Creating Multi-Level Content to Capture Diverse Attention Spans (Without the Overwhelm)

In today’s fast-paced digital world, creating content that appeals to different audience types can seem overwhelming. Some people prefer to skim through content quickly, others like to dive a bit deeper, and a few want to fully immerse themselves in every detail. Balancing these different needs might feel daunting, but with the right approach, you can meet them all—at scale.

This post will guide you through the process of creating content for three key audience types: skimmers, dippers, and divers. You’ll learn how to start with a cornerstone piece of content and repurpose it to fit each group’s preferences, ensuring that everyone gets the right amount of information without creating entirely new material from scratch.

Who Are Skimmers, Dippers, and Divers?

Before we dive into the process, let’s break down these three audience types:

• Skimmers are people who only want a quick overview. They don’t have the time (or the interest) to dig into the details, so they look for bite-sized pieces of information they can absorb in seconds.

• Dippers fall somewhere in the middle. They’re interested in learning more than just the basics but don’t want to get lost in the weeds. They seek concise yet informative content, like blog posts or short videos, that offer more substance than quick snapshots but still don’t demand too much time.

• Divers are the deep thinkers or decision-makers who want to explore every detail. They are willing to commit time to long-form content, such as webinars, whitepapers, or detailed case studies, to fully understand a topic.

Each group interacts with content differently, so it’s important to create a strategy that addresses their unique preferences. Let’s explore how to do that by starting with a cornerstone piece of content.

Start with a Cornerstone Piece

The cornerstone content is the foundation of your content strategy. It could be a comprehensive whitepaper, a long-form blog post, or an in-depth webinar. This piece will contain all the core messages and details you want to communicate.

The advantage of starting here is that all stakeholders can align on the message before repurposing it for other formats. Getting sign-offs on this piece ensures that the overall message is accurate, thorough, and ready to be adapted for different audience types. Once your cornerstone content is set, you can then tailor it for skimmers, dippers, and divers.

Repurposing Content for Different Audience Types

After creating your cornerstone piece, you can adapt it for each audience group by breaking it down into smaller, digestible formats. This method not only keeps your messaging consistent across the board but also makes the content creation process more efficient. Here’s how to do it:

1. For Skimmers: Quick, Visual Content

Skimmers are people who need information fast. They’ll typically engage with content for a few seconds before moving on, so your message needs to be clear and to the point.

Best Formats:

• Infographics

• Short social media posts

• 15-second video clips

• Banner ads

To cater to skimmers, take the highlights of your cornerstone content and transform them into eye-catching visuals or headlines. For instance, if your original content is a whitepaper on investment strategies, the skimmer version could be a social media post with key stats or a brief infographic summarizing the main points.

2. For Dippers: Blog Posts and Summary Content

Dippers are willing to spend more time with your content, but they don’t want to commit to the depth required for a whitepaper or webinar. They prefer content that offers more detail than a skim but still remains easy to digest.

Best Formats:

• Blog posts

• 30 to 60-second videos

• Summary emails

• Fact sheets

For this audience, consider creating blog posts that summarize sections of your cornerstone content. You can also use short videos or fact sheets that dive a little deeper into the topic without overwhelming them with too much information. A blog post breaking down the whitepaper’s top three insights or a short video walking through a product’s key features are perfect for dippers.

3. For Divers: Webinars and Detailed Whitepapers

Divers want to go deep. They’re the ones who will spend an hour in a webinar or read through a full whitepaper to get all the information they need. These individuals are often decision-makers, experts, or highly interested in the topic.

Best Formats:

• Webinars

• Whitepapers

• Product demo videos

• Case studies

Your cornerstone content likely already serves this audience well, but you can create additional materials like in-depth case studies or extended product demo videos to enhance their experience. Webinars, in particular, are a great format for divers, as they provide the opportunity to ask questions and explore the topic in real-time.

The Benefits of Multi-Level Content

By repurposing your cornerstone content into different formats, you can appeal to skimmers, dippers, and divers without overloading your content team. This approach allows you to:

• Maximize reach: Cater to multiple audience types with minimal effort by repurposing one core message into multiple formats.

• Ensure consistency: Since all content stems from the same cornerstone piece, your messaging will stay consistent across all platforms.

• Save time and resources: Rather than creating separate content for each audience type, you streamline your content creation by adapting existing material.

Final Thoughts

Creating content for different attention spans and points in the user journey doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By starting with a well-crafted cornerstone piece and repurposing it for skimmers, dippers, and divers, you can efficiently reach your entire audience without reinventing the wheel for each content type. This strategy not only helps you engage a wider range of people but also ensures your message remains consistent and impactful across all formats.