Does the 3-30-3 Writing Framework Still Work?

There is a writing model I’ve followed for years. I swear I stole it from someone else, but whenever I try to find the article that taught it to me, I can’t locate it. Maybe I dreamed it. Maybe it was a late night conversation at Ad Club.

Regardless, the idea is simple:

  • You get 3 seconds to grab someone’s attention and earn 30 more seconds.
  • You have that 30 seconds to earn their interest and earn 3 more minutes.
  • Only then, in that 3 minutes, do you get to earn enough trust to shift their mindset, earn a response, or close the deal.

So, does it still work today?

1. 3 seconds to stop the scroll

The Nielsen Norman Group says most users decide whether to stay or leave a page within 10 to 20 seconds. But if you can keep them for the first 5 seconds, the odds of them staying longer go up significantly.

Mobile is even less forgiving. A Meta study found people make up their mind about content in just 1.7 seconds while scrolling. First impressions matter. A lot.

2. 30 seconds to hook curiosity

The average reader doesn’t get far. According to Chartbeat, more than half of visitors spend less than 15 seconds actively reading a piece of content. But if someone makes it to 30 seconds, their chances of continuing to the 1-minute mark nearly double.

That’s where interest turns into attention.

3. 3 minutes to actually do something

If someone spends 3 minutes or more with your content, they’re in it. A Nielsen study showed that readers who stay that long are more likely to subscribe, share, or convert. Heatmaps from Crazy Egg show that serious purchase intent tends to happen after the 2-minute mark, when people have read enough to feel confident.

So yes, the 3-30-3 model still works.

It lines up with how attention works in real life. People make fast decisions, scan quickly for value, and only commit when they feel something is worth it. If you can clear those three checkpoints of attention, interest, evaluation in one piece of content, you’re doing more than getting clicks. You’re actually getting through.