For clarity, consider the following 8-minute session I spent on the Internet one recent morning. I have 5 clients in the area that was impacted by Hurricane Sandy. My intention was to monitor the most recent developments in that storm-ravaged area.
1. First, I noticed a prominent photo of one of the Kardashian sisters, recently hired
as a new host of X-Factor. (Can't I go anywhere without seeing one of them?!)
2. I was served up a display ad for dental work at the University of Pennsylvania Dental
Centers.
3. Since I have children whom I would like to obtain productive careers in a few years,
I noticed an article titled, "These Excellent Jobs Offer The Most Time Off" and I
spent a minute reading it.
4. Comcast served up a display ad for an ING Direct Mortgage refinancing, with a
Call-To-Action button for me to click, stating Learn More!
6. Finally, I watched a video titled "Jersey Shore Will Never Be The Same."
7. After that, I clicked on an article titled "Home Prices Rise for 5th Month in a Row."
8. CNN.com served up a display ad from Liberty Mutual Insurance, containing a
Quote Now! Call-To-Action button to request an Auto Policy Quote.
After that, I logged off and took my dog for her morning walk.
Does the above sequence sound familiar? Of course it does, because we all exhibit the natural human tendency to seek information, which causes us to pay attention to things other than what we originally intended.