Introduction: The More Frequent the Ads, the More Frequent the Sales
We’ve mentioned in previous posts that customers online need to see your ads multiple times before there are convinced your products are the solution to their problems. We’ve referenced the number “7” in previous articles for the number of times a customer notices your ads before seriously considering buying and boosting your sales.
Where does the “rule of 7” come from in marketing?? Is it true? How does it apply to ecommerce?
This post explores the significance of the “Rules of 7” and how it can be applied to drive traffic to your store, increase your sales, and offer a clearer framework for your marketing strategy!
“Rule of 7” – Half-Myth, Half-Truth
For history buffs, it’s interesting to note that the “rule of 7” came from 1930s Hollywood movie execs. Their marketing research showed moviegoers, on average, needed to see a movie poster 7 times before buying tickets.
So, while the “rule of 7” holds weight in that regard, online shopping and ecommerce are a far different animal from 1930s America! Customer tastes have changed, the medium of advertising has changed, and so effective promotional methods have evolved, as well.
At the same time, the concept that customers usually need multiple exposures to your ads before purchasing is undeniably true. The more times potential customers see your ads, the more likely they are to buy from your store, on average. This could mean seeing a mobile ad, Facebook ad, and your inclusion on the Google search engine – or some other combination of media exposure. Regardless, it’s best to picture that your ads become part of the “mental steps” a customer takes when picking what to purchase.
Overall, the “rule of 3s” may apply better to the Internet age. After three or more exposures to your advertisements, customers become acutely aware of your brand, and the majority begin considering your products a viable solution to their problems. Increased sales will follow!
Standing Out in a Flood of Information
The difficulty of the ecommerce ecosystem is how customers are flooded with ads and information constantly. this flood of information means your name and brand needs to pop up multiple times, ideally in varying formats, before the customer begins to consider your products as a viable solution to their problem.
To maximize the results of your marketing campaign, you cannot just put the same ads in the same place over and over. Depending on customer, you need to communicate in different mediums with different approaches. For example, maybe you start with a Facebook informational ad campaign, collecting some user emails through retargeting software. You use the data collected from the first ad campaign to specifically retarget the customer with a different ad that more directly responds to their interests. Finally, you send the customer an email with a special “first time user” deal. After that, you hopefully have pushed the customer along the sales funnel to the point they regularly visit your site for good deals. Over time, you become a regular step in their “mental process” for buying new products.
The “Rule of 7” Re-Enforces the Importance of Ad Retargeting
We have spoken a lot about ad retargeting here at Ad360 – and for good reason. It is mind-boggling the number of good companies, selling great products, that shoot themselves in the foot by not taking advantage of retargeting. After one view, chances are the customer totally forgets the name of your business… but the captured data doesn’t forget! From there, you can continue to fine-tune your message, catering to the user at each step of their mental process until they feel comfortable making a purchase from your site.
Conclusion: Tailoring your Ads to Respect the “Rule of 7”
Switching up your ad banners and promotional outreach at every step of the customer’s mental process can be difficult by yourself. One false move, and they may jump off the wagon, ignoring your future customer outreach efforts.
If you feel you could use some support staying on track with your customers until they finally purchase from your store, try a free demo by Ad360 today! We provide best-in-class ad retargeting services, empowering your business to boost sales through media exposure across all devices, social media, and search engine. Your customers will be impressed with the variety of outreach, and you can control every campaign under one roof – Ad360. 😊
