Key Takeaways (TLDR):
Topic: How to keep your audience engaged and reduce distractions in your content, whether you’re podcasting, speaking, writing, or creating video.
What you’ll learn: We’re distracted enough! As a content creator, you can’t control the natural inclination of the mind to wander, but you can make intentional choices that make it much easier for your audience to stay with you. This post covers the mindset and preparation work that happens before you hit record or start writing, five things to avoid in spoken content, five things to actively do to keep listeners engaged, and specific tips for written content including blogs, website copy, and social posts.
Who this is for: Podcasters, speakers, workshop facilitators, and small business owners who create content in any format and want practical, specific strategies for keeping their audience focused, engaged, and coming back for more.
Written by: Emily Aborn, Small Business Copywriter and Host of the Small Business Casual Podcast, based in NH.
You only have a few seconds to win their attention...
It’s harder than ever for human beings to stay focused.
In fact, if you do a Google search on how distractible we are, you’ll get page after page of just how hard it is for us to pay attention nowadays… not exactly a newsflash.
A well-known fact about human beings is that if what they’re focusing on isn’t interesting, or if they allow themselves to get distracted, or if we distract them… they tend to check out, and we might have officially lost their attention for good.
Here are some numbers worth noting:
- 90% Of information is forgotten within a week of hearing or reading it.
- The human brain spends approx. 47% of waking hours thinking about something other than the present task.
- Comprehension drops by 17-25% when distractions enter the picture.
As a content creator, you can blame your audience’s distracted brain for a solid portion of this…
It’s not entirely you! But it’s also not entirely them.
The choices you make in how you structure, deliver, and present your content have a significant impact on how much of it actually lands.
This post and podcast episode will walk you through what you can do:
- Before you hit record or start writing
- While you’re creating
- While you’re posting and sharing
In order to keep people engaged and make your content worth sticking around for.
Start Before You Hit Record or Start Writing
The first thing you can do to help your audience stay focused is to make sure you’re not distracted yourself when you create the thing.
Before recording a podcast episode, presenting, or sitting down to write, get yourself centered:
- Close every tab you don’t need.
- Get your water, coffee, or tea lined up.
- Shut your door.
- Put your devices on “Do Not Disturb”.
- Set up a space that helps you feel focused and ready.
Then, before you dive in, answer two questions:
- Who am I speaking to? Picture one specific person. Someone you know listens to your show, reads your blog, or sits in your audience. Anchor everything you’re about to say or write to that one person.
- What does this have to do with them? What’s the main point you want them to walk away with, and why does it matter to them right now? Every piece of content your audience chooses to engage with is a small investment of their limited time and attention. Their brain is quietly asking: “Is this for me? What’s in this for me?” Make sure you have a clear answer before you begin.
Now that we’re centered, prepared, and know who we’re talking to…here are 5 don’ts and 5 do’s for keeping them engaged.
❌ 1. Don’t Info Dump
Podcasters are a great medium for offering helpful information and how-tos.
However, unless you’re delivering a lecture in podcast form or doing a news/history podcast, there’s no need to info-dump and overwhelm with every stat, fact, detail, and fancy words.
Info-dumping is any version of overloading people with TOO much:
- Long-winded explanations or backstories
- Overly detailed particulars
- Complex or confusing topics
- Stats, facts, and information
- Steps and how-tos
- Getting way too in the weeds
- Items in a list (like I’m doing to you right now to make sure you’re paying attention)
Additionally, when it comes to vocabulary, use words that are reflective of the language of your listeners’ natural way of speaking. Skip the industry jargon, complex lingo, and use relatable, conversational language.
“Sesquipedalian” is a great word for impressing your friends at a dinner party, but your podcast might not be the right place to show off your Spelling Bee prowess.
❌ 2. Don’t Be Vague or Empty
In contrast to the specific and overly detailed, is the episode that’s full of fluff, inspiration, and vagaries without any actual tangibles or practical application. Too little substance can be as bad as too much information.
The idea is to strike a balance, offering tangible action, applicable nuggets, and some memorable feel-good content.
❌ 3. Don’t Go on Side Quests
Whenever possible, avoid tangents, rabbit holes, shiny objects, and side quests that don’t serve the main point or tie in seamlessly. When you find yourself wandering off, make your way back as quickly as possible, or provide clear context for the off-roading.
Pro tip: AI can help determine which of your tangents are extra noise, and which are necessary.
❌ 4. Don’t Be Monotone or Flat
Vocal variety increases memory and retention. Vary your tone, volume, and speed (naturally, of course!) like you would when speaking with a friend, not reading an essay. Practice intentional pauses for emphasis, clarity, and a chance to reset. Listen back to your episodes with the ear of a listener to ensure you sound like the human you are, not a robot.
If at all possible, avoid recording when tired, hungry, or annoyed. And if you’re bored with your content, it might be time to ask yourself where you might need to make a shift.
