The Rule of 7: Why Nobody Buys the First Time

Have you ever heard of the Rule of 7?

The idea is that the average person needs to come in contact with your business an average of seven times before they take and action (buy).

Not once — seven.

Now, that number isn't exact, and it obviously fluctuates depending on thousands of variables. But the point is, people almost never buy the first time they hear of you. They buy once you feel familiar. One encounter makes you a stranger. A handful makes you an option. Enough of them makes you the obvious choice.

Someone may sees your branded van at a neighbor's house. Later, your post shows up in their feed. A friend mentions your name. They notice your review on Google. Then they get hit with an ad. None of those moments sells anything on its own — but stacked together, they add up to "oh, I've heard of them, they seem legit."

Here's where most small businesses lose money. They try one thing, once, for a short period of time. One post, one ad, one flyer. Nothing happens, so they decide marketing doesn't work and stop. But nobody was ever going to buy on touchpoint number one. And you have no hope quiting before touchpoint #2.

You're shouldn’t be trying to go viral. You're trying to become familiar. So stay consistent and focus on your awareness. There’s nothing wrong with showing up in the same places with the same messages again and again — even when it feels repetitive.