Soapbox: Enjoy the attention glut while it lasts

Across industries, producers of “virtual events” are reporting stunning rates of attendance and engagement. Let’s face it. The NFL draft typically gets good ratings, but this year experienced audience increases of as much as 40% for some sessions. Unprecedented.  

Just last week, the team here at Third Door Media produced the virtual Discover MarTech event, which drew 5x more attendees than any MarTech conference in our history. And we did it in less than three weeks of promotional efforts. Don’t get me wrong, having nearly 9,000 registrants was something we were proud of, but it got me wondering about sustainability. 

Most people working from home (and not spending hours commuting) has been a shot of adrenaline into the arteries of the attention economy. We’re experiencing an unprecedented attention glut. There’s just more time in the current landscape for discretionary use. 

It won’t last, even if changes to the workplace that enable more to be done virtually are lasting. The demand for efficiency will ensure that any discretionary time is occupied. 

So, enjoy the success you’re having virtually now. It’s not going to last forever. 

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Chris Elwell is CEO at Third Door Media, the leading provider of content and marketing solutions for digital marketers and the digital marketing industry. TDM websites and events – MarTech Today, MarTech Conference, Marketing Land, Search Engine Land, Search Marketing Expo, and Digital Marketing Depot – provide analysis and practical advice that helps digital marketers do their jobs more effectively. Chris has more than 30 years digital media and marketing experience in management, product development, marketing and editorial positions. Before founding Third Door Media, Chris was Vice President & General Manager of JupiterWeb, the online publishing division of what was then Jupitermedia Corporation (NASDAQ: JUPM). In that role, he was responsible for sales, marketing, editorial and production of JupiterWebs more than 100 websites.