“The thesis of Day Trading Attention is simple: Figure out where underpriced attention is and learn how to effectively storytell in those places. But as I always say, you can’t just read about doing push-ups. Execution is the game, and that’s the hard part. Brands, businesses, and influencers often find it difficult to keep up with all the latest platform changes happening constantly, and many of them ask me how to stay on top of it all. My honest answer? You’ve got to just set aside time and put in the work. With the TikTokification of social media, the opportunities today are much greater than ten years ago, but so is the effort required.”
You’ve gotta put in the reps, and Gary’s “Day Trading Attention” shows you exactly how to do it..
Check out my video overview of the book here, or read on to see some of my notes.
Introduction
Day Trading Attention (and Why It Matters)
Just as a day trader constantly studies financial markets to keep a pulse on what’s happening, you must constantly study what people are paying attention to, the cost associated with capturing that attention, and how it shifts by the day.
Attention is the game. More specifically, underpriced attention is the opportunity.
That being said, underpriced attention isn’t just about what advertising medium is the cheapest; it’s about whether you can get a low cost relative to the amount of actual attention you’d get.
Social media is just an empty vessel; you only get out of it what you put into it. Without putting in the work to understand these platforms and the psychology of the people using them, you’re just creating a bunch of content that no one will ever see.
The New Social Media World
But you’d be surprised how often people subconsciously buy things because the brand or business means something to them. In other words, they decide that a certain product or service is more relevant to their needs or to who they are. That is the power of “brand” at work.
Relevance is about creating and distributing content that people find meaningful (whether that’s potential customers, clients, or other individuals who matter to you). When your business is more relevant, more people consider buying, which then leads to higher sales numbers.
The Supply and Demand of Content (and Why You Need to Act Now)
1. The Tiktokification of Social Media
Advertising in the World of the Interest Graph
Make a piece of content based on who you want to reach and what you think they might be interested in seeing, post it on one or more platforms of your choice, and look at your post analytics and comments to see what happens.
In the new social media world, everything is about the content itself, not the people who chose to follow you. Creative is the variable of success.
2. The Modern Advertising Framework
Post-creative strategy (PCS): Listening to actual consumers and gathering insights
Brands should think about how they can convey different messages to different people instead of trying to force the same formats and messaging in all their ads. People will only consider buying something if it means something to them. The only way to make a brand meaningful is to make it relevant to as many different people as possible. I call this being “boardroom centric” versus being “consumer centric.” It’s the biggest issue facing the biggest brands in the world today.
During the show, it’s important for the founder or someone else from the organization to go around and interview people, asking questions that have potential to overperform as social media content.
As you’re asking questions, think of what you can ask that the broader public may be interested in. Instead of just asking “Did you have a good time here?” or “What was your favorite part of the show?” (which can still be useful to gather testimonials and reviews), also ask questions about what their favorite memory was from their own art class growing up.
3. The Core Variables
Cohort Development: Defining Who You Want to Reach
- Define cohorts with “teeth”. Be specific.
- Think of your cohorts like an “accordion”. Your cohorts will always be shrinking, expanding, and changing.
- Consider the business objectives of your company.
- Define a high volume of cohorts.
- The creative you produce could hit multiple cohorts.
- Consider (but don’t overthink) media addressability (the number of people you can reach in your ad targeting through paid advertising).
- Consider subcultures, stages of life people are at, affinities and passions, psychographics, cultural trends, and more.
Platforms and Culture (PAC): The New Requirement for Your Advertising Knowledge
To gain platform knowledge:
- Take account of all of the features a platform has.
- Remember, the platform just wants you to say on for longer.
- Pay attention to what is unique.
- Pay attention to what’s similar across platforms.
- Notice how similar user behaviors show up differently on different platforms.
- Stay up-to-date on new tests that platforms are running.
- Consider the psychology of the user when they’re on the platform.
- Be a practitioner, not a headline reader.
Strategic Organic Content (SOC): What Good Modern Advertising Looks Like
The bottom line is, being a good advertiser on social media is harder than being a good advertiser in the traditional marketing world. This is the biggest thing that Fortune 500 companies have upside down.
When done properly, SOC helps you do a few things:
- You build brand relevance from day one.
- You can turn your best-performing content into performance ads to drive sales.
- You can make higher-production commercials with proven insights.
Consider the following points:
- Does your content feel like an ad?
- What does the hook of your video look like?
- Do people spend time watching and interacting with your content?
- Does your content evoke emotion and tell a story?
- Is your content native to the platform?
