Attention spans are shorter than ever; make sure your copy adapts!
By Adam Mohrbacher
In William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, one line has always stuck out to me: “Brevity is the soul of wit.” As with most things, the bard was spot-on when he wrote those words. What the line means is that you can say more with less. Anyone who has tried to write effective marketing copy in 2025 can appreciate this wisdom. Marketers today often face the formidable challenge of trying to reach audiences whose attention spans have been radically shortened by digital technology and social media. To have your message still land in such an environment, you must always prioritize short, snackable content tailored for web-based audiences. Check out what this means in practical terms.
Short sentences and strong verbs
One great way to connect with distracted, digitally connected audiences is to prioritize short sentences and strong verbs in your writing. The reason is because the way people read online is different from how they read books. When people read articles, blogs or web copy, they scan more than anything else. Short sentences clarify meaning, while strong verbs carry power that moves readers’ eyes across the page or screen. To put it another way, short sentences and strong verbs inject your writing with energy and impact, which is ideal whether you are trying to raise awareness or encourage conversions.
Always lead with value
Just as important is to lead with your company’s value proposition. Audiences today often bounce between several screens at once and peruse content until something catches their eye. Even when readers do stop and check out an online message, they frequently don’t make it past the first few lines. To avoid this, you should immediately answer the question “What’s in it for my audience?” by putting the benefit before the background. That’s the best strategy to get audiences to stop and give you the time of day. They will understand in a flash how you are going to help solve their pressing problems.
Stick to a conversational tone
Lastly, if there is one thing that makes people tune out quickly it is corporate jargon. Every day we see words like “seamless,” “scalable,” “cutting-edge” and many, many more. These words don’t really mean anything to your average reader, and they will not waste time trying to figure them out. Using clear, conversational language is a far better approach. To accomplish this, write as you talk with a good colleague or friend. It’s not easy to strip out all these vague, meaningless buzzwords, but it’s well worth the effort. Audiences crave authenticity and human connection more than ever, which is no surprise in our AI age. And by delivering this in your copy, you’ll hold their attention longer, which will pay short- and long-term dividends for your business.
Always listen to the bard
To close out, it feels appropriate to bring up one more Shakespeare quote. This one comes from Julius Caesar, which was first performed in 1599 for a rapt audience. In the play, the character Cassius remarks, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” Even though these words flowed from Shakespeare’s quill over four centuries ago, they are the perfect summation for the how we must approach marketing in 2025. Larger trends have completely reshaped what it means to leave an impact on our target audiences. But that doesn’t mean that we are powerless. We have it within us to meet the moment or not, and the tips and tricks we’ve discussed here can help ensure your agency falls into the former camp. ” As with most things, the bard was spot-on when he wrote those words. What the line means is that you can say more with less. Anyone who has tried to write effective marketing copy in 2025 can appreciate this wisdom. Marketers today often face the formidable challenge of trying to reach audiences whose attention spans have been radically shortened by digital technology and social media. To have your message still land in such an environment, you must always prioritize short, snackable content tailored for web-based audiences. Check out what this means in practical terms.
Short sentences and strong verbs
One great way to connect with distracted, digitally connected audiences is to prioritize short sentences and strong verbs in your writing. The reason is because the way people read online is different from how they read books. When people read articles, blogs or web copy, they scan more than anything else. Short sentences clarify meaning, while strong verbs carry power that moves readers’ eyes across the page or screen. To put it another way, short sentences and strong verbs inject your writing with energy and impact, which is ideal whether you are trying to raise awareness or encourage conversions.
Always lead with value
Just as important is to lead with your company’s value proposition. Audiences today often bounce between several screens at once and peruse content until something catches their eye. Even when readers do stop and check out an online message, they frequently don’t make it past the first few lines. To avoid this, you should immediately answer the question “What’s in it for my audience?” by putting the benefit before the background. That’s the best strategy to get audiences to stop and give you the time of day. They will understand in a flash how you are going to help solve their pressing problems.
Stick to a conversational tone
Lastly, if there is one thing that makes people tune out quickly it is corporate jargon. Every day we see words like “seamless,” “scalable,” “cutting-edge” and many, many more. These words don’t really mean anything to your average reader, and they will not waste time trying to figure them out. Using clear, conversational language is a far better approach. To accomplish this, write as you talk with a good colleague or friend. It’s not easy to strip out all these vague, meaningless buzzwords, but it’s well worth the effort. Audiences crave authenticity and human connection more than ever, which is no surprise in our AI age. And by delivering this in your copy, you’ll hold their attention longer, which will pay short- and long-term dividends for your business.
Always listen to the bard
To close out, it feels appropriate to bring up one more Shakespeare quote. This one comes from Julius Caesar, which was first performed in 1599 for a rapt audience. In the play, the character Cassius remarks, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.” Even though these words flowed from Shakespeare’s quill over four centuries ago, they are the perfect summation for the how we must approach marketing in 2025. Larger trends have completely reshaped what it means to leave an impact on our target audiences. But that doesn’t mean that we are powerless. We have it within us to meet the moment or not, and the tips and tricks we’ve discussed here can help ensure your agency falls into the former camp.
