How to Attract Audience Attention Span

In this episode of Communication Queens, I, a former screenwriter turned communications coach, dive into the transformative power of storytelling in podcasting.

I underscore the necessity of creating captivating content that resonates emotionally with listeners.

Drawing from my own life as a mother, I illustrate how personal narratives can be woven into impactful teaching moments.

I stress the art of showing, not just telling, in stories to truly engage and entertain an audience.

Ending on a high note, she invites her community to spread the word and continue the conversation on the timeless relevance of storytelling in all forms of communication.

Enjoy this episode & transcript below where I discuss how to attract the audience's attention span.

FYI Transcripts may contain a few typos. With many episodes lasting 30-minutes, it can be difficult to catch minor errors. Enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Podcast Addict, Castbox, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, Pandora, Youtube, or on your favorite podcast platform.

Kimberly Spencer (00:00:05) - Welcome to the Communication Queens podcast for the visionary leaders, speakers, service providers and podcasters who are looking to stand out sharing their story. I'm your host, Kimberly Spencer, former screenwriter turned master communications coach. On this podcast, I'll be coaching you on how to share your own transformation story. To that, you increase your visibility, influence, and income on podcast interviews. Let's get your voice heard.

Kimberly Spencer (00:00:31) - Hello communication Queens, and welcome back to another episode of the Communication Queens podcast. I am Kimberly Spencer. I am honored to be here with you to dive into this amazing revolutionary shift your perspective. Game changer. Quickie tip. So we are currently in production for our podcast production course. I have had so many people ask about it because not only do we take our podcast production process from like 20 hours to two leveraging AI, but we also have had a very streamlined and consistent podcast, The Crown Yourself Podcast, since 2019 that has garnered some extraordinary guests, multiple eight figure earners, speakers that are sought after around the world.

Kimberly Spencer (00:01:23) - And I am just so honored to have been carrying that banner with my team for the past, since 2019 and our podcast production process. I am a Virgo, so I get like ridiculously nitty gritty, granular, specific on our SOPs or standard operating procedures. And so as I was going through what was part of our course initially, it's always part been part of the Communication Queen's course in regards to,, it's our step seven and our framework for how to get booked on podcasts is having your own podcasts, because then you can do pot things like podcast swaps and other marketing things. Where then also people who may want you to have you on as a guest, then see that you have a history of being on podcast. So it it does build your credibility in a very positive way, having your own podcast. And while Communication Queens as an agency is solely focused on podcast guesting and getting our our clients booked on podcast guesting, I have just had too many clients ask about how we produce the podcast, Crown Yourself and Communication Queens, and how we've been able to do it so easily.

Kimberly Spencer (00:02:34) - And that's what our podcast production process is all about. So that's what the our new course is about. So I was reviewing the content and making sure it was all up to my standards, which are incredibly high. And there was this one piece that I,, shared inside of the content that I was like, oh, that is a podcast episode that has to come out because this is so common with any sort of content creator, whether you're creating content on social media or you have a blog or you have a newsletter, or you have a podcast and you're listening to this podcast to improve your podcast or to improve your communication skills. The biggest thing and the biggest misconception that I have seen consistently is that, oh, well, people aren't tuning in because they have a short attention span and I'm like, okay, that's a possibility. But for some reason, those same people. Game of Thrones comes on and they're out for 13 episodes. So what's the diff says, I think. What is the diff? And the big difference is that people don't actually have a short attention span.

Kimberly Spencer (00:03:45) - That is why we can binge watch 13 hours of Netflix. Name your favorite show. I mean, Ted Lasso for me, I could watch that entire, you know, all three seasons in one weekend because it's so entertaining. People don't have a short attention span. They have a short entertainment span. And if your podcast and your communication skills are not bringing a level of entertainment and energy to them. Then that is why it can be falling on flat ears or not having the retention rate, because you are not engaging. And I know you're like, oh, well, that's a punch in the gut, because that means I have to take personal responsibility and I get it. But there are ways to improve how you entertain in the podcast. So the number one way to improve this is through your storytelling, because we as humans have been telling stories and passing down stories and myths and mythology since the dawn of humanity. That is how we have communicated. So instead of thinking of how do I hook their attention? How do you hook their intention with a better story? How can you engage and in rapture and give examples of what it is you're talking about through personal, connected, vulnerable stories? These can be your own stories that these can be stories of mentors.

