Smartphones have transformed the way employees engage in work, and smartwatches are about to do the same. Weve all grown used to short attention spans. As a rule, the smaller a devices screen size, the shorter our attention span is while using it. This is also known as the Oh-My-God-There-Is-No-Way-Im-Reading-This-Ridiculously-Long-Email-On-My-Phone Syndrome.
If you dont believe our admittedly unofficial diagnosis, heres some data to back it up: The average persons attention span plummets by more than half when using a smartphone instead of a desktop/laptop.
Enter the Apple Watch
The primary use case for this new device isnt so much to tell time, as it is to save it. People will use it to filter incoming notifications, especially email.
In a split second, based on a few lines of text, employees will decide whether to delete that email or to read it. And when they do read it, theyll probably do it on a tiny screen.
Theres some good news in all of this
Despite all the new devices and services out there, email is still a universal way to reach almost anyone that uses the Internet, which happens to be 87% of U.S. adults.
In fact, email notifications are the secret weapon that drives engagement in social media sites like LinkedIn. They serve to trigger desired behaviors in users.
Like consumer sites, you can also use email to trigger behaviors. The Apple Watch makes emails more impactful because people are more likely to see them in a timely manner, but these same strategies will work for any device. Heres how to create an email that drives behavior:
1. Use fewer words.
This one is pretty simple, but important. Shorter things are just easier to read and understand on smaller screens. When writing, start by putting a character limit on yourself, and then shorten what you write to fit it. At Airbo, we made the design decision to limit the number of characters that can go into one communication.
2. Use plain language.
In business writing, there's a tendency to use more complex words. For example, ascertain instead of find out, or attempt instead of try. The concepts that go into workplace communications are usually complex. Simpler words improve peoples processing fluency, especially when scanning something on a phone. Use websites like
3. Pick your objectives.
Most email triggers from sites like Facebook have one clear objective one action for the user to take. If you can pick one objective to focus on, youll be more likely to drive people to take it. If you have multiple competing objectives, consider splitting them up over time.
Now, onto the important work of picking out your Apple Watch band color
Vlad Gyster is founder and CEO of
