Professionals have become more selective in what content they consume, according to research.
The 2018 State of Attention Report – conducted by Censuswide for Prezi – measured the effectiveness of content and presentations with business professionals across demographics.
Some six out of 10 respondents said they can give content more undivided attention than they could a year ago. However 42% admitted they’ve become more selective about what content they consume.
A compelling story and visuals encourage professionals to consume content
Some 85% said a strong narrative was critical to maintaining audience engagement, while 81% agreed the story behind what’s being presented also helped.
Despite this only a third of business professionals said a great story keeps their focus.
Animated visuals during live presentations of content were also found by 73% of business professionals as being useful in maintaining attention.
Nadjya Ghausi, VP of marketing at Prezi, said: “Our attention spans being shorter than a goldfish’s is a grossly inaccurate rumour. These days it’s common to binge-watch for six or more hours, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t be able to pay attention in a meeting. You just need to couple your content with a compelling story and great visuals.
More than 2000 UK business professionals participated in the research.