It’s no news that in today’s world, we are inundated with advertising and marketing in every facet of our lives. Whether it’s on the Internet, TV, billboards, buses, cars with text painted all over, window signs on stores — everyone is trying to get your attention. Yet according to a piece by Brad Vander Zanden at the University of Tennessee, the average attention span for an adult during a presentation is 20 minutes.  Meanwhile the BBC suggests that the attention span while a person is on the Internet is less than a minute!

Visuals Attract Attention

Eye-tracking studies have consistently shown that the best way to attract attention in modern communications is to have a great, eye-catching visual. This is where the free photo-sharing program Instagram comes into play. Since Instagram’s focus is solely to share photographs, this gives brands, teams, and magazines their chance to shine in the visual world. Personally, when I scan my Twitter feed, and I see an Instagram link amid all the text, I will click on it 10/10 times. It’s a great way to catch people’s attention.

If attracting eyeballs is your goal, here’s a list of those I think are doing it right:

Who does this sweet #instagram set belong? #in...

Who does this sweet #instagram set belong? #instatrivia (Photo credit: kempedmonds)

Brands

Red Bull – Even though I am not an advocate for energy drinks, the photos of extreme subjects this brand posts fascinate me. The Red Bull brand has exploded since it was introduced, and it continues to grow.

Starbucks – Starbucks by itself has an entire culture tied to it, but the point here is using the #starbucks hashtag in an Instagram account was made for its coffee junkies and fans. (There are more than 1 million photos carrying that hashtag.) Customers’ photos do a great job to extend the brand through the images uploaded.

Boloco – Boloco is a New England burrito restaurant chain. It’s notorious for using its local Twitter accounts to bring attention to customers and happenings in the community. A photo in a tweet in an active Twitter account can quickly make a local event successful.

Sports

New York Rangers – From game day updates, to a best of the season countdown, to even coming up with great content in the off season, the New York Rangers ice hockey organization is one of the best at regularly uploading photos to their account.

Transworld Snowboarding – Just like the NY Rangers, Transworld Snowboarding has a pretty long off season to deal with. However, they still come in with almost daily updates throughout the summer, reminding you of how beautiful the slopes can be, and getting you itchy for the season to start again.

Miscellaneous

National Geographic Photography – National Geographic is known to have some of the most skilled photographers in the world working for them.  Whether it’s photos from cell phones or ones taken from SLR cameras and transferred to the phone, the Instagram Natgeophotos account is sure to stun you with the Earth’s beauty. The account holds contests to win a “photo of the day” by using the hashtag #natgeohub, which is great for user engagement.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center – Who isn’t amazed by space? Even though the NASA program has gone through a rough patch, this Instagram account is still able to wow you with wonderful aerial views of Earth and space.

If the eyeballs you want to attract are those of a young male millennial who loves winter sports, now you know the magic answer. For someone else, what brands and interests would you suggest following on Instagram?