Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (the value of repetition)

By Dan Blank  |  September 28, 2012  | 

Photobucket

photo courtesy Flickr’s Express Monorail

Today, I want to explore two things many writers dread doing, but that plenty of successful authors actually do:

  1. Overtly ask people to buy your book.
  2. Repeat that request again, and again, and again.

I’ll bet you are cringing already. You are thinking one of two things:

  1. “I am TIRED of hearing authors push their book on me in obnoxious manners. Come on Dan, this is the age of “permission marketing,” where the likes of Seth Godin preach of selling books by aligning with your audience, not pestering them.”
  2. “I do NOT want to become a salesperson. I am a writer, a creator. I want to retain my integrity as I share my work with the world.”

I hear you, and I will address both issues in the post below. Let’s dig in…

IF YOU PUBLISH A BOOK IN AN EMPTY FOREST, WILL ANYONE BUY IT?
The world is crowded. With modern media, there is so much vying for our attention. We are all busy: working, writing, raising families, attending to friends, keeping a home, and pursuing hobbies. Your book – as good as it is – is born into a world that is trying to filter things OUT. A world where many people are swamped, underwater, over-scheduled, and barely making ends meet.

Yes, these same people are looking for joy. A respite. A wonderful escape or solution – something that perhaps your book offers them. But getting them to pause for a moment to discover it can be akin to crossing a crowded 8 lane highway just after a Justin Beiber concert let’s out, in the faint hope that there is something worthwhile on the other side of the road.

Walk into a bookstore tomorrow (if you can find one,) and slowly stroll to the very back. While walking past the rows and rows of books, be mindful of how many individual books you pass. Those published over the course of decades. Get to the back shelf, get down on one knee, and pick up a random book on the bottom shelf, one in which only the spine is facing out.

Imagine, this is your book on the day of publication. Consider all of the effort it took to find this book, all of the distractions you moved past JUST while in the bookstore.

Sheepish about marketing your book? I COMPLETELY understand that. It is scary. As adults, we often have a hard time admitting we are scared. But it’s daunting – a whole new skillset that can even threaten what we feel our identity is. We don’t want to be that classic image of a used car salesman. We want to wake up surprised that someone we greatly respect found our work, and is sharing it with their ultra-cool friends.

We want magic to happen.

But in order for people to take action (to perhaps consider buying your book), they need to become aware of it. They need to make an informed decision.

REPETITION WORKS. REALLY, REPETITION WORKS.
Obviously, there are all kinds of studies and opinions about why repetition works in marketing.

In the age of social media, repetition can be valuable because of the way we actually use social media, which is to say: in the moment. If fellow Writer Unboxed contributor Yuvi Zalkow has a book coming out (and by sheer coincidence, he does), I may want to Tweet about it. So at 4:35pm ET on a Tuesday, I send a single Tweet telling my Twitter followers about it. And you know what, I feel good about myself for doing it. I feel like I have supported an author, and I pat myself on the back, give myself a little high five, and feel I lived up to all of my mother’s hopes and dreams for me becoming a good little boy.

But at 4:35pm ET on a random Tuesday, how many people see that Tweet? The more I watch successful authors, and successful marketers of any type, the more I see how they use repetition to get their message out there, build awareness, and encourage their audience to take action. But of course, there is GOOD repetition, and BAD repetition.

Okay, let’s dig into an example…

I like Michael Hyatt. He was the Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, a literary agent, and is the author of The New York Times bestseller Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Recently, he shared a post on his marketing process. He didn’t mention repetition though. I tried to go back to May/June on Twitter, but their archives don’t allow me to. So I will use another product he is promoting as an example here: a tutorial he created on how to setup a WordPress blog. I believe the underlying goal he has is to get people to sign up for website hosting via Bluehost via his affiliate link, of which he gets a financial cut. Notice the dates of each of the Tweets, and the different marketing messages he shares:

That is 57 times over the course of 70 days.

I am NOT picking on Michael. I like Michael, his work, and the way he connects with people. I am merely using him as an example. In fact, I think he is a GREAT example because of the genuine connection he has with his audience.

He mentions Bluehost 33 times in the blog post he links to above, each time with an affiliate link. Again: repetition, repetition, repetition.

