When you run a small business, marketing can feel like a constant balancing act. You need to attract new customers, maintain relationships with existing ones and keep your business visible, all while managing your day-to-day workload.
The 7-11-4 marketing rule offers a useful way to think about how customers get to know and trust a business.
What is the 7-11-4 rule?
The rule suggests that, before someone feels ready to buy from a business, they may need:
- 7 hours of engagement with its content.
- 11 touchpoints with the business or brand.
- 4 different places where they encounter it.
These figures are often attributed to Google, but there is no verified study establishing these exact numbers, so treat them as a marketing framework rather than a proven formula. The underlying principle is that customers rarely make every purchasing decision after seeing a single advertisement or visiting a website once.
What does this mean for your business?
Imagine someone is considering buying a product or service. They might discover the business through an Instagram post, watch a helpful YouTube video, read an article on its website and later receive an email newsletter. Each interaction introduces them to the brand on a different platform, helping them understand what it offers and decide whether it is right for them.
For a smaller business, this doesn’t mean you need to spend hours creating content every day or maintain a presence on every social media platform. It means making the most of the marketing activities you can sustain.
Four ways to put the principle into practice
1. Be consistent. Regular, useful communication helps keep your business visible. A monthly newsletter or a weekly social media post is more manageable than an ambitious schedule you abandon after a fortnight.
2. Choose your channels carefully. Focus on the places your customers are most likely to look for information. For some businesses, this might mean a website, email and LinkedIn. Others may benefit more from local networking or referrals.
3. Share useful information. Answer the questions your customers actually ask. You could share practical tips, answer frequently asked customer questions or explain how your products or services solve common problems.
4. Give people time. Someone who isn’t ready to buy today might need your services in six months. Continue providing relevant information without assuming that a lack of immediate enquiries means your marketing isn’t working.
Make your marketing work harder
You don’t need to chase an arbitrary number of interactions. Instead, focus on being visible, helpful and consistent, and make it easy for potential customers to find out more about your business. Review your website traffic, enquiries and customer feedback regularly to understand which activities are contributing to results.
At E R Grove and Co, we understand that running a business involves competing demands on your time. A considered, sustainable approach to marketing can help you build relationships with potential customers while keeping your attention on the business itself.