❌ 5. Don’t Forget: Not Everyone Can SEE You
Even if you record video to go with your show, keep in mind that people consume podcasts in all sorts of different ways. Even with a video, many people are still just listening while they fold their laundry or walk their dog. Many podcasters refer to things throughout the episode that can only be understood if you can see it. This can be very distracting and frustrating to your listeners.
Put any visual references or resources in the show notes and direct them to check those out later, so that for now, they can sit back, listen, stay focused, and enjoy the ride without distraction.
Quick recap of the 5 Don’ts:
Don’t info dump, don’t be vague or empty, don’t go on side quests, don’t be flat or monotone, and don’t forget not everyone can see you!
Now time for the DO’s!
✅ 1. DO Use “Attention Anchors”
Attention anchors are small signals and big picture structures that help your listeners get back on track when they stray, digest information in a way that works for their brain, and keep them engaged and interested in what’s coming next.
Here are some examples:
- Summaries: This is when you recap or review the point(s) you just covered. You may say things like: “To recap the ten points…” or “So far, we’ve discussed…” It allows people to go back and relisten to anything they may have missed and also helps condense everything succinctly to bring the points home and tie themes together.
- Previews: This is when you tell them what’s coming next. For example, at the top of this blog, you knew there would be some don’ts, then some do’s. Previews keep people engaged as they look forward to where you’re taking them and they also provide a sense of psychological safety for your listeners because they can trust you have a plan and are guiding them through the content.
- The Rule of 3: Say it three times, in three different ways. Especially for more complex topics, it can be helpful to explain the subject, break it down into smaller components, give an example, tell a story, or use an analogy to help listeners understand it. Different brains process information in different ways, this helps people to interact with your content in a way that works for theirs.
- 4 Types of Structures: I’m a big fan of giving an overarching structure to her podcasts. There are four in particular I use often and even did a whole episode on them HERE. Check them out if you want to give structure a whirl in your podcast! And don’t let the word “structure” fool you, structure can open your mind to new paths of creativity.
Attention anchors and structure bring a cadence and conciseness to your episodes. Find your groove and use these in a way that feels natural to you!
✅ 2. DO Bring in YOU
You are the secret sauce. You’re the reason your listeners come back week after week. Bring in YOUR personality and let them see glimpses into your world. Using the strengths of your personality, humor, stories, and quirks are a great way to keep listeners engaged. Making someone laugh is a powerful form of connection, it grabs their attention, lets them know you are their people, and they tend to hang on your words as they wait for the next giggle or personality glimpse.
✅ 3. DO Ask Questions
Bringing in reflection questions, thought-provoking questions, and questions that show them this is relevant to them is brilliant for keeping people interested.
Remember, they’re here to know what’s in this for them, after all! The brain loves a job and giving it a question keeps it engaged and feeling as though this is an active conversation vs. just passive listening.
You don’t need too many questions, just enough to let them know their part of the conversation and you’re curious about them too!
✅ 4. DO Use Your Show Notes
Show notes, when used well, can be a great supplement to your podcast. They serve as a “handout” of sorts and can help people stay focused as you reassure them that all articles, resources, other episodes, visuals, etc. are available in the show notes. This way, they don’t to mentally juggle keeping track of what they need to remember to look up. Mention that show notes are available at the top of the episode, once again in the middle (when relevant) and again at the end prior to wrapping up.
✅ 5. DO Use Clear Calls to Action
The goal is to make it extremely easy for listeners to take the action you’d like them to. Try to keep it to one or two calls to action per episode and make it very clear what you’d like them to do next.
Make it EASY and obvious. Confusion causes hesitation, and hesitation can cause them not to take action.
A quick recap of the 5 DO’s:
Do use attention anchors, do bring in YOU, do ask questions, do use your show notes, do use clear calls to action.
I recommend listening back to a few of your most recent episodes to hear where you tend to add in unneeded distraction. Then, print out the accompanying handout to this blog and start small with just 1-2 at a time and layer on from there.
Practice makes better. So keep on practicing and refining!
On a final note, remember we’ll never be able to keep everyone interested. You can’t make them all happy, you can’t make them pay attention. That’s ok. They’re not all your people and your message will land for everyone differently.
Do your best, and blame their brains on the rest.
Because distraction is the brain’s default. Research suggests that humans spend nearly half of their waking hours thinking about something other than what’s right in front of them. Add in the constant pull of notifications, other tabs, and competing demands, and the odds are already stacked against you before your audience even starts reading or listening. The good news is that intentional content structure, storytelling, personality, and clear calls to action can significantly improve how much of your content actually lands and sticks.
A combination of things working together: being genuinely prepared and present when you record, anchoring your content with clear previews and summaries so listeners always know where they are, bringing your real personality and specific stories rather than generic information, asking questions that make the listener feel part of the conversation, and making sure your calls to action are clear and simple. The episodes that keep people listening are the ones that feel like a real conversation rather than a performance.
One or two, maximum. More than that creates decision fatigue and most people end up doing nothing. Pick the single most important action you want your audience to take and make it as clear and easy as possible. The simpler and more specific the instruction, the more likely someone is to actually follow through.