What is interesting, is that during this same period, be began exploring the idea of DECREASING frequency in his blog. But of course, he repeated the message on Twitter in a number of ways:

And you know, all of this is fine. Here’s why…

AN AUTHENTIC VOICE MASKS BOTH THE MARKETING MESSAGE AND THE REPETITION, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT

A great lesson we see from Michael is that marketing becomes less intrusive if you do it with a more authentic voice, framed around a conversation with your audience.

Traditional marketing techniques are often based on human behavioral cues that are buried within us. The STYLE in which you choose to use these techniques is often what separates one era of a marketing from another. Look at some of the most genuine and authentic folks online who have ANYTHING to sell. Even when they do it in the most down-to-earth manner, you will often see them using classic marketing techniques that have been used for decades, but are masked by the style in which they use it.

I see things like this so often (I just made this up, by the way):

“I just know that you can reach your potential, and I’ll bet you can feel it in your bones. Join me with a group of AMAZING creative folks for this weekend bootcamp to FINALLY give you the life you always dreamed of. I’ll be there, and I can’t wait to sit with you by the fireplace and, once and for all, work through the barriers holding you back.”

Things like this can be laced with marketing techniques hidden just below the surface. But the overall style, tone, platform, and level of trust someone has with the speaker can mask that. All this to say, sometimes I see writers shrug off proven marketing strategies because they don’t understand how to translate why they work, to the personal style that they have.

Awhile back, I posted an analysis of Seth Godin’s Kickstarter campaign, showing how he used traditional marketing tactics to encourage you to give him money. That is another good example of someone’s personal style and the way they connect with their audience masking what are otherwise traditional marketing tactics.

So how do you feel about repetition in promoting books? How is this done well? How do people mess it up?

Thanks!
-Dan

Posted in , , , ,

49 Comments

  1. L.M. Sherwin on September 28, 2012 at 8:21 am

    Wow, great post, Dan! I think so many authors (myself included) are very nervous about repetitive marketing, but the way you illustrated the tweet examples was extremely helpful! Perhaps most of us are selling ourselves short. We CAN be repetitive without being annoying! Just takes practice and hard work!



  2. Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 8:26 am

    Thanks L.M. I think this is a tough topic, because so many of us feel inundated with marketing messages.

    Likely, an author needs to experiment a bit, and slowly evolve how they use repetition or nearly any marketing tactic. But I think the topic is important enough to be addressed.

    Much appreciated!
    -Dan



  3. Victoria Noe on September 28, 2012 at 8:33 am

    Great post, Dan! I’d like to make two points:

    First, you’re absolutely right about the need for repetitive marketing. I was reluctant to keep tweeting the same thing, but as you say, not everyone’s on Twitter at the same time (although it seems that way at times). I spread out the tweets (not every minute or so) so as not to annoy myself or anyone else. I also mix up hashtags when I do that, and that seems to help, as far as replies and retweets.

    Second, putting on my theatre hat, there is the rule of 3 in comedy. Watch Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello, pretty much any TV sitcom and you’ll see the set-up: the actors do something once, then a second time. The third time they do it, something goes wrong – or right – that is a surprise (because you’ve set up a pattern with the first two). You only remember the third action.

    That’s why repetitive marketing is necessary: the first time you tweet or the second time may go unnoticed. But the third could be the one that really gets their attention.

    And why would you not have a “buy” button on your website, though apparently Neil Gaiman and Margaret Atwood don’t? (BTW, mine will be out next month) ;)



  4. Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 8:48 am

    Viki,
    LOVE how you found a way to work in Laurel & Hardy and Abbott & Costello into this conversation. Okay, now I have to work them into a future blog post, total classics.

    Thanks for the example from theater. And yes… looking forward to next month!
    -Dan



  5. Jeanne Kisacky on September 28, 2012 at 9:10 am

    I think it also has to do with to whom you are repeating. If you’re repeating to a known group, one where you already have a base or following, then I think the group can bear the repetition more easily.
    For example, if I follow someone on twitter, I know I’m opting in to some level of self-promotion. We all do it, whether or not we have a specific product to sell. So repetition in twitter is tolerable.
    But if the repetition is cast to new groups or spread too widely, it can come across as crass. There are any number of people who want to ‘friend’ you or join your ‘network’ on social sites, simply so they can send out dozens of self-promotional repetitive messages.