When making content native to a platform, consider these elements:
- What sizes and dimensions are you working with?
- Are you using a platform’s in-app features?
- Does your copy reference contextual elements from the platform?
- Are you using cultural trends within each platform?
Other considerations:
- Are you putting out enough volume of content?
- Is your copy optimized for the platform?
- What does your profile hygiene look like?
- Are you showing different sides of yourself, your brand, of your business?
- Do you occasionally mix in content to get answers to questions you have?
- Are you finding the right balance between asking for business while providing value?
Amplification: Spending Against What Works, aka Not Wasting a Penny
Some principles to keep in mind:
- Make sure you have enough creative for your ads.
- Don’t completely dismiss ad platforms because they “don’t convert”.
- Experiment with different ad objectives, and rely on common sense.
- Optimize your content based on your ad learnings.
Videos People Want to Watch: Modern Commercials
Post-Creative Strategy (PCS): Listening to Actual Consumers and Gathering Insights
4. Platform Overview
TikTok
However, because of how content is distributed on TikTok, there are large groups of people who are fans of genres like “#booktok,” “#corporatetok,” “#sportstok,” “#winetok,” and more.
Factors to consider when you’re making TikTok content:
- Pay extra attention to the first three seconds of your video.
- Use TikTok search to find community-specific trends and creative formats.
- Interact with the community through comments and video replies.
Factors to consider for Instagram’s current environment:
- Mix up your creative styles.
- Utilize the range of creative units available.
- Pay extra attention to your Instagram profile hygiene.
X (Twitter)
Some things to keep in mind:
- Use Twitter to listen.
- Post at a high volume.
Keep the following points in mind:
- Know the difference between company pages and profiles.
- Treat LinkedIn as a content platform, not just a sales engine.
- Pay extra attention to your copy.
- Use the targeting capabilities of LinkedIn’s ad product.
Keep in mind for Facebook:
- Be sure to mix Facebook Reels into your strategy.
- Use Facebook’s analytics to get more strategic.
- At the end of the day, it is my belief that over 90 percent of the content on social media lacks any level of strategy, even when the goal is to drive business outcomes, which is the biggest reason why I thought it was time to write this book.
- Use Facebook groups to engage communities.
YouTube
Consider the following points as you make YouTube content:
- Lean into the science behind the art.
- Use YouTube to “document” events.
- Optimize your videos for searchability.
Snapchat
5. Breaking Down Content Examples
Straight-to-Camera Selfie Videos
Mascot-Driven Content
Cartoons and Comics
Strategic Reposts
Real-Life Backgrounds
Street Interviews
Ad Reads
Modern Commercials
Lenses and Filters
Listicles
Content with Multiple Actions
Surprise and Delight
Testing Product Concepts
Memes
Pop Culture Crossovers
User-Generated Content (UGC)
Skits
Lead-Gen Promotions
Green Screen
Asking Questions to Gain Insights
In-Person Event Promo
People also tend to worry about whether putting the event on social media would make it less likely for people to show up to the event because they can just “watch it online.” I believe for every 1 percent of people who decide to stay at home next time and just watch it online, 10 percent might look at that and decide they want to show up in person the next time. It’s a net gain for your business.
Notes App Posts
Text over Visual Background
Visualizing Information
Using Products Incorrectly
“Did You Know” Posts
In-App Creator Templates
GIFs
Carousels
Text Posts
Companies frequently treat LinkedIn as a place to PR themselves, but if you act more like a “media company” rather than a “salesperson,” you’ll be surprised how much more you can sell.
Throwback Content
Quick Takes and Opinions
Incentivizing Engagement
Reaction Videos
Podcast Clips
Authentic Partnerships
6. Real-Life Scenarios
Searching on social media for “time of need” services is a trend that will not slow down.
Start by downloading the apps, visiting websites, and analyzing the companies as an investor would analyze them.
Some twenty-year-olds are truly great at modern marketing, just like some fifty-seven-year-olds are truly great at it. This isn’t about age, it’s about skill.
Conclusion: Closing Notes
The thesis of day trading attention is simple: Figure out where underpriced attention is and learn how to effectively storytell in those places. But as I always say, you can’t just read about doing push-ups. Execution is the game, and that’s the hard part. Brands, businesses, and influencers often find it difficult to keep up with all the latest platform changes happening constantly, and many of them ask me how to stay on top of it all. My honest answer? You’ve got to just set aside time and put in the work. With the TikTokification of social media, the opportunities today are much greater than ten years ago, but so is the effort required.
