Four out of five internet users in the UK claim they are suffering from information overload as they deal with a surge in data flooding in via the internet and airways, according to a new report from Yahoo research.
Nine out of ten (88 per cent) of those admit to consciously screening out irrelevant messaging and unfiltered information as they consider their time to be increasingly valuable.
The study, titled Return on Attention, also reveals that 69 per cent of surfers believe that life is busier today than it used to be, while 59 per cent say they are working longer hours.
A further 70 per cent of people admit to spending valuable hours sifting through unwanted or irrelevant information, despite 92 per cent claiming their time is far more precious than it used to be.
With the massive surge in online traffic, many internet users are finding it increasingly difficult to filter, process and understand the huge volumes of information being delivered daily, with 62 per cent believing that the strain is actually having a detrimental impact on their lives.
As the gap between information delivery and the ability to process it widens, competition for people’s attention is becoming an evermore crucial element for any business strategy.
This trend has implications for the marketing industry, with 79 per cent of consumers wanting something of value in return for paying attention to advertising, whether that be pure entertainment, a relevant message or access to learning something new.
To help advertisers engage directly with their audiences Yahoo has launched a n umber of services including Yahoo Network, which gives advertisers access to an audience of over 80 million of the UK web’s population through a huge network of online and mobile sites, facilitated by dynamic segmentation and targeting tools.
Yahoo Direct Response leverages the reach of our network and the power of our best breed of technologies to deliver high performance, targeted campaigns.
Kristof Fahy, vice president of marketing at Yahoo Europe, said, “Consumers are overwhelmed with the constant flow of information they receive on a daily basis. So businesses need to convince them of the relevance of their messages in order to gain their attention. This means that online marketers need to think hard how to better target and engage with their time-poor audiences.
“Successful marketers will develop innovative strategies to help people filter their already over stretched attention. It’s no longer a case of just getting your voice heard, it’s about having a dialogue with the individual while understanding and responding to their needs.”
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