Loved this piece, Dan. You’ve articulated something I have felt for years—and McKinsey’s validation of attention quality over outdated media metrics is long overdue.
I’ve spent the past decade researching this exact dynamic, and in my book The Influencer Code, I argue that attention alone isn’t influence—it’s just noise without trust. Real influence = attention + trust. That trust component is what drives actual behavior: sharing, watching, engaging, or buying.
Your take on “earned attention” gets us one step closer to re-centering communications strategy around human impact, not just impressions. Thank you for pushing this conversation forward.
Glad you enjoyed it - I knew it would appeal to you, especially with the inextricable connection between Influence and Attention. I often refer to your Influence Equation - Influence = Attention + Trust - when I talk about the importance of EARNING the attention of your audiences. If you can do that, you're also getting a Trust benefit - so much better for Influence!
Loved this piece, Dan. You’ve articulated something I have felt for years—and McKinsey’s validation of attention quality over outdated media metrics is long overdue.
I’ve spent the past decade researching this exact dynamic, and in my book The Influencer Code, I argue that attention alone isn’t influence—it’s just noise without trust. Real influence = attention + trust. That trust component is what drives actual behavior: sharing, watching, engaging, or buying.
Your take on “earned attention” gets us one step closer to re-centering communications strategy around human impact, not just impressions. Thank you for pushing this conversation forward.
Glad you enjoyed it - I knew it would appeal to you, especially with the inextricable connection between Influence and Attention. I often refer to your Influence Equation - Influence = Attention + Trust - when I talk about the importance of EARNING the attention of your audiences. If you can do that, you're also getting a Trust benefit - so much better for Influence!