The Amazing Power of Repetition

B Y   T O M   T O R T O R I C I   

How many marketing messages do you come across each day?

Some estimates suggest that number is in the thousands. Everybody’s got something to sell, hoping that their message somehow jumps out in front of the rest, snags the buyer’s attention, and corrals them toward the BUY button.

Best of luck with that.

But if you’re in marketing, you have a very simple secret weapon that many of your competitors, bless their hearts, may not have thought of.

It’s simply this: Repetition.

Of course, you have to start with one or two strong core brand messages, approached from the buyer’s own perspective. Then simply repeat those ideas throughout your website and other marketing communications.

Vary the wording somewhat, so you don’t sound like a broken record. And be sure that all your web and marketing assets, such as your About section and Product descriptions, all tie into those main themes in some meaningful way.

The thing is, a single mention of even a good core message tends to vaporize from the reader’s awareness when the next bursting cloud of product promises comes flooding in.

But what if…

But what if the buyer has been exposed to your company’s main benefit point, say, six or seven times? It’s less likely to be lost in the shuffle, and more likely to stick. Right?

Since today’s short-attention-span readers are likely just skimming your Home page, be sure those repeated core points are shown in prominent headlines. That way, even those who don’t stick around long will walk away with something positive to associate with your company or product.

And that itself is marketing gold.

To understand why this works, think about the role of repetition in learning. For example, how did you learn your alphabet back in grade school? By repeating it over and over, right? Okay, however long that’s been, raise your hand if you’ve forgotten your alphabet.

Why aren’t your competitors probably not already doing this? Because from their point-of-view, those product benefits are already obvious. For everyone else in the world, not so much. Prospects not only need to hear the lesson you want to convey; they need to learn it.

That gives you a relatively easy opportunity to stand out, in the marketplace, and in that one buyer’s mind. You might even call it a competitive advantage, even among those who sell exactly what you do.

To recap…

Repetition is an underused tool for gaining attention in a crowded marketplace. So repeat after me: Repetition is smart. Repetition is effective. Repetition could be the thing that gives your marketing efforts traction, if you’ve mostly been spinning your wheels.

There. I know you won’t forget this.

 

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Tom TortoriciAbout the Author:  Tom Tortorici is an Atlanta copywriter and web content writer who helps companies make a genuine connection with their audience. His classes and conference presentations have focused on how writing, strategy and design can work together to grab attention and interest even among readers with short attention spans. In addition to working directly with businesses, Tom regularly partners with web designers and marketing agencies.

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Tom Tortorici Inc. | Tom@TomTortorici.com | 770-934-7861 | 3101 Rockaway Rd | Atlanta GA 30341