You're probably saying too little, too infrequently

Here's a couple of stats that may help you realign your beliefs with consumer and client beliefs. 49% of consumers say they are happy to receive promotional emails weekly from their favourite brands. 47% of buyers view somewhere between three to five pieces of content before engaging with a sales representative. The reality is your competitors are probably more active communicators than you…and it's giving them an edge.

The importance of repetition in communication

In marketing (and all effective communication), key messages must be communicated consistently and frequently to have a lasting effect. We forget most of what we learn within 30 days of learning; however, our brains are hardwired to remember better information that's repeated. An ad takes between three to twenty repeated viewings by a consumer before considering buying a product or service.

Why repetition alone is not enough to make any form of communication work

It is widely believed that the average Australian is exposed to over 5000 marketing messages a day. Our brains simply cannot absorb that level of information, so we ignore or forget almost all of what we see. We do, however, remember some of these messages. We remember the messages that align with a front of mind challenge we want to solve or a desire we wish to fill. 

There are other forms of messaging that cuts through and capture our attention. They tend to fall into the following categories of emotional, entertaining/ humorous or rewarding.

Emotional

No matter how we see ourselves, we are all emotional creatures. We respond to cute kittens and empathise with the suffering of others. We have deep-seated fears and desires. Making emotional appeals is an effective form of communication, but it needs a light touch, and your motives ultimately focus on win-win scenarios.

Entertaining/humorous

Often organisations can take themselves too seriously. Injecting a little fun, humour and entertainment in your messaging is one of the most effective ways of capturing attention and making your message memorable. Like emotion-based communication, this requires an experienced hand to be effective and keep you out of hot water.

Rewarding

Online we seek connection, entertainment, or information. Information is one of the simplest and cost-effective rewards that you can offer a potential customer or client. It can be as simple as including information they were unaware of in your message or linking to valued and relevant information on your website. With more valued information, you can even request contact details to exchange information or access resources with a higher perceived value.

The importance of repetition in communication

Once you have your messaging in place, you get back to the importance of repetition. What are the best channels to send your message? Are you repeating your message enough? What are the rules around repeating messages on these channels? How do I know if my message is working? Remember, it takes somewhere between three to five pieces of content before a customer is prepared to engage with your sales representatives. Your ads take somewhere between three to twenty repeated viewings by a consumer before considering buying your product or service.

Not sure if your repeating the right message, on the right channels with the right frequency? Send us a message.

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About Craig Harris

Craig Harris is an award winning copywriter and 30 year veteran of the Australian marketing sector.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigharris2/