How many tabs do you have open right now? For me, it’s 16, but it’s only 10:00 am and I know there will be many more by the end of the day. How many times have you picked up your phone or clicked away to another tab since you started reading this? If you’re like me, the answer is probably more than you’d like to admit.
Low attention spans and trouble focusing are no longer just a problem for people with ADHD, like me, they’re a problem for most of us. And if you’re someone who needs to communicate with an audience, also like me, you know your distracted audience is getting more difficult to reach. Thankfully, there are proven strategies from ADHD research that are helpful for marketers.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
According to the CDC, 15.5 million U.S. adults, around 4 to 5% of the population, have an ADHD diagnosis. An Ohio State University study found that another 25% of adults suspect they have undiagnosed ADHD. Even if you set aside diagnosis entirely, most of us are dealing with some version of low self-esteem around productivity, time management struggles, difficulty staying organized, procrastination, restlessness, analysis paralysis, or working memory hiccups. Sound familiar?
Layer on top of that our collective relationship with our devices. Nielsen’s 2023 research found the average American spends seven hours a day on digital media (not even counting social media), which cuts attention span for non-digital tasks by 22%. More than half of us, 57%, consider ourselves “addicted” to our smartphones, and 68% of workers say they’re regularly distracted by email and social media on the job.
So, what does this mean for you and your audience? In 2003, the average person could stay focused on a single task for 2.5 minutes. Today, according to National Geographic, that number has dropped to about 40 seconds.
As if shrinking attention spans weren’t enough, we’re also drowning in content. Adobe reports that 71% of social media images today are AI-generated or AI-edited and 74% of new webpages include some form of AI content. At the same time, 78% of businesses use AI in at least one business function and 88% of digital marketers use it in their day-to-day roles — because it works. It’s not going away, and that means the bar for standing out just got higher.
How to Reverse the Trend
The good news is that the same science that explains why attention is so hard to hold also tells us how to earn it back.
Understand what actually drives focus. For neurodivergent brains especially, attention isn’t rule-based; it’s interest-based. Novelty, passion, challenge, and urgency are what light up the brain, not obligation. Boredom, on the other hand, genuinely lowers dopamine and brain stimulation, which is why it can feel a lot like torture. If your content doesn’t spark interest or signal importance, it’s fighting an uphill battle before it even starts.
Lean into influence, not just information. People are craving human connection more than ever, precisely because their feeds are flooded with polished, AI-generated content. Feature real photos, real quotes, and real stories from your audience and your team. Share the spotlight by highlighting community impact, user-generated content, and shoutouts. And let go of the idea that everything needs to be perfect. Imperfect, authentic content is often what people trust most right now.
Choose your moments wisely. Not every trending topic or “National ___ Day” is worth your energy. Stick to what reinforces your expertise, resonates with your audience, aligns with your brand, and skip the rest.
Say it, and then say it again. Average email open rates hover around 15-25%, and only 2-5% of your social audience sees any single organic post. That’s exactly why sharing the same messages isn’t lazy — it’s necessary. The Rule of Seven still holds true: people generally need to encounter your message multiple times before they act on it. Just make sure quality doesn’t get sacrificed for repetition.
Use the science of reward. Distracted audiences respond to rewards delivered at regular intervals. This is the same thing that makes it so hard to put your phone down. Translate that into your events, meetings, and content: phones down, voices up, use the clock intentionally, celebrate wins along the way, and build in time to reflect on what worked.
Never skip accessibility. None of this matters if your audience can’t actually understand your message. Clear fonts, high contrast, plain language, image alt text, and video captions aren’t extras — they’re the baseline. And you’re very likely helping more people than you realize. Find more accessibility tips here.
Measuring What Matters
Not everything needs a dashboard. Reflection after an event is qualitative — trust it. Post-event surveys, member participation, retention, and membership growth are your quantitative signals. Together, they tell you whether your content is actually landing, not just going out.
So, do you have ADHD?
I don’t know the answer to that question. But I do know that many people you are trying to reach look a lot like someone with ADHD.
So remember, the next time you’re crafting a campaign, an email, or an event, ask yourself: am I fighting for 40 seconds of attention, or am I earning it?
