Many times I have heard clients complain, “We tell our customers everything we do yet they are always surprised” either to learn about a particular service or that they can do business in a specific region or some other key aspect of their business. Even the best communication strategies will fail to convey everything to everyone completely and all the time, but the best communication and marketing strategies know that to stack the odds in their favor means repeating their message, especially the most important parts, over and over and over and over again.

The value of repetition in marketing is that it creates three key outcomes:

1. Consumers will understand the total value you provide.
2. Consumers will remember your message. The more they remember it, the more they can act on it and repeat it to others.
3. Consumers will become familiar with your company and your product/service, which builds trust in your brand. The more they trust the more they buy.

Sending a message once will never have the total impact you desire. On average it takes roughly 3-7 exposures to your company before a customer starts to understand what you do, and often a dozen exposures to convert them to a customer. Add in the number of competing messages and firms vying for the same customer’s attention and you can see why its so important that your marketing be consistent both in frequency and volume.

So how do you leverage repetition in your marketing?

1. Repeat the same message over and over in a single transmission. Think of those settlement check companies and those phone number jingles you can’t get out of your head! They are highly effective, albeit annoying.
2. Send the same message in multiple forms over multiple outlets. Social media, apps, broadcast, print, events, and other forms of marketing all work together to share and repeat the same message.
3. Send the same message in regular intervals. Reminder cards, monthly newsletters, drip line campaigns all help to put the message in front of your customer on a consistent basis.

Once is never enough in marketing. You have to repeat your message, restate your offerings, and repeatedly convey your value proposition to your customers over and over and over again. To be even more effective, pair repetition techniques with other marketing memory tactics and focus on ways to create value and an emotional connection with your audience. We remember the things we care about, not only the ones we’ve heard a million times.