How to get more (and better) eyes on your work

The only way to make this post more valuable is to print it on a hundred-dollar bill.

In case you haven’t noticed, over the last decade, the global economy has transitioned from an industrial economy to an attention economy — an era where attention is the most valuable scarce resource, and business giants are investing ridiculous amounts of money trying to maximize the time and attention consumers like you give to their products.

Attention is the new oil, and everybody’s after it.

So, if you’re running (or want to run) a creative business in the digital marketplace, it’s not enough for your writing to grab people’s attention, you must also nurture it. This means throwing away the clickbaity headlines, false promises, and shitty freebies; and instead, focusing on creating memorable experiences for your audience that leave a lasting impact and keep them in your information ecosystem.

Information overload and shortened attention spans make it difficult for great products, services, and ideas to stand out and stick around unless your work is rooted in empathy — unless you write like you care.

To be entrusted with the attention of the masses — the most valuable resource in today’s economy — stop recycling predatory headlines and the same stale content; instead, show how much you care and respect your audience by speaking directly and empathetically to their pain points and showing them you see them, understand them, and are dying to help.

If you want more and better eyes on your work, stop seeking attention and start being attentive.