Repetition is a good thing

I know that we've covered this topic before but it bears repeating. You must repeat your marketing messages. It's that simple. Frequency matters.

On average, it takes 8-13 impressions before you capture your audience's attention. Do not waste your money by running an ad once. Or only sending a single direct mail piece. Say it and then say it again. And ideally, say it in several places. If you aren't willing to invest the time and money into giving your audience time to truly absorb the message, then don't even bother with making the attempt. It will just be a waste of your money.

We have to remember that just about the time we are getting sick and tired of an ad, message point or graphic - our audience is just beginning to notice it. Every one of us is bombarded by over 3,000 marketing messages a day. They are everywhere - billboards, bumper stickers, pop up ads, t-shirt messages, etc.

As consumers we've gotten very good at creating filters to block all the noise. So it takes a while for any one message to break through the clutter. As marketers, we need to give our message time to do its job. Patience may be one of the most overlooked marketing tactics around.

When you put together a campaign plan (or your annual marketing plan) be mindful of how often you are duplicating your message. Build in what you think is the necessary repetition. And then double it. That should about do it.

The take away is simple - frequency is not optional. Give them time to get it.

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