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The Shorter the Better

By Scott Greggory

Torn Paper Bottom Edge

In early August 2017, FOX announced it would begin experimenting with six-second TV spots.

As shocking as that news seemed, we have seen this coming.

Decades ago, radio and TV commercials were routinely 60 seconds long, but they gave way to :30s and :15s.

Then came quick-cut editing, five-second pre-roll videos, six-second Vines, and 144-character Tweets.

Spurred by a seemingly endless number of channels and more ways than ever to access them, the American attention span has been retreating for years.

So, in July of 2014, we started adapting.

We began tightening our On Hold Marketing copy, limiting ourselves to just 45 words per message.

We knew that, in this increasingly impatient world, we had to get to the point. And quickly.

Maintaining a 45-word standard forces us to pack more value into each message. There’s no room for fluff. And since we shortened the amount of music in between each message, we can now share more information and calls-to-action with each caller.

Because we’ve increased the total number of messages we write for every production we’re actually writing more copy these days. Our work just feels lighter and quicker now, and it’s more impactful.

We’re staying flexible, though. We allow ourselves the option to stretch out word-wise whenever a creative concept calls for it.

On Hold Marketing is what we do, so we’re always thinking of how to make it better for you and your audience. Ready to talk?