I am a music geek… and I loves me some Pink Floyd. David Gillmore is amazing, and their songs are well-produced and thought-provoking. One of my favorites is “Welcome to the Machine” which explores themes of disillusionment, alienation, and the dehumanizing effects of systems of power, particularly in the music industry.

I also believe as transformational as computers have become in our lives, they, too, can be alienating and dehumanizing.

We have officially transitioned from the information economy to the attention economy.

The Information Economy has significantly transformed B2B business, driving a shift towards data-driven decision-making and digital transactions. In this paradigm, companies leverage information and communication technologies (ICT) to streamline business.

The Attention Economy has profoundly impacted B2B business, transforming companies' engagement with clients and prospects. In this new paradigm, marketers face the challenge of capturing and retaining the scarce attention of decision-makers amidst an overwhelming flood of information.

This shift has necessitated a shift away from traditional mass marketing strategies and toward more targeted, personalized approaches. Companies now focus on creating high-value, engaging content that resonates with their audience’s needs and pain points.

Yet, the Attention Economy emphasizes multichannel approaches. As a result, B2B marketers are increasingly adopting B2C strategies, such as storytelling and user experience optimization, to stand out in a crowded digital landscape.

Information vs Attention?

The Information Economy was about getting quality content in front of as many buyers and influencers as possible when considering business marketing. The landscape was more flexible with webinars, white papers, articles, and longer-form content that people would be willing to consume.

The Attention economy has put a premium on views and less on consumption. In 2010, a video was considered viewed or at least effective with around 30 seconds spent on the video. Today, Facebook considers 3 seconds a view, and TikTok counts a view the instant the video is played.

The average reel on Facebook is around 15 seconds, while TikTok is around 30 seconds. In 2010, the average blog post was about 500-750 words. In 2022, the average blog length has more than doubled to 1500 words.

A consumer may choose a deodorant based on a 15-second TikTok, but I doubt a business person will be willing to risk their job and career on a 15-to-30-second video. So the goal should be to get attention with a short attention-grabbing activity and lead them to consume a longer, higher quality, and detailed piece of content (either video, article, or both).

The Original Inbox

Business people spend their time sparingly, yet more consistently, on business platforms.  I believe the only real game in town is LinkedIn for my clients, but you may have a different client base or niche that could employ Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, or others.

That said, email is still the most concise and direct way to reach business people. Standing in a marketer's way are two things. First, there is a new flood of unsolicited emails that look like personalized communication. AI and sequenced automation is flooding people's inboxes. Secondly, inboxes are getting smarter. AI allows us to set priorities based on what's important to us. It won't be long before IT departments will start making those decisions for us.

One space is not being flooded with solicitations and cannot be controlled by AI. It's the original inbox—the postal mailbox.

The Inbox Cunnundrum

The main difference between the email inbox and the postal inbox is often looked at as cost. It can cost pennies to send to either. Email costs a fraction of a cent to send, while it costs 50¢ to 70¢ to send a postcard. Email tends to have a 20-40% deliverability. But, if you have the correct mailing address for somebody's postal box, you have a 90% or greater deliverability, which is 2-4 times more successful than email.

This is why I was pontificating about the virtues of personal connections and using them to gather accurate data. If you can get a postcard to where people will collect it and bring it into their space, you have a 90% chance of it being seen.

As an example, we have a communal mailbox. I walk my dog, Layla, to the mailbox daily to collect whatever is in the box and then stick it in my jacket until I get home. Then I look at every piece. Most get recycled while the bills and checks enter my office. The point is that every piece of mail gets a once over and leaves an impression. Not every piece creates action, but it certainly gets attention.

That means the postal box is much more likely to get attention than the email inbox. (And don't get me started on text solicitations!)

The Digital Inbox

The digital equivalent, which is more flooded than a postal box but less crowded and controlled by AI, is the message inbox in Linkedin. Just like junk mail, if you spam people who don't know you (especially after just connecting), it will be viewed and acted upon just like spam in an email box. See-Click-Delete.

If you have an established relationship and send a birthday wish or a “How are you doing… Let's connect up for a chat” message, you have a 90% chance it will be seen and get attention. Just like the snail mail piece that is seen and recycled, it may not create action now, but if it continues to get attention, it does what it's intended to do.

The Digital Inbox Part 2

We are seeing an increase in companies scrubbing their client data. What I mean is that they are looking at their CRM or accounting data and copying and filtering in spreadsheets (by the way, my company does that for them). What we are finding is that around two-thirds of those contacts are not on their email lists, and only about 20% are connected to their company or people on LinkedIn.

We are creating a one-time email list and sending them a simple email thanking them for being a customer while letting them know they are not subscribed. It encourages them to stay and give it a try, but it also has a button to unsubscribe. We also suggest they connect with their account executive or CSR on LinkedIn.

We are still in the process, but we expect that at least half of them will stay, increasing our email reach to almost 70%.

Also, we are updating mailing information and are going to use postcards with a QR code to entice them to read articles and watch webinars on their website.

Closing Thought

The art of getting personal is going to become more of a norm than being part of the “AI Machine.” Automation is great at some things but not at developing relationships.

It takes that personal touch to build trust. Especially the trust it takes to give out mailing information or feel there is value in your emails coming into their inboxes.

In this attention economy, trying to get attention is great, but is it gonna help make you “Money,” or will you be perceived as just another “Brick in the Wall?”

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Comment below and share your thoughts, ideas, or questions about business-to-business sales and marketing today! Do you have a sales or marketing communications strategy that works for you? What tips or techniques can you share that work for you and your business?

To learn more about this and other topics on B2b Sales & Marketing, visit our podcast website at The Bacon Podcast.