Writing your Anchor Brand Content

The human attention span is less than a goldfish.

8 to 12 seconds.

That’s how long we have, before we get distracted by something else.

This isn’t surprising, in a world where we are exposed to an average of 5000 advertisements every day. We have to be selective with our attention, just to handle the volume of demands.

That’s why it’s so important to get to the point. Creating your Anchor Brand Content gives you a solid place to return to, when it’s time to share your message.

Whenever I introduce myself or talk about the value I provide, here’s what I say to people:

“I help experts and entrepreneurs set up smart marketing systems.”

Sticky, clear, and short.

In the length of one statement, you know if I have the kind of value that would make a longer conversation interesting to you. Ten words is all it takes – but it took me a long time to get to those ten words.

This clarity cuts through the noise. I don’t have to waste twenty minutes with someone who works in a customer service, who is retired, or doesn’t have their own website. The types of people I want to talk with are the ones who want smart marketing systems, and they don’t know how to set things up by themselves.

There are three lengths to your Anchor Brand Content:

the Personal Statement is the shortest distillation
the Elevator Pitch is a 1-2 minute overview
the Biography is a few paragraphs

According to Jeffrey Hayzlett, the average length of an elevator ride in New York city is 118 seconds. During the length of one elevator ride, you should be able to describe who you are, what you do and why you’re amazing.

Your elevator pitch works best when it’s sticky, clear and short.

If your pitch goes longer than a minute, it’ll only work if you’re in a skyscraper. If it’s not sticky, people will forget you. If it’s not clear, people will get confused, and they won’t know what you do, or why it matters. If it’s not short, people are going to get distracted.

Can you hook someone’s attention in 8-12 seconds?

Here’s my elevator pitch for digital marketing:

I started my career as an acrobat in the circus. When I was a street performer, I learned how to earn and maintain the attention of an audience. Now I apply those skills to marketing, where I earn and maintain the attention of a demographic. I make websites, content marketing campaigns, and videos for people who want to connect dramatically with their audience.

A good elevator pitch works on short attention spans, if it’s quick and well rehearsed. You don’t want to fumble and mumble your way through it, trying to figure out what to say. Your elevator pitch should elevate you, and improve your reputation. Too often, unprepared professionals lose credibility when they can’t speak well of themselves.

I have different elevator pitches that I use for my work as a virtual speaker, as a business coach, and as a productivity trainer. I can select whichever one suits the occasion best, because I have pre-written and memorized them all in advance.

When someone asks, ‘What do you do?’ you want to clearly recite the best version of your branding message.

That’s why I made the Anchor Brand Content workbook. This Google doc helps you articulate what to say about yourself, so you’re ready when someone asks.