Tuesday, August 30, 2011

7 to 9 Times is the Charm

Repetition is essential in the process of marketing your goods and services.

There is a saying, “Repetition is the mother of skill.”  This denotes the fact that most skills are learned through the process of repetitive practice.  In marketing, the same saying may go something like, “Repetition is the mother of communicating your message.”  And although the saying might be different, the principle is very much the same.  If you want to effectively convey a message to your clients and/or prospects, repetition must play a central role in your efforts.

In this day and age, with the proliferation of technology and the internet, we are exceedingly bombarded with information of all kinds.  Email, the internet, television and mobile devices have given us virtually unlimited access to all types of data at just the touch of a button.  In most cases, this is a good thing.  However, because information is flying at us at an unprecedented rate, it has caused us to desensitize ourselves or block out much of what we are exposed to each day.  This presents a problem to companies that want to communicate the value of their products and services to new prospects and current clients.

Most marketing professionals agree, it takes 7 to 9 times for a person to be exposed to a message before that message is consciously recognized by an individual.  7 to 9 times!  Does that seem like a lot to you?  If it does, just consider the number of ads that are displayed in the local businesses you frequent.  As a matter of fact, think about a business you just visited within the last day.  Do you remember what marketing messages were hanging on the walls?  Probably not.  And if you can recall one or two, you probably don’t remember them all.  As you can see, they’re pretty easy to block out.  And the amazing part is that we do so without even realizing it.  This reality is what makes the repetition of your message so important.

By repetitively presenting your marketing messages to your target audience, you will greatly enhance the likelihood your message will be mentally digested.  This, of course, is the very reason for marketing in the first place… to help others understand the value of what you provide.  Use repetition to strategically convey your message and you’ll greatly increase the odds of your message being seen.

5 comments: