Never forget repetition
builds recognition
Mark Coster
Founder of Pixooma
I’ve been extremely fortunate in recent months to find myself gainfully employed on a plethora of exciting client projects. The days have merged into weeks and I’ve not had to worry about the pressures of bringing in lots of any new work.
It’s a nice position to be in and I never take it for granted. But after 12 years of running a business I am also realistic to know that being busy today is no guarantee of being busy in 3, 6 or even 12 months’ time. But that’s ok, because I’m happy to report that the unseen engine of my marketing machine is still happily ticking over in the background.
Yes, you heard that correctly, over time and with experience, I’ve learnt that by automating tasks, delegating and of course keeping your hand in with scaled back activities, you can still make time to market your business, even when you’re busy.
When you are busy, do not be tempted to turn off the proverbial marketing tap!
TOMA
I’m not a huge fan of anacronyms but when I hear one for the first time that sums up the subject of a blog I’m writing, I would have been foolish not to share it.
I like to think that after years of prioritising brand awareness, I am reaping the benefits of top-of-mind awareness marketing. TOMA is the strategy of making your brand the very first one, that your consumers think of when they need a product or service in your industry. This gives you a big competitive advantage when a potential customer is ready to buy.
We all know the importance when you are a business owner of ensuring that both you and your business remain memorable, for the right reasons, in the minds of your prospects and customers. Maintaining this memorability, or TOMA, requires regular and consistent marketing which creates strategic visibility capable of building trust, embedding your brand into a customer’s long-term memory, to ensure you are the first choice when they are ready to purchase
The Rule of Seven
As well as not being a fan of anacronyms, I’m also fairly sceptical about adages and rules from the 1930’s. But the Rule of Seven is as relevant today as it was then. It suggests a prospect needs to see or hear a brand's message at least seven times before they take action. It’s built on how the human brain processes information, makes decisions, and forms trust. Essentially, we are creatures of familiarity. When something feels familiar, it feels safe. When it feels safe, we’re more likely to believe it, remember it, and eventually act on it.
So whilst I am happily working on my clients’ latest designs, I am still networking – albeit on a less frequent basis, blogs are being written and shared social media posts happen as and when, and I’m still talking to, meeting up with and providing proposals to prospects.
Invest in repetition
My advice to anyone in a similar position, is to not be tempted to turn off the proverbial marketing tap. Because whilst that might seem like the right thing to do at the time, when you stop, you lose momentum, brand awareness diminishes, customer acquisition falls, revenue drops and you hand more work to your competitors.
But worse is to come if you then restart it several months later, as not only is it more expensive than maintaining ongoing visibility and momentum, but regaining lost ground requires you to do more to break back into what is effectively a cold market.
It’s worth remembering that marketing isn't just an expense; it's an investment in future revenue. Every brand no matter how established, needs to stay visible and relevant through regular and consistent activities and communications. If you stop marketing, you stop attracting new customers. And without new customers, your business stagnates or worse, it declines.
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