Are they paying attention? CAN they?
Here’s exactly how to make it easy for them to really hear you.
Have you designed your Content in a way that peeps are capable of taking it in?
When we work WITH our audience’s neuroscience – rather than against – we make it soooo much easier for them to hear us.
By understanding how the brain works just a teeeeensy little bit, you can directly apply this to how you devise Content.
Because humans are just humans, not machines or robots.
We just aren’t designed to endlessly take in or apply new information!!
Neuroscience Timing Tip #1 — You have 20 seconds to make it relevant.
We get 20 seconds from their first glance on that post, vid, or pod, to demonstrate that THIS is relevant for them.
Anything longer than that in getting to the f***ing point, and they’re already gone!
Our brain establishes relevance within 20 seconds, and moves on when it’s not.
So clearly and quickly showing them exactly why this bit of content matters for them is essential.
It’s important to get to the point, meaning relevance for them, so the audience isn’t lost.
You could do that with imagery, a story, a question, a direct callout, or any number of ways, but three chunky, blocky, un-broken paragraphs before you give them relevance just ain’t gonna cut it!
Neuroscience Timing Tip #2 — You have 15-20 minutes to land a single dose of information.
It’s got nothing to do with how fascinating you are, or how interested they are!
Humans can’t continue to take in new material for longer than 20 minutes without a break.
If we push past 15-20 minutes in an unbroken stream of us talking, we risk their brain just dumping it back out.
They don’t mean to.
We just aren’t wired to take in a constant influx of data.
So make sure you are providing brain breaks.
Brain breaks allow for processing and internalizing to occur.
They can include activities, exercises, interactive discussion, or stepping away.
Whatever you do, please don’t talk at someone for 20 minutes without pause, and still expect them to digest it!
Instead, break topics into smaller segments, keep vids to under 15 minutes, erring on the side of short over long.
Unless your content or training is interactive and you’re going to include an activity or discussion, a break should happen at the 15-min mark or sooner.
This applies to all forms of training, educating, etc., and is especially true for hard-to-digest material.
Neuroscience Timing Tip #3 — You have 24 hours for them to apply this to their life, and thus keep it.
Any new data that is brought in but has NOT found an application is ditched after 24 hours.
New information needs to remain relevant to be stored by the brain.
So in order to help ensure they will remember what you’ve said, it reeeeally helps to offer a simple takeaway.
Finding a way to create immediate relevance will help them store this new information.
So keeping “action items” and “to do’s” as SIMPLE and QUICK as possible, will help them do in 24 hours.
If you suggest a monumental task to complete, the chances they’ll do it within 24 hours are quite small.
Offer a simple, FAST, and EASY takeaway that they are likely to complete immediately.
Neuroscience Timing Tip #4 — It’s important to REINFORCE with Consistency.
The more exposure we have to something, the more it “sticks.”
When neurons repeatedly fire, they reinforce the neural pathways of that thought or activity.
So once the groundwork is laid with your 20-sec capture, your 15-min instruction, and your 24-hr takeaway, you then can reinforce your message with them.
The more you show up with your Content consistently and regularly, the more they are going to “get it.”
There are lots of easy ways to make Consistency easier, such as Re-Purposing Content and using a Content Library.
Being consistent really helps your audience to stay connected with your message and the genius knowledge you’ve imparted, and become familiar with your personality and brand.
Consistency builds trust, and also adds to that neural network of material you’ve helped your audience to lay down.
So now, in the spirit of a 24-hour application of this:
How can you select just one of these tips and start using it?
Can you choose to shorten future vids to 15 minutes?
Can you commit to reviewing your opening lines?
Can you add in brain breaks, or easy takeaways?
Start with just choosing one, and make it EASY!!
How can you be creative with this?
What other ways could you implement these neuroscience-based tips?
Have FUN and get crafty with it!
xx
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