Navigating a maze of digital screens, hands reaching out

The Art of Keeping Them Hooked: How Experts Strategize to Maximize Your Engagement

Jordan Keane in Business & Economy June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Unlock the secrets behind the battle for your attention: Discover how businesses and experts compete to capture and hold your interest in today's engagement economy."

In today’s digital landscape, everyone is vying for your attention. From traditional expert services like consulting and legal advice to the endless scroll of content on digital platforms, the goal is simple: keep you engaged. But behind this constant pursuit lies a complex strategy—a tug-of-war between those providing the information and those seeking it.

Imagine a world where every click, every scroll, and every minute spent is carefully orchestrated. Experts, acting as principals, aim to prolong your engagement to extract maximum value, while you, the user, are trying to obtain valuable insights as efficiently as possible. This interaction is more than just a casual exchange; it’s a carefully designed game of engagement.

At the heart of this strategic game lies a fundamental question: How do experts and businesses strike the right balance between providing you with swift information and prolonging your engagement? A recent study dives deep into this interaction, revealing the hidden tactics used to keep you hooked and the implications for the quality and speed of information you receive.

Decoding the Engagement Economy: Patience, Priorities, and Personalized Content

Navigating a maze of digital screens, hands reaching out

The study uncovers that the success of these engagement strategies often hinges on a delicate balance: patience. When both parties—the expert and the user—share similar expectations, the key factor becomes who is more patient. If you, the user, are eager to get the information quickly, it forces a gradual reveal from the expert. However, if the expert is more interested in drawing things out, they might delay the information and then present it all at once.

But what happens when you and the expert don't see eye-to-eye? That's when things get really interesting. Experts often start catering to your biases. They begin by feeding you information that aligns with what you already believe, because in doing so, they find it easier to hold your attention. This approach can sometimes lead to a personalized strategy, which can be highly effective at keeping you engaged.

Shared Priorities: Gradual revelation when users are impatient, abrupt revelation when experts are impatient.
Differing Expectations: Initial catering to user biases.
Personalized vs. Non-Personalized: Personalized strategies offer higher quality information but can be slower; non-personalized strategies reveal information faster but may sacrifice quality.

Interestingly, the study also points out that there’s a trade-off between personalized and non-personalized strategies. Personalized tactics, while effective at maintaining engagement, may result in slower information delivery. On the other hand, non-personalized strategies offer faster information revelation but might compromise on the quality. Knowing this can empower you to evaluate whether the information you're receiving is comprehensive or just quick.

Navigating the Engagement Economy: A Call for Awareness

Understanding the dynamics of the engagement economy can empower you to be more discerning about the information you consume. By recognizing the strategies employed to capture your attention, you can make informed decisions about the sources you trust and the content you engage with. Being aware of these practices allows you to navigate the digital landscape with greater purpose, ensuring that you receive valuable information without sacrificing your time and attention.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2407.19127,

Title: Getting The Agent To Wait

Subject: econ.th

Authors: Maryam Saeedi, Yikang Shen, Ali Shourideh

Published: 26-07-2024

Everything You Need To Know

What is the core conflict between experts and users in the engagement economy?

The core conflict revolves around the differing objectives of experts and users. Experts aim to prolong user engagement to extract maximum value, while users seek valuable insights efficiently. This creates a strategic game where the expert must balance providing information with keeping the user engaged. The success of this interaction depends on the patience of both parties and the alignment of their expectations.

How does the concept of patience influence the exchange of information between experts and users?

Patience is a critical factor. When both experts and users share similar expectations, the more patient party dictates the pace of information revelation. If a user is impatient, the expert might gradually reveal information. Conversely, an expert's desire to prolong engagement can lead to delayed information delivery followed by a large information dump. Therefore the more patient entity dictates the pace.

What are the implications of personalized strategies in the engagement economy?

Personalized strategies, where experts cater to user biases, can be highly effective at maintaining engagement. These strategies, though often leading to higher quality information, can result in slower information delivery. The expert provides information aligning with user biases to sustain engagement. However, users must be aware that this approach might prioritize engagement over the speed of information retrieval.

How do non-personalized strategies differ from personalized ones in the context of information delivery?

Non-personalized strategies offer faster information revelation compared to personalized ones. However, they may compromise the quality of information. Experts using these strategies provide information more quickly, potentially sacrificing the depth and comprehensiveness. The speed of information delivery in non-personalized strategies, does not provide the depth that personalized approaches provide.

How can users navigate the engagement economy more effectively?

Users can navigate the engagement economy more effectively by understanding the tactics employed by experts to capture attention. Awareness of strategies such as gradual revelation, catering to biases, and the trade-off between personalized and non-personalized approaches allows users to make informed decisions. By recognizing these strategies, users can evaluate the source and content critically, ensuring they receive valuable information without unnecessary time expenditure.