Quote from James A.Hart on July 16, 2025, 9:17 pmIn today’s online world, the most valuable thing your business can earn isn’t clicks, leads, or even sales—it’s attention.
Before a customer ever opts in, watches your video, or makes a purchase, they first “pay” you with something far more precious than money: their focus. That moment of attention is the first transaction in every funnel. It’s what allows everything else to happen.
You’re Competing in the Attention Arena
Most marketers still think their biggest competition is the business down the street or the other store running Google Ads. But that’s no longer true.
The real competition?
- 6,000+ shows on Netflix
- 700,000+ active podcasts
- 5 billion+ YouTube videos
- Slack, email, WhatsApp, TikTok, two browsers, and 42 open tabs
This is what you’re up against every time you run an ad.
You’re not just fighting other businesses—you’re fighting every app, every screen, and every dopamine-triggering platform that wants your audience’s attention more than you do.
The Harsh Truth About Online Marketing Today
If your ads and content don’t stand out, they get ignored.
If they’re boring, they get skipped.
If they don’t entertain, educate, or hook someone instantly, you’re paying top dollar for zero engagement.People scroll fast. Platforms like Facebook and TikTok know this—and penalize boring content. Even a small drop in attention means lower reach, higher CPMs, and worse results.
This is why the first sale is always the sale for attention.
So How Do You Win?
You don’t earn attention—you hijack it.
You do this by:
- Understanding your market better than anyone else
- Creating ads that interrupt patterns
- Speaking your customer’s language
- Making your ads look like native content, not ads
- Delivering real value upfront
Most importantly, you must recognize that attention is the gateway to every result you want.
If you can consistently win attention—and hold it—you will win in marketing. No matter how crowded the space becomes.
In today’s online world, the most valuable thing your business can earn isn’t clicks, leads, or even sales—it’s attention.
Before a customer ever opts in, watches your video, or makes a purchase, they first “pay” you with something far more precious than money: their focus. That moment of attention is the first transaction in every funnel. It’s what allows everything else to happen.
Most marketers still think their biggest competition is the business down the street or the other store running Google Ads. But that’s no longer true.
The real competition?
This is what you’re up against every time you run an ad.
You’re not just fighting other businesses—you’re fighting every app, every screen, and every dopamine-triggering platform that wants your audience’s attention more than you do.
If your ads and content don’t stand out, they get ignored.
If they’re boring, they get skipped.
If they don’t entertain, educate, or hook someone instantly, you’re paying top dollar for zero engagement.
People scroll fast. Platforms like Facebook and TikTok know this—and penalize boring content. Even a small drop in attention means lower reach, higher CPMs, and worse results.
This is why the first sale is always the sale for attention.
You don’t earn attention—you hijack it.
You do this by:
Most importantly, you must recognize that attention is the gateway to every result you want.
If you can consistently win attention—and hold it—you will win in marketing. No matter how crowded the space becomes.
Copyright © 2025 James The Marketer