    It is also affected by how the audience encounters the repetition. If I’m trying to find content, either in a new blog or a posting, then constant promotional repetition within that posting, no matter how subtle, distracts me from my goal and gets annoying.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 9:35 am

      Jeanne,
      Great point. Trust is an inherent part of doing this well, of establishing a platform where people value the connection. That trust goes a long way.

      Thanks!
      -Dan



  6. Janet Rundquist on September 28, 2012 at 9:15 am

    You are absolutely correct about the repetition.
    Twitter is fleeting and if you follow a lot of people – I mean, truly follow, you can still miss a lot of information and news. Many people do not treat Twitter like they do things like FB, rss feeds or whatever. In other words, they don’t necessarily go back in their timeline to see what they’ve missed – they simply start right where they are when they log in.

    That being said, I need more than someone tweeting their link to me 5 billion times. I need to see that they have other worthwhile things to say. I need to see that they are reading other interesting things so that I can be more inclined to try out their book(s). I need to see that they are interested in others – interacting.

    A Twitter account from a big company (or publisher – or organization) doesn’t need to “get personal”, but an individual who has an account only for him/herself does.

    Maybe this doesn’t seem fair? To me it is akin to the marketing style you mention in the last section of your post. I want the personal touch.

    So, yes, repetition is a tried and true practice, but it must be coupled with other practices that keep in mind an audience who has grown weary of it.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 9:36 am

      Janet,
      Great point about context – that repetition works when you are sharing other valuable messages too. Also, your point about understanding the channel. That repeating things works okay in Twitter, but might not work as well on Facebook.

      Thanks!
      -Dan



  7. Evelyn Krieger on September 28, 2012 at 9:16 am

    Tell me more, tell me more, tell me more!



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 9:37 am

      Evelyn,
      Ha! Great response – thanks!
      -Dan



  8. Amy Sue Nathan on September 28, 2012 at 9:26 am

    I really think it’s all in the delivery. And this is the best advice:

    AN AUTHENTIC VOICE MASKS BOTH THE MARKETING MESSAGE AND THE REPETITION, IF YOU DO IT RIGHT

    When I see Tweets and FB posts that say “Great Article” or “Read This” I wonder how folks can think that works, because it doesn’t. Really connecting on a regular (doesn’t have to be daily) basis gives you more leeway to say what you want, because people trust you.

    THANKS!



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 9:37 am

      Amy Sue,
      Thanks. So true, voice matters, as does ADDING SOMETHING to the conversation. Much appreciated.
      -Dan



  9. ML Swift on September 28, 2012 at 9:34 am

    Dan,

    While I agree with the need for repetition to catch people who didn’t see it the first time, the second, or the third (or the 57th), Michael’s constant tweets come across as spam. They’re irksome. They feel like a sleazy guy selling Fauxlex watches from his trench coat.

    The example you made up was much more inviting and doesn’t have that back-alley feel. I’d respond more favorably (as I do now) to a pitch like that. Otherwise, the spamming becomes more like cramming (down my throat), turning me off to something that may be worthwhile.

    I think repetitive marketing is great, but watch how you do it.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 10:13 am

      ML,
      Great points. I think that oftentimes someone can become blind as to how the repetition comes across, and perhaps you only notice that once you see all of the posts aggregated together as I have done here.

      I have seen folks become very savvy about changing the message more frequently to mask the repetition too.
      Thanks!
      -Dan



  10. Carmel on September 28, 2012 at 9:49 am

    I’m pretty inexperienced (writing my first novel so I haven’t had to market it yet), but I am completely turned off by repetitive, obvious marketing on Facebook (I’m not on Twitter). I end up skipping them completely, so what good are they? On the other hand, a weaving shop I Liked does a nice job by telling funny and inspiring stories about the customers who were in that day, and I can’t wait to see what they have for sale. A larger vitamin store posts quotes, recipes, etc. for their customers. I think the key is to put something out there that is going to benefit the person reading it, and in the long run, they will remember you and want to do something for you too – like buy your product.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 10:15 am

      Carmel,
      Thanks. First: I would recommend you give Twitter a shot now, before you really need to consider promoting your book.

