The 3-Second Rule Is Killing Your Ads
There’s a rule in marketing you’ve probably heard of—the 3-second rule.
That’s how long you have (at best) to grab someone’s attention before they scroll, skip, or bounce.
It shows up everywhere:
Online ads get skipped after 5 seconds.
Posts get swiped past in 2.
Websites? You've got about a heartbeat to make your point.
We’ve trained ourselves to move fast and filter out the noise.
But newsletters? They slow things down.
They’re opened on purpose.
Read with intention.
Engaged with, not avoided.
And that changes everything for your brand.
Why Newsletters Get More Time
This isn’t a race for attention. It’s an invitation.
Readers open newsletters during quiet moments, coffee in hand, ready to actually engage.
✅ No Rush, No Scroll: There’s no algorithm pushing them to swipe away.
✅ Space to Tell the Story: You’re not fighting for pixels. You’ve got room to say something meaningful.
✅ Baked In, Not Bolted On: Your message shows up inside content they already trust, not sandwiched between cat videos and chaos.
Time Spent = Trust Earned
In newsletters, attention is earned. And when you’re given more time, you have more room to build a real impression.
More Minutes = More Meaning: People spend longer reading newsletters than they do browsing feeds. That space gives your message weight.
Deeper Focus: Readers engage without noise. That clarity helps them actually remember your brand and take action.
Repetition That Resonates: Showing up week after week in a trusted publication builds familiarity, not fatigue.
Where Brands Get More Than a Blink
The difference shows up in the data.
Email boasts an average open rate of 22.8%, vs. the 0.58% engagement rate on social.
Email achieves click-through rates between 3.57% and 5% vs 0.07% and 0.03% on Facebook and Twitter respectively.
85% deliverability vs.<5% organic reach on Facebook.
Show Up Where Time Works in Your Favor
Most ad space gives you three seconds and a wing and a prayer.
But newsletters?
They give you more: more time, more story, more impact.
At Wellput, we pair brands with newsletters that earn reader time, so your message has space to land.
Because if you’ve got something worth saying, three seconds just won’t cut it.
