There was a time when having a story “above the fold” of a newspaper was considered the best placement. It is reserved for the top story or stories.

Newspapers still exist, but does the term “above the fold” still have relevance in today’s digital orientation? It does and it will forever. To me, “above the fold” means the space where people are actually paying Attention. That means above the fold is:

• The first 10 minutes of an hourlong meeting
• The first lines of a letter
• The headline and first paragraph of a brochure
• The top two “pages” of a home screen
• The first few minutes of a speech
• The first 300 words of a long blog (that’s why my blogs are so short)
• The first page of Google, Amazon or YouTube search
• The first 5 slides of a PowerPoint
• The first seconds of a 2-minute video

You must show great respect to anything above the fold. You should put the majority of your attentional development time and effort in above-the-fold work and review. The rest has a rapidly diminishing attention quotient.

Research shows people are lazy and live in a world where even scrolling takes effort and concentration — truly first-world issues, but issues nonetheless. Effort and concentration seem to be in short supply these days.

So don’t waste your “above-the-fold” moment. It’s a precious, fleeting jewel that requires careful attention and a lot of time to develop.

Mark Mathis III is chief creative & strategy officer, partner and cofounder of AMPERAGE Marketing & Fundraising.