      I really like the points you make. But I do think that many people feel that their repeating a message is TRULY helping others. They believe so much in what they are selling, that they can’t help but scream it to the world.

      Now, that doesn’t mean they should. It’s just to say, sometimes we become blind to how our intentions and our actions don’t align.

      Thanks again.
      -Dan



  11. Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (the value of repetition) | Page Pounders on September 28, 2012 at 10:05 am

    […] Writer Unboxed » Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (the value of repetition). Share this:Like this:LikeBe the first to like […]



  12. Kristen Lamb on September 28, 2012 at 10:07 am

    I don’t know. I actually moved Hyatt to another column because I found his self-promotion annoying. I feel like we are in a world that is constantly taking, and we are desperate for people to serve first. I agree that writers shouldn’t be afraid to ask for the sale. People need to KNOW we have a book, but unfortunately now that EVERYONE can be published, there is a glut of this kind of marketing going on. I think the repetition is invisible at best, annoying at worst.

    I feel that when we push repetition, too many writers take this as permission to blitz non-stop about their books. Also, repetition worked better when EVERYONE wasn’t doing it. I think the goal every writer should have on social media is to cultivate relationships. That should be the first mission, and the sales will follow. If we hop on social media with the plan of marketing and selling, people can feel the motive and they are weary of it, thus leery of it.

    Yet, if we forge community, people will WANT to support us, so the sale becomes an extension of the relationship.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 10:24 am

      Hi Kristen!
      Yes, relationships are the foundation – to establish trust, and to do so by SERVING, as you mention. But I do worry about people choosing a more passive effort in marketing simply because they are sheepish about learning how to actually market something.

      As for the tidal wave of people who want to share their book or other work, I don’t necessarily see that as a negative. The world is full of more writing, music, and art, and more importantly, the world is full of more creators. People who, 10 or 20 years ago, would have dreamed of writing, but didn’t.

      I also find that we really can choose how noisy our world is. For instance: I often hear a friend or colleague make mention that they are sick of hearing about something. Maybe it is a celebrity, a political topic, a controversy or scandal, an event, etc. But I don’t have that same level of overwhelm with it, and I realized it is because I don’t own a TV. Sure, I watch TV shows online, I read about news and events online as well. But my process allows me to choose and to moderate more. There is a choice in that process. We are not slaves to any of these channels.

      You are such a great example of someone who has truly created a community. (if anyone reading this hasn’t checked it out, here is Kristen’s WANA tribe: https://wanatribe.com) But for most people, they don’t create a community, they merely participate in a small, but meaningful way.

      Anyhow: THANK YOU for stopping by here and sharing your experience and wisdom!
      -Dan



      • Kristen Lamb on October 1, 2012 at 10:20 am

        Thanks for the shout out :D. I agree that writers should learn to ask for the sale. That is even a hurdle for new salespeople. I suppose I just pop in as the voice of reason (trying to be :D) to remind writers that it is SOCIAL media. If people wanted to just hear commercials, they’d tune into the Home Shopping Network, not the social network :D.



  13. Yuvi Zalkow on September 28, 2012 at 10:26 am

    First of all, thank you for that 4:35am tweet! I really really *really* needed it!

    But also, an interesting post here. I’ve struggled with the issue of repetition in marketing so much lately. I’m always afraid that *any* kind of self-promotion, when repeated, leaves an audience cold.

    I started out attempting to promote my book in various ways and then got disgusted with myself and simply quit trying (almost).

    I think one trick I see, which works, and which helped me be less grossed out (both to receive and to deliver), is if you blend marketing (with an authentic voice, as you describe) along with other amusing stories about your world and with promoting other things you love.

    Great post, Dan.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Thanks Yuvi!
      I like how you turned your reaction (being grossed out) to a proactive action (blending marketing with things you love.) A great example!
      -Dan



  14. Victoria Noe on September 28, 2012 at 10:43 am

    Dan, can you talk a bit about scheduled tweets? I haven’t done this, but I feel like I can tell when they’re scheduled and not typed “live”. Twitter is, as you showed, not suited to archival searches, and you can’t really tell when your followers are online (like Facebook).

    A fair number of my Twitter followers – like my blog followers – are from the UK. I keep the time difference in mind when I post.

