Repetition in marketing: How often to repeat yourself (without annoying people)
How often to repeat your marketing message (more than feels comfortable), when to repeat the exact phrase, and how to tell when the creative is tired.
Jon Founder, Cultmethod Marketing 6 min read
Contents
Behind every single successful brand lies repetition. You have Nike’s “Just Do It.” Apple’s “Think Different.” Donald Trump’s “Build The Wall” and “Make America Great Again.” Snickers’ “You’re not you when you’re hungry”… I could go on forever.
Every single successful brand, every single successful political campaign… They repeat just one or two ideas over and over again, ad nauseam. And that repetition plays a critical role in their success.
Why is repeating yourself so hard?
Most of us feel repetitive and uninteresting if we say the same thing more than once. Of course we do! We take the things we know for granted. To say them even once feels unnatural enough.
But other people can’t read our minds. They don’t even know what we do on a daily basis. How we can help them or what we think about certain things.
Even if we tell them, chances are it won’t stick the first time.
The first barrier to repetition is the curse of knowledge.
Normally when we talk about the curse of knowledge, we refer to the fact that experts have a hard time explaining things to a total beginner (because they implicitly assume background knowledge that the beginner lacks).
But there is another aspect to the curse of knowledge: we see 100% of our own social media posts, blog articles, videos, emails, and podcast appearances. But others (even our followers) catch a tiny fraction of it.
On my own list, well under half of subscribers open any given email, and open rates overstate how many actually read it. I could probably say the same thing in the next ten emails, and there would still be a sizable portion of my subscribers that has no idea what I’m about.
We assume others are more or less just as aware of what we’re up to as we are. But nothing could be further from the truth.
Best case scenario is someone sees and engages with every piece of marketing we put out into the world. And they still wouldn’t be nearly as aware of the message as we are (creation requires far more attention and awareness than consumption).
A 2015 meta-analysis of advertising studies found that recall kept climbing through at least eight exposures, and that liking for the ad peaked at around ten.1
The second barrier is curiosity.
I’m insufferably curious. I love to explore new ideas, weird phenomena, the exceptions to the rule. My mental models are constantly changing as I try to develop a more nuanced and high-fidelity view of different things.
I take ideas from one discipline and apply them to different disciplines to see if they apply (that’s how I concluded that the nature of brands is trinitarian). Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t.
Curiosity is an extremely powerful trait, especially when you work in an industry like mine.
But there’s a serious downside to it:
The downside of curiosity is that you quickly get bored with things. You always want to chase the next interesting idea, and you never want to stick around to evangelize the first one. That may be alright if you’re a man of leisure, an aristocrat who doesn’t have to work.
But when you’re trying to grow a brand, it’s a big problem.
How often should you repeat your marketing message?
You should repeat your message more often than feels natural. Pick one idea, use it on every channel for weeks, and change only the creative around it. In ad studies, recall keeps rising through at least eight exposures.1
Repetition creates stickiness. There are three levels of repetition:
- Low: Saying different things every time
- Medium: Repeating the same ideas
- High: Repeating the same phrases
The more consistently you express an idea, the more staying power it has, and the stronger the association between your brand and the idea becomes.
Repetition of the same phrase creates the most stickiness.
For proof, look at politics. Trump has used “Make America Great Again” since 2016, and a decade later almost everyone knows it. Can you remember Hillary Clinton’s 2016 slogan?
| Level | What it looks like | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Low | New angles each time | Thought leadership; depth over recall |
| Medium | Same ideas repeated | Most brands, most of the time |
| High | Same phrases repeated | Slogans, offers, sonic/visual mnemonics |
For a lot of brands, stickiness is all they need.
There’s an exception to this though: when you’re selling expertise, you also need depth.
You see, stickiness comes at a cost. To achieve it, you have to sacrifice depth.
Depending on how much depth you need to contain in your message, the appropriate mix of low (new ideas), medium (same ideas), and high (same phrases) stickiness communication changes. The bias should generally be toward excessive repetition rather than excessive depth.
Low repetition (new angles)
Use this when you’re trying to build depth instead of recall. Each new angle adds nuance and builds trust.
How to repeat
Keep the same point, but make it concrete with new client stories or product use cases. Come back to it from different angles, and end each piece by restating it in plain language.
Example: A consultant writes a monthly essay that argues the same promise (e.g., “sell outcomes, not hours”) with a different client story each time. Each essay ends by restating the point in one sentence and links to the next stage of the funnel.
Medium repetition (same ideas, varied executions)
For most brands, this should be the bare minimum. It builds memory without boring people.
How to repeat
Pick one benefit and stick with it for a set window (e.g., two to four weeks). Use it everywhere: ad headlines, email subjects, homepage banner, product page badges, LinkedIn and other social media posts.
Only change the creative around it (new images, new hooks). Obviously, keep your brand elements (logo, colors, voice) the same so people recognize you.
Put the benefit up front in headlines and intros, and don’t cram three benefits into one message.
If more people remember you but fewer click, reply, or add to cart, the creative is tired. Make a new ad or post around the same benefit.
E-commerce examples
- Weeks 1–4: “Have it when you need it” (enabled by fast, free shipping)
- Weeks 5–8: “Try it at home with zero risk” (enabled by free returns)
- Weeks 9–12: “Buy once and be done” (enabled by durable materials)
B2B examples
- Weeks 1–4: “Close the books in hours, not days” (enabled by faster reporting)
- Weeks 5–8: “Keep your cash for growth” (enabled by no setup fees)
- Weeks 9–12: “Start delivering value this week” (enabled by 48-hour onboarding)
High repetition (same phrases/codes)
Use this for launches, offers, slogans, and seasonal pushes, especially when you have strong brand codes to lean on. A short, memorable line builds recall quickly.
How to repeat
Choose a short line and use it everywhere for a set period. Pair it with your logo, colors, and tone. Keep layouts flexible so you can swap images or video while the line stays the same.
E-commerce examples
- “Built to Outlast.” (durability)
- “Nothing Fake. Ever.” (clean ingredients)
- “Comfort, All Day.” (apparel/footwear)
- “Good Coffee, Every Morning.” (coffee/CPG)
B2B examples
- “Sales, Not Spreadsheets.” (automation/RevOps)
- “Close on Time.” (finance/close software)
- “Ship Faster. Break Less.” (devtools/platform)
- “Clean Data. Clear Decisions.” (analytics)
Something for you to think about: do you repeat yourself enough in your marketing? How can you become a more disciplined communicator?
FAQ about repetition in marketing
How many times should I repeat a marketing message?
There’s no universal number, but it’s more than feels comfortable. Repeat the same benefit or short line for a set period, vary the creative, and keep your brand elements the same. If people still remember you but clicks or replies drop, the creative is tired and needs replacing.
Does repeating the same brand message on social media improve brand awareness?
Yes. The more often people see the same message on social media, email, and your site, the more likely they are to remember you. It also builds trust, because people know what to expect from you.
What should I repeat during marketing campaigns?
Repeat one benefit, ideally in the same short line, on every channel. If you have three claims to make, run them one after another over several weeks instead of stacking them in one ad.
How does repetition improve conversions without annoying people?
Keep the message the same and rotate the creative, so people don’t tire of the ad itself. People who already know what you offer need less convincing when they’re ready to buy.
Does repetition really build trust?
Yes, as long as you deliver on what you say. A consistent message makes you predictable in a good way, and people who see your brand often find it easier to remember when it’s time to buy.
