We only have two seconds to get two additional seconds of attention

2 exact seconds. That is the time you have to get the attention of the audience. And if you get it, there will be another 2 seconds to confirm that what you are going to say really matters to them.

This is the main challenge faced by communicators and experts in media relations, as a consequence of the enormous volume of information that we all receive each day. With the new technologies, which undoubtedly make us reach new places, disrepute, false news and worthless information have also arrived. And of course, all this, without forgetting the informative manipulation that is exercised from some areas.

As experts in communication and public relations, leaders of the sector in the very near future, we have important challenges to address in order to provide more value, not only to the campaigns of our clients, but also to the society we are developing.

From this article we want to address the 4 essential keys on which the priorities of the communication experts should be based and, therefore, the communication campaigns of the brands that really want to leave their mark and keep growing. On these bases, relevant concepts that generate impact are developed, campaigns that, ultimately, not only promote their products and services, but also listen to the audience and get involved in the same movements and causes.

1. Analytical capacity: you should not only execute what the sales team asks, the companies also have to have a “heart”. We have our own opinion as a company and a point of view to share with the audience and society.

2. The values that move companies and the world must structure the campaigns that we develop. Behind the target to which we go there are people. Therefore, let’s think about what they need, what they think or where they want to go.

3. In the same way, the information that is offered to the media must be momentous from a widespread point of view, with a relevant economic and social impact. Before generating a content, let’s think about what is necessary to gain their attention and that they dedicate their time or space to us in a means of communication.

4. And all of this without forgetting that creativity also plays an important role. You can communicate a news event from many points of view, but to gain relevance, creativity must be a fundamental pillar of communication consultants.

Keeping in mind these parameters we will be able to get the attention of the audience and connect with them, adapting the messages of the corporations to the needs and concerns of the society, providing value and an important emotional connection. All of this together to generate good stories.

It is essential to build brands based on content that are really interesting, that contribute. Content that drives the use of services or products that improve our daily life, but really based on the needs and problems of today’s society, where they become fully relevant and manage to capture those two key seconds to make our message succeed.

These are some conclusions we reached in February during the Future Communicators Accelerator event, an intensive program that brought together professionals and communication and marketing experts from a wide number of countries, agencies and organizations, during several days in San Francisco.