We spend every day searching (online and in life): for answers (the real story), for people, love and laughter, for products or services, for fun. Or because something new might be more interesting.
“For persuaders, the thing to remember is that in offline traditional media advertising stories, the product or service is the hero that makes people’s lives better,’’ argues Josh Weltman, the ad veteran who co-produced Mad Men. “But in online digital and social media, customers are the heroes of their own stories.’’
Weltman stresses: “Messages about products and services are appreciated only to the extent that they support and advance the story of the hero (and online, that’s always the customer).’’
Meet needs, answer questions. In other words, we search online to find something for ourselves.
Your answer either satisfies us (and we continue digesting your message) or we are left unsatisfied and quickly move onto the next option.
We dubbed this pattern the Six Second Rule (you have seconds to satisfy or be forgotten). That need for instant answers is one reason The Atlantic famously asked Is Google making us stupid?
Traditional marketing and advertising messages, Weltman stresses,