    If I’m going to be offline for a while – sick, traveling, whatever – I usually give my followers a heads-up. What I’ve noticed is that my blog traffic is only minimally affected by my absence. Oh, wait, maybe that’s not a good thing to admit. ;)

    I think it goes back to building community and giving people a reason to follow you. But maybe people are annoyed by frequent tweets because they live on Twitter.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 11:05 am

      Viki,
      So you are saying you are big in England? :)

      I think scheduling Tweets can be a very useful way to manage social media, but only when used in moderation. I will schedule the very obvious stuff so that I can have big chunks of time to devote to actual work, and then fill in the gaps with true engagement. Hootsuite is my tool of choice here.

      As for speaking to a worldwide audience, it becomes even more essential. Someone like Darren Rowse at Problogger lives in Australia, so he pretty much needs to schedule Tweets. And you know what, people still (rightfully so), love him.
      -Dan



  15. Michael Hyatt on September 28, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Thanks, Dan, for using me as an example—I think. ;-)

    I think the key here is whether or not you have permission. If you do, it is personal, anticipated, and relevant (as Seth Godin points out in Permission Marketing). If not, it’s spam.

    In terms of these kinds of promotional messages, I recommend the 20-to-1 ratio. You have to make 20 deposits for every withdrawal. (The actual ration may be different, but you get the point.) You have to give way more than you ask.

    Thanks again.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 11:08 am

      Michael,
      Thanks for stopping by here! (And thanks for not minding me using you as an example.)

      You make great points about permission and balance, that people wouldn’t trust you unless you truly gave back in a variety of ways, which I know you do.

      I suppose the point of the post was to show the gray areas. Too often, people feel that you can ONLY be either a total spammer or completely shun any aspect of marketing. You have not only a great connection to your audience, but from what I can tell, a very solid business. That is a hard balance to strike, and you make it look easier than I’m sure it is.

      Thanks!
      -Dan



  16. Malena Lott on September 28, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Dan,
    Thanks for this. I do think most small businesses and authors believe “once said, done” is the prevailing mantra. They put it on a blog post, tweeted and shared it once and they are done. As you said, only those people in that moment saw it. And it is about creatively mixing up the message. And I need to be much more effective about the morning/noon/night tweeting regimen of scheduling. I posted about my “swinging vines” theory of reach and frequency and engagement today, actually.

    I do think it’s much easier to be repetitive and not be annoying on Twitter than it is on Facebook, especially if it’s your personal feed (which is where the bigger followers are for me.)



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 12:17 pm

      Malena,
      Oooh, very cool post on swinging vines – thanks!
      -Dan



  17. Writer Unboxed » Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (the value of repetition) | Articles On Writing | Scoop.it on September 28, 2012 at 12:14 pm

    […] Dread marketing? Do it anyway. The power of repetition is invaluable for authors and entrepreneurs.  […]



  18. LynDee Walker on September 28, 2012 at 1:34 pm

    Thanks for this breakdown, Dan. I wonder constantly about this, because it annoys me when I open my twitter feed and my entire screen is filled with “BUY MY BOOK, IT ROCKS!” tweets (in all caps) from the same author, who is just sending them one after another.

    Anymore, when I have a new follower who is a writer, I don’t follow back until I look at their recent tweets. If it’s all marketing posts, I won’t follow them at all. If they talk about themselves and their lives and look like an interesting person with the occasional plug tossed out, I follow.

    I’m hyper-sensitive about the idea of irritating people, but your point that not everyone is on at the same time is valid. Also, I agree with what you and others here have said about building a relationship with your audience by being genuine, and softening the marketing messages. It really is all about how you do it, I think.

    I’m going to bookmark this one so maybe I won’t annoy people when my novel comes out.



  19. Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 2:13 pm

    LynDee,
    Thanks! Yes, I think the HOW is so important. And your experiences resonate with me too, I am certainly aware of checking these things out before I subscribe to an email newsletter.

    -Dan



  20. Jan O'Hara on September 28, 2012 at 2:43 pm

    Dan, any sense on whether repetition is effective when one is promoting a work of fiction versus non-fiction, or a service? My sense is that the “rules” are quite different for “entertainers.” The other people are more typically associated with sales, and get more of a free pass.



