Nami ThinkingOver the past week or so, watchers of our Facebook and Twitter pages have no doubt seen a spike in activity. Placeholders for RSS feeds were given life, as members of our team began to post links to fanart, cosplay, videos, and other news sources. As one staffer astutely noted, we began to talk nerdy to you.

For some, the turn was puzzling. Why would a group of adults, professionals, take to social media to fawn over fanart and go gaga over AMVs? Why would they post playful, nagging messages and self-deprecating jokes? And why, of all things, would they post links to competitors?

The answer to this, and many other questions, is simple. We merely want your attention.

We live in a world where thousands, if not millions of sources bombard people with demands for undivided attention. We’re swarmed by advertisers that live in a world formed by “interruption marketing.” Interruption marketing is an aging relic from the old form of media. Commercials, magazine ads, even radio ads are distractions that pull away from a person’s enjoyment of a service. They assault their viewers with their message, and require undivided attention.

In the days when television channels could be counted on one hand, and when the news came exclusively in paper form, this was the way to go. Today, though, things are changing. In today’s market, people tune out Interruption Marketing. They skip commercials, put up ad blockers, and tune out radio adverts. They’re tired of being told which items to purchase by an authoritarian figure. Their attention is growing more limited by the day. And, because of that, it’s becoming increasingly valuable.

Because of this, people seek to make the most of their limited attention. They begin to demand more than the status quo, and instead seek those that offer something of value. The voices that seek to sell, sell, sell suddenly shrink away, as people who will actually improve users’ online lives become market winners.

Our new social media strategy is based around this philosophy. We hope that, by offering lively conversation and generally interesting content, we’ll be able to reach you better. You, dear readers, aren’t a product. You’re not wallets, you’re not marks, and you’re certainly not just some anonymous number. You’re people. And, because of that, you have our respect, to the point that we are pulling the curtain back for you to see.

As always, I thank you for your patronage, readers. Without you, there is no Anime Herald. I hope that, going forward, you continue to join us as we grow and change.