Kimberly Spencer (00:05:17) - You know your children. If you feel like that's appropriate, they can be,, stories of your clients. So, for example, I was on the Mommy Needs a Break podcast, which has an incredible podcasting team, and I told the story of like, what? What literally has to be done after eating shit, like when you eat shit. And I don't mean in a metaphorical standpoint, because I was a new mom with the baby, and I accidentally put what I thought was fig butter in my mouth, and it was not because it was on his fingers and I thought it was all cute. Anyway, the story is on, is on. Mommy needs a break and I'm going to link to it in the show notes. So if you really, really want to hear the engaging of that story because now you're so enticed by what eating shit actually means,, you can go ahead and listen to that. But here on the Communication Queens podcast, I'm going to give you the example of how I leverage that into a teaching moment.

Kimberly Spencer (00:06:14) - So I took the example. I leveraged it through the power of of an engaging story about this disgusting moment that happened as a mom, and how I learned that when you eat shit, you have to eat something afterward, because no amount of toothpaste and mouthwash will wash that taste out of your taste buds, except for going back to the table. And eating some new food like that was the only thing that cured it. And I thought, what a metaphor for life. You know, we have to get back to the table. So I leverage this story that was incredibly engaging and emotionally engaging. I mean, if you watch the YouTube video of that story, which I'll link to in the show notes, you can see the hoes are like, oh damn, girl. Like, oh no, they are engaged. And I just want you to notice when you listen to that, feel your own presence in that. Because when you get the emotional response people buy based on emotion, they will buy into listening more to your episodes if you are engaging them more emotionally.

Kimberly Spencer (00:07:21) - So that means that you have to have a an amount of emotionality in your voice and your cadence and how you show up if you're just. No offense, but if you are, if you're just kind of droning on and going on and on about this and there's no variety, emotional variety in your voice, then it really gets lost on our ears and it doesn't capture us. So. Having a podcast should you choose to have a podcast? Look at how you can leverage that podcast to train your oratory skill set to be a more engaging and entertaining speaker, and how you can leverage the power of your stories. So just think. Think through an experience that had. I'm currently teaching my son Declan, who is six now. Holy moly., the power of story and one of his tasks that he needs to do on a daily basis to get his sticker for his chart is the power of telling an engaging story, because he's very you know, this happened to me and I'm like, okay, well, what happened before that? Like what what happened during okay, that happened and what happened after because it was just like, he hurt me.

Kimberly Spencer (00:08:36) - Well, okay. What happened before that? And then what happened during how did that injury happen? And then okay, what what happened after. So being so instead of pinpointing on that like dramatic moment, which is basically the trailer, I'm like, I want to see the whole picture. I want him to work through the whole picture. And so if you can find a story, then this goes back to like English Lit class 101. Have a beginning, a middle and an end, and a message that coincides with the teaching principles that you teach or embody, or your businesses values that you embody. Show that. Demonstrate that. As my one of my favorite marketers of all time, Billy Jane says show, don't tell. So show that through story and you will capture their entertainment factor and thus capture their attention. If you loved this communication Queen quickie, then please share this with a fellow communicator, a fellow podcaster, a fellow speaker, or someone who just is looking to get their voice heard.

Kimberly Spencer (00:09:42) - And hopefully this will give them the power to leverage the power that has been used since the dawn of time for humans to connect with one another and leverage the power of entertaining stories. I hope this episode served. Thank you so much and I so appreciate in advance you writing a review on this podcast. Every review counts. We so appreciate it and we cannot wait to highlight your reviews in our community, have the most epic of days and remember to communicate like a queen.

Kimberly Spencer (00:10:14) - Thank you so much for listening! If you love this episode, subscribe! Leave us a review and share it with your friends. For more tips on guest podcasting, storytelling and communication strategies, follow us on social media at Communication Queens Agency and visit us at Communication queens.com. I look forward to seeing you in the next episode. And in the meantime, remember your story has the power to save one life. Let your story and your voice be heard.

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