, check out The Psychology of Colour in Advertising. The article goes in-depth about how colors can impassion people and drive them towards a product or service.
Clear Visuals
When it comes to social channels like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn, posts with imagery are the most used content style to increase audience engagement. (Hubspot, 2020) It makes sense then that when users scroll or swipe through a platform, your content needs to stand out.
Keep your message clear, literally and figuratively. Use easy-to-read fonts with visuals supporting your message. The amount of text should be minimal so readers can scan quickly. Make sure your CTA (Call to Action) or contact information is plainly stated so audiences know what they can do next!
A Gripping Story
If you want to get your viewer’s attention, you need to tell a good story. If you think about a Super Bowl ad, for example, some of them tell wild stories that make you laugh or think, making them memorable. With most marketing campaigns you don’t have to go as crazy as a Super Bowl ad, but you do want your audience to remember your story and what you were trying to achieve.
To get someone’s attention, start with a great opener! Hook them with your problem or product (the pants don’t fit, the chips are super flavorful, the hospital needs more donations, etc). Next, move into how you propose to solve the problem or achieve your goal (buy a belt, share the chips, donate money, etc). And finally, close your piece with what the viewer should do next (visit the online shop, buy in stores, send a check, etc).
So, do you have your bright colors picked out to catch a viewer’s eye? Are your visuals clear and crisp to communicate your idea? Is your story compelling from beginning to end, begging viewers to learn more? If your answer is YES to all of these questions, then you’re sure to get your viewer’s attention (and keep it)!
Which of your ads or projects performed best because of tools like these. Is there a style that you think grabs attention more than others? We want to know!
