In the 1930s Hollywood film executives realized that in order to compel people to leave their home and visit a theater to see a movie there had to be multiple “touches” through publicity and advertising.
This idea has been passed down in the marketing world, and the number 7 was adopted because it was found that around 80% of sales are made around the 7th connection, and also because humanity has a long-standing love affair with the number 7 (think “7 deadly sins” or “7 wonders of the world” or “Lucky 7s”). All this means is that 7 is a good number to aim for, but sales can happen around connection 1 or connection 12.
What you need to take away from the Rule of 7 is that you need to clearly communicate your band message consistently throughout the year to make a meaningful impression on your potential clients.
You have to cut through the noise of other advertisers, you have to help your prospects to understand your product or service, and you have to be there when the time comes that they actually need your service.
Your seven touches should range over different sorts of media. Consider emails and newsletters, social media posts, website and blog, direct mail and sales calls. You can also consider the publicity you can get from press releases, others blogging about you, and others posting reviews about you. There are also in-person avenues such as workshops and presentations, trade shows, and networking. Just try to make sure that each touch isn’t a sales pitch. Providing useful and informative content in an authentic attempt to help educate people is a great way to build trust and brand loyalty.
Remember that social media posts aren’t seen by all of your potential clients, or even by everyone that “Likes” or “Follows” your pages. This is where paying for ads comes in. It is a worthwhile investment if you have a great ad to target to prospects, and it is a much more attainable advertising method for small businesses than TV, radio, or billboard ads would be. Just consider your target market – business to consumer products or services are much easier to target than business to business, and events tend to have great success on social media.
The Rule of 7 is a good way for you to develop a marketing plan. Aim to make sure that you are giving people a way to remember your name and your message, and also be sure you are positioning yourself to be a trustworthy and helpful brand.