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 3:06 pm

      Jan,
      GREAT point! Yes, I think there is a difference between how you would do this for a fiction vs nonfiction (or memoir or poetry) audience, because for nonfiction, there is the justification that it is the solution to a problem. So you are filling a needed hole in the market.

      EG: people want to train their dogs, and your book is about dog training.

      But I think the same concept could apply to all platforms (including fiction, memoir, etc), and as others have said, the HOW is what matters.

      But yes, I admit the Michael Hyatt example is weighted more towards a strong example because it is nonfiction.

      Thanks.
      -Dan



  21. Great Stuff on the Writers’ Blogs, September 27 and 28, 2012 « cochisewriters on September 28, 2012 at 2:44 pm

    […] title of Dan Blank’s (@DanBlank) Writer Unboxed post, Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (the value or repetition), might seem to be a huge turn-off, but that’s exactly what he addresses: how to productively use […]



  22. Friday Features #24 - Yesenia Vargas on September 28, 2012 at 3:10 pm

    […] Buy My Book! Buy My Book! Buy My Book! (The Value of Repetition) by Dan Blank at Writer Unboxed […]



  23. Shirley on September 28, 2012 at 3:35 pm

    Great post, Dan. It’s always effective to go against the flow with your message, and this one does.

    Here’s my takeaway. Once I get really serious about Twitter, coinciding with six months before my book comes out, I want to do two things:

    1. Try to follow Michael’s 20:1 rule above.

    2. When self-promoting: Learn to use repetition (first of blog posts, then of my book) that allows readers many different handles or portals (or whatever metaphor works best) in order to find the things they are most interested in in my work.

    Thanks!



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 4:33 pm

      Shirley,
      Thanks. I do get worried sometimes that there is too strong of a message out there that “everything has changed! What used to work no longer works!” When really, it’s just new clothes on the same old tactics. Now, as Kristen points out, there are POWERFUL new changes that you can leverage, one about creating meaning, serving a community, and making real relationships. But… when it comes down to the do-or-die moment of selling a product or establishing a business, there are marketings strategies that need to be addressed.

      Thanks!
      -Dan



  24. Linda Adams on September 28, 2012 at 6:12 pm

    I unfollowed Michael Hyatt because of the repeats of links. It might have been fine a few years ago, but so many writers are now firing link after link out in the twitterverse that it becomes spam.

    And I do admit that, as an introvert, I have trouble getting the word out about me. Sometimes I’m my own worst enemy. That’s a goal for me in the next quarter. But I don’t think it’s repetition in the form that suggested here. It’s more of making the effort to be out there and try different things.

    One of the things I’m doing is I volunteered to be the instructor for a free online course “Basic Training on Military Culture” for writers (link below with more info) in November. And it hit me yesterday that I’m going to a con in October — I can put flyers out for this workshop. My name will be on the flyer, along with my qualification (Gulf War vet), and mentioning that I’m a writer. I’m also including my blog address. Yet, I attended a con last weekend and attended three panels — not one writer gave cards, samples of their writing, website addresses. Now I’m wondering if I can try sending a notice about the workshop to my library. They have a blog — who knows? But it starts with a little extra effort.

    Linda Adams — Soldier, Storyteller



    • Dan Blank on September 28, 2012 at 7:38 pm

      Thanks Linda. I really like how you are experimenting with new ideas, and ideas that you feel COMFORTABLE with. Some marketing tactics will definitely not be right for you. I appreciate the comment.
      -Dan



  25. sopheansoeun on September 29, 2012 at 12:00 am

    I have to agree. Repetition is important in the writing industry. I do not have anything published, but I push my friends and family to read my work so I can get feedback. If they don’t, I repeat myself to them and make sure it gets done.



    • Dan Blank on September 29, 2012 at 5:38 pm

      Thanks. It’s interesting to consider the topic of PERSISTENCE in this context too. That too many people give up on aspects of their writing career because they tried it once, nothing happened, so they stopped doing that one thing.

      Most success stories are about the idea of pushing yourself beyond boundaries, and persistence. It’s not 100% related to repetition, but it could be part of the discussion.

