Quick Summary
You do not need to be louder. You need to be seen more than once. This post explains the power of repetition in marketing using a highway story that proves one message rarely changes behaviour. For designers and builders selling high-value services, prospects need familiarity before they feel ready. Repetition builds that familiarity. Not overnight. Not in one campaign. But through consistent visibility that makes your business feel steady, credible, and worth turning toward.
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Last summer, while I was on vacation in British Columbia, I was driving down a provincial highway when I saw a sign:
“Homemade cranberry pies. 5 KM ahead.”
I didn’t think much of it. Pie is too sweet for me, anyway. A few minutes later, I passed another sign:
“Homemade cranberry pies. 3 KM ahead.”
I thought to myself, hmm, maybe BC is known for its cranberries. Then I saw another sign:
“Homemade pies. 1 KM ahead.”
I figured I should eat like the locals. Finally, one last sign:
“Pies. Next turn.”
I took three pies back to my hotel that day.
The Psychology Behind Repetition
The cranberry pie bakers understood one sign wasn’t enough to attract drivers. We need to see a message multiple times before we decide to buy.
Psychology supports this. It’s called the mere exposure effect: the more we see something, the more familiar it feels.
For decades, advertisers have tried to pin this down to a single number. Some say we need to see an ad 7 times before buying. Others say 11, 21 or even 60!
The exact number doesn’t matter.
What matters is understanding that the more expensive or risky it is to work with you, the more repetition and trust your prospect usually needs.
They need multiple touchpoints before your pricing feels normal, before they understand the process and before they feel confident reaching out.
Once Isn’t Enough
Just like one highway sign doesn’t sell the cranberry pies, one social media post a week won’t sell your high-ticket design or construction services.
If you want them to turn, you have to put up more signs.
See you need week,
Daniela
