The competition isn’t just other businesses—it’s every piece of information, entertainment, and noise in their feed.

Everywhere you turn, someone’s telling you that people’s attention spans are shrinking. That we can’t focus anymore. That if your message isn’t under eight seconds, you’ve lost your audience.

I don’t buy it.

We’re not losing our ability to pay attention—we’re evolving the way we use it. With more information at our fingertips than ever before, we’ve simply gotten better at filtering. We’re quicker to decide what matters and what doesn’t.

It’s not unlike what our ancestors did. Imagine them out on the great plains. Survival depended on noticing what was important—tracking the movement of prey, scanning for signs of danger—while tuning out everything else. They didn’t have the luxury of paying attention to everything. Neither do we.

Today, the object is your next client, the danger is wasted time, and the hunt is for what matters most to you. We skip the rest, not because we can’t focus, but because we’ve become more discerning.

So what does this mean for your business?

If your audience is filtering harder than ever, your marketing has to earn its way through the filter. That means being:

1. Clear – Remove extra words, vague phrases, and filler. If someone can’t tell within a second or two what you’re offering, you’ve lost them.

                        Example: Instead of “Helping you find solutions for your home,” try “We repair, replace, and install—fast.” This blog title started out “It’s Not a Shorter Attention Span—It’s Stronger Filters” and finished with. “Attention Span Isn’t Shorter—Filters Are Stronger”

1. Relevant – Speak to their priorities, not your list of features.

                         Example: If you’re a resort, lead with “Skip the drive—be on the beach in 3 minutes from your room” instead of “We have 42 rooms and a lake view.”

1. Compelling – Give them a reason to act now, not later.

                         Example: “Book before Friday for a free upgrade” works better than “We’re open year-round.”

Practical Tips to Pass the Filter Test:

• Lead with the win – Put the benefit or problem-solver in your first sentence or headline.
• Use micro-messages – Think short, impactful lines that work in scrolling feeds.
• Match the medium – An Instagram Story should grab attention visually; a LinkedIn post might lean on a strong stat or quote.
• Test and trim – Run A/B tests on ads or posts. Drop the fluff. Keep what works.
• Make it scannable – Use bold, bullets, and white space so your content feels easy to digest.

Final thoughts:

The truth is, your audience have become skilled hunters in the information wild, scanning quickly, locking onto what matters, and ignoring the rest. As a business owner, you can either resent this reality or adapt to it. When you embrace the filter, you stop wasting energy shouting into the void and start speaking directly to the people who are ready to hear you. The reward? Not just more attention, but better attention—the kind that converts browsers into buyers, and strangers into loyal customers.

Your audience isn’t tuning out because they can’t focus. They’re tuning out because they’ve decided your message doesn’t matter to them—yet.

Your job is to make it matter, faster.

If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about by all means, comment below or direct message and I’ll do my best.

Nothing better than a good question to jump into.

Reach out for a talk over coffee or a hike, I give information freely. I only ask to be paid when I do the work. tgold@bigwaterci.com

Comment below or share.

Trina Gold

Master Creator

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