      Thanks!
      -Dan



  26. J on September 29, 2012 at 11:13 pm

    To tell you the truth, the kinds of examples you cite drive me crazy when they show up in my Twitter stream. They register as “spam” with me. And so many people are doing this that my feed is choked with spam, so I click away altogether, and I just read my favorite lists where people are tweeting unique and different messages.

    Before I follow a new person, I look at their Twitter stream. If I see the same message over and over, I don’t follow. If I see some self-promo messages but a few others that were written by a human being saying something interesting, then I follow.

    Repetition only works if people stay in the room to listen to it. If they run for the doors, it doesn’t work.

    Far better to say something interesting that others retweet, and reach a larger audience that way.



    • Dan Blank on October 1, 2012 at 7:05 am

      J,
      Thanks. I do think that a lot of people’s sensitivities are based on WHO is doing the talking, or “repeating,” in this case. I sometimes see people get very upset when some people repeat things even once, while they have nearly infinite patience for others.

      But, as you said, we each have to find our own process, our own limits, and our own actions for these types of situations.

      Or is it… “one person’s spam, is another person’s gold?” Okay, that may be going too far! Thanks.
      -Dan



  27. Mike C. Baker on September 30, 2012 at 5:17 pm

    Another take on the rule of repetition that sometimes reflects among the human audience: Crows Can Count To Three

    Yes, I have an essay out there (available commercially via http://www.lulu.com/wizardsden – look for Compiled Essays or some such) that addresses one application of the theme used by hunters of corvidae.

    In (self-)marketing there’s a corollary in my experience: any repetition beyond “X” number becomes a DISincentive for some portion of your audience. We pretty much all have experienced some version of this: how many times do you or those around you mute — or fast-forward past — a TV commercial once you have seen it “X” times? How many additional viewings of that same commercial, or a substantially similar/related commercial from the same ad campaign, before you just want it AND [probably] the brand advertised to go away permanently?

    Your challenge, in any type of marketing campaign, is to find just where the value of “X” lies to maximize sales / acceptance among your target audience.



    • Dan Blank on October 1, 2012 at 7:10 am

      Mike,
      Ooooh, interesting to consider a mathematic/scientific formula for this! But you also make a good point in: how much of putting off “some portion” of one’s audience is enough to “matter.”

      When I honestly look at a lot of brands and organizations, that portion is fairly high. I am NOT justifying this. But I also don’t want to pretend that “if even ONE person is offended, that is TOO much!”

      A lot of successful businesses use tactics that we feel are spam, and yet, the businesses are very successful, very profitable, and even if some customers grumble, they keep coming back.

      Again: I am not trying to justify bad tactics. But for larger companies, I think we have all heard again and again that (for example) “Apple has gone too far. Their latest action is so offensive, they will be bleeding customers.” All while their stock price goes higher and higher and they rake in the billions and billions.

      As others have mentioned too… for self-marketing, it is also the chance to create the world you WANT to see, not just recreate a corporate marketing world that many people hate.

      Thanks.
      -Dan



  28. Sophia Thomass on September 30, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    I have to admit that repetition is good for any type of advertising. I’m a journalism and english major and social networking is the best way to get your stuff out there. I do agree that too many posting can come off as spam and annoying. But sometimes being annoying is the best way to get someones attention.



    • Dan Blank on October 1, 2012 at 7:11 am

      Sophia,
      Isn’t that funny? Maybe it’s kind of like that old adage: the squeaky wheel gets the oil.
      Thanks!
      -Dan



  29. Turndog Millionaire on October 1, 2012 at 1:59 am

    This is a great example Dan.

    Repetition is a vital part of marketing. Whenever I run an event of any kind, I work toward the 3-hit rule, which basically aims to hit every person with a single person 3 times in a short period of time. If you achieve this then your message will stick…maybe

    With a book or online product, it doesn’t need 3 hits over a short period of time, but it does need several hits, often.

    Balance, as always, is the key. If you ONLY sell then people will be put off. If you offer value, though, and just so happen to use Twitter to sell your books, well, who can complain there?

    Top post my good man!

    Matthew (Turndog Millionaire)



    • Dan Blank on October 1, 2012 at 7:12 am

      Matthew,
      Thanks, and that is good advice on “balance,” although I am sometimes skeptical of that word! :)

      -Dan



Would you like to advertise with WU? Click for info.
Search

Recent Comments