Your 7 second marketing plan is the difference between content that gets read and content that gets ignored. Seven seconds is all you have to make a first impression. So what’s your plan?
I’m not writing this to scare you. Actually, I’m writing it to reassure you. When you properly craft your content, seven seconds is plenty of time to get your point across. You just have to be strategic about it.
Seven seconds. What can you do in seven seconds? Post a picture on Facebook? Tie your shoes? Pour yourself a cup of coffee? It goes by in a flash. That’s why it feels so daunting to hear that you only have seven seconds to catch someone’s attention. By the time you even process that information, seven seconds is already up.
What Your 7 Second Marketing Plan Actually Needs
Your plan comes down to three things. The headline, the subheadline, and the content. Get these right and seven seconds is more than enough time to hook a reader and keep them.
The Headline
The first thing anyone reads is the headline. It’s big, bold, and vital. It shows up in Google searches, on news feeds, and in email subject lines. If you’re reading this right now, there’s a good chance the headline is what brought you here.
That’s why you should never rush it. Spend ten times more time on your headline than on any other part of your post or article. Keep it straightforward. Avoid plays on words or industry-specific language. This is where you attract as many readers as possible, so make it relatable to the widest audience you can reach.
The Subheadline
The headline tells the story. The subheadline draws the reader in. It’s there to create curiosity, spark a smile, or deliver a small shock that makes someone want to know more.
Don’t underestimate it. The subheadline does as much heavy lifting as the headline, and most people skip right over it without giving it the attention it deserves.
The Content
This is the biggest part of your 7 second marketing plan, but in many ways it’s also the most straightforward. Whatever you promised in the headline and subheadline, you deliver here. That’s the whole job.
Your content needs to be rich with useful information. It cannot be thrown together. Your first paragraph carries most of the weight, so make it easy to read, specific, and valuable. Don’t use it to recap what the headline already said.
After the first paragraph, most readers skim. That’s why breaking your content into short, digestible sections matters so much. Large blocks of text push people away. So do long, winding sentences.
Add images where they add something. Infographics work particularly well for breaking up a point and adding a visual layer. Short internal subheadings help too.
Most importantly, write the way you talk. Imagine the reader is sitting right across from you and you’re explaining something over coffee. Let the words flow like a conversation, not like a term paper. Keep the language accessible. Avoid industry jargon that only insiders would understand. If you want the largest possible audience, write for the largest possible audience.
That’s really what your 7 second marketing plan comes down to. A headline that grabs, a subheadline that hooks, and content that actually delivers. Get those three things right and seven seconds is all you need.
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