No, you haven’t accidentally stumbled across an article about mystical numerology or some kind of cryptic code.
7-11-4 is actually a simple and effective sales and marketing ‘rule’ developed by Google that will inspire and empower you to engage more customers – and win more business.
Tell me more about 7-11-4…
Once upon a time, marketers thought there were only 3 stages leading up to a customer purchase: the stimulus, the first ‘moment of truth’ and the second ‘moment of truth’.
The stimulus might be an advert, the first moment of truth would be the point of sale, and the second moment of truth would be the customer’s ultimate experience of the product or service.
However, Google added an earlier step into the customer journey – the ‘zero moment of truth’ (ZMOT). In this vital preliminary stage, the customer educates themselves through activities such as research, reading reviews, analysing competitor offerings and looking for deals.
During the ZMOT stage, Google suggests that a buyer needs 7 hours of interaction, across 11 touch points, in 4 separate locations before they make a purchase.
Discover how the 7-11-4 rule boosts sales
The 7-11-4 rule works so well because it cultivates familiarity between your brand and the customer.
When there’s at least seven hours of content about you out there, across eleven moments, in four locations, it starts to form a strong sense of familiarity between you and your customer.
People will find you, get to know you, like you and trust you – so eventually they will buy from you.
7 hours? Sounds like a lot…
Nobody makes a purchase without doing some homework first.
When a potential customer wants to consume information about you, your product or service – there needs to be enough out there for them to binge on. In a content-greedy world, if they go hungry, then they go looking elsewhere.
Those 7 hours of crucial interaction start to seem achievable when you discover they can be made up of:
Face-to-face contact – networking events, workshops, courses, interviews, meetings and social occasions
Written content – regular blogs, case studies, whitepapers, testimonials, guides, emails, newsletters, downloadables and books
Video and audio content – social media posts, webinars, demos, podcasts, TV and radio appearances/advertising
How do you define a ‘touchpoint’?
Your eleven ‘touchpoints’ could be any of the resources that your customers go to – or find – in order to learn more about products and services like yours.
Google answers over 100 billion searches per month. Now that almost everyone has a smartphone, ZMOT is no longer a discrete moment, it’s an integral part of the constantly connected consumer’s entire day.
Each of these searches presents your business with a new opportunity to reach consumers when they’re most engaged.
Simply put, it’s about being present in the moments that matter.
Remember, your website is not your only touchpoint! Brochures, newsletters, social media feeds, podcast subscriptions and events are just a few other examples of touchpoints.
Locations, locations, locations
Four, to be precise! Although your office, shop and/or event all count, don’t make the mistake of thinking ‘locations’ have to be actual physical settings.
Locations can be spread across a variety of online and offline places, such as:
Your website
Social media
Email
Events e.g. workshops and webinars
For example, when it comes to the 7-11-4 rule you are creating a ‘location’ just by posting on Instagram or sending a newsletter by email.
The human brain responds well to familiarity. The more places and times your quality content gets seen in the ZMOT, the more likely a potential browser is to convert into a sale.
Unlocking the potential of the 7-11-4 rule depends upon a strong content marketing strategy for your business
Brevity’s 5 Mandala Marketing Principles include Personality, People Power, Performance, Personalisation and Positivity.
The 7-11-4 rule can be used to unlock your full ‘Performance’ potential by helping you deliver your message not just with clarity and conviction, but with consistency.
How many 7s, 11s and 4s do you have?
Our team of experts provide a range of content marketing services, helping you create and re-purpose all the content your business needs to use the 7-11-4 rule to your advantage. We’ll make sure it’s accessible in the right locations, to maximise the power of those touchpoints every time they happen.
Stay tuned for inspirational deep dives into how to create and distribute seven hours of content, across eleven touch points, in four separate locations.
Test how well your company measures up against the Brevity Mandala Marketing Principles – and how ‘exit-ready’ it is – with this quick and easy scorecard. Get a report featuring insight and tips that will improve your business performance today – and attract the right acquirers when the time comes to sell.
