Marketing: Just three things, nothing more?

Marketing often gets a bad rap for being “talkative” and greedy in “creating too many excuses”. But have you ever wondered why lists of just 3 things work, but lists of just 4 things can be confusing? In fact, it’s one of the top and oldest secrets that marketers around the world use to get endless support from customers. Many marketers, even psychologists, believe that it’s the most effective way to organize thoughts and ideas in a way that is persuasive and lasting. But wait, do you know the science behind the rule of 3 and of course, 3 ways you can apply it in your marketing?

The Rule of 3 and the Human Brain

So, what’s so magical about the number 3?

It’s no coincidence that the rule of 3 is popular in our stories, history, comedy, and educational research. Just think about simple things: The familiar saying “Three times is the charm”, the famous story of “The Three Musketeers”, the song “Three Little Pigs” that your baby hears every day, or the classic slogan “Just do it”… Surely it is not a coincidence that the number 3 is repeated so much. It is clearly based on the way humans process information.

Pieces of information are much easier to remember than a series of events or odd facts, and that happens when 3 is the smallest number needed to create a pattern. The rule of 3 follows the brain’s mapping principle, making things much easier to remember. When marketers follow this approach to build their promotions, they can create anything that is compelling. In a world like ours with short attention spans and endless competition, the power is in the number 3.

And think back to the last time you read a 100-page consumer insights report, how many of them stuck with you, or none?

The Rule of 3s and Marketing

When working with people, it’s tempting to want to present a giant list of “best products”. We tend to believe that the more options we have, the better our choices will be. But the truth is, the longer the list, the more confusing it becomes. That’s just how we work, the top 3 factors that make the most impact on us and the rest are irrelevant.

With more than 3 options, customers will have typical responses. And here are some reasons why you should consider not using more than three:

Information overload – as much as we like to think that we are complex individuals who can take in a lot of information at once, research shows otherwise. If we have too many options, our brains get confused. If we get confused, we can make the wrong choice and it can harm us (whether financially, physically, etc.), so the brain likes having options but not too many. Overwhelming your customers with product information or giving them a ton of options will just turn your prospects off!

Low quality – the subconscious mind thinks that searching through a long list is lower quality than a short list. It makes it seem like a desperate move rather than a sure thing. It will make you appear as if you are not confident in your first few offers.

Marketing Perspective

Every marketer has their own way of persuading people. But no matter what strategy they use, there is always a greater benefit to using the power of the rule of three. Marketers who have adopted the rule of three have proven that mapping sales and marketing signals directly to the brain can persuade customers much more easily than the other way around. There are a number of proven ways that you can apply to your business as well. Here are a few:

Don’t provide a long list of options to avoid confusing and scaring away customers

Categorize your products and offerings and narrow the variety to 3

Pick the top 3 problems your customers face and give them the right options

Focus on the top 3 benefits your customers can get

Present concise, well-placed, and solid evidence of why you recommend each solution

Showcase your portfolio but don’t list it all. List just a few of your biggest accomplishments. Those will really grab their attention.

Know your competitors or competitors. Compete against them.

Practical ways to apply the power of 3 in your business

The power of 3 isn’t just limited to having great taglines for your business. It can also be applied in many other ways such as time management, setting your goals and as mentioned before, in your services to clients.

#1 Focus – Always have a goal for the day. Before you start your day, think about the top 3 things you need to accomplish. This will act as a “measure” of how successful you are that day. It also helps if you write it down and put it somewhere you can easily read and see it. It will help to be reminded of each goal as you progress through the day.

#2 Long Term Goals – Long term goals also need attention and even in this case the rule of 3 still applies. Think about the top 3 things you want to achieve over a period of a year or several years. No matter how much pressure there is to accomplish more, it is best to stick with a few that are the most important. Remember that each of these will have a kind of “sub-effort” for you to complete. They will have their own goals and processes that you need to work on and execute. Anything too much and overwhelming will not bring you the success you are looking for.

#3 Strategies – You may not believe it but the rule of 3 in your strategies also helps a lot. Don’t stick to just one strategy because it may not work in some ways. And don’t go beyond 3 because we all believe that it is confusing. Picking 3 top strategies with different variations is enough to get you going with your marketing. Each of these strategies will show their strengths and weaknesses, so at least you have options to choose from when things don’t go the way you want.

Follow-up

It is important for every marketer to follow up after launching their marketing. Don’t trust your first ad or your entire initial marketing campaign to convince people. Once a customer signs up, never let them go! And of course, as we all know, the rule of three when it comes to follow-ups is a great number to follow. However, it’s not the limit. You can follow up as many times as you want, but don’t go below three or you’ll miss out.

Building a brand

Your logo represents your company. If it looks confusing and unappealing, you’re likely to be misunderstood. Choose a logo that’s clear, simple, and professional. If possible, go with three colors or less. Stick to three elements on your business card like your logo, your name, and your contact number. Don’t make your business card look like a small flyer.

Pitching

Let’s face it, we’re all used to seeing sales pitches that are as long as our grocery lists. Traditional marketing and pitching simply don’t work anymore, and there are a number of reasons for that.

So when you market your product or service, keep it short, to the point, and state clearly what benefit it provides/what problem it solves. Know what they want to hear and what they need help with and focus on that. Make them feel like their questions are answered as soon as you start talking.

Offer

It’s always good to give people options in your offer. But don’t make them feel stuck with just one or confused with too many. Offer them 3 that you think will best suit their needs. Tell them the benefits they can get from each and the downsides if any. Present these options in a “good, better, best” way without having to say these words directly. It also helps a lot when you structure them in 3s. Organize your thoughts and ideas in a way that is easy for your customers to understand. Making your offers this way will help them make the right decision that will most likely benefit you.

3 Rules That Can Shape Your Market

To be successful in business, you must understand and know your market. If you know how your customers think and how they operate, it will be easier for you to shape your market in a way that meets their needs. Rule #3 does an excellent job of helping you shape your business as if it were tailored specifically for them. Here are some helpful tips you can apply:

Think like a customer

As people say, for a person to empathize, they have to walk in someone else’s shoes. This is also true if you want to be successful in your business. Think like you are one of them. When you put yourself in the market’s perspective, you’ll see that these 3 things are essential to figure out:

Reason – why your market decided to start looking for your solution. There is always a reason why people search for something. They don’t do it for the sake of it. They search for it because they need help. Think about the top 3 reasons why they search for the type of solution you offer and understand each one so you know how to be THAT solution for them.

Location – where they will go to find information. The most common place for people to go is Google. In some cases, they will go to reputable websites and people who can give them great referrals. If you know the top 3 places your market will go for these things, you will know how to position yourself and get ahead of the competition.

Preconceptions – about your company. Before they come to you, they will most likely have a preconceived notion or opinion about your company. People will not engage with a company unless they know something about it. It is important to know the 3 common and viable preconceptions about your business so you know how to reach new customers and potential markets.

Think Like a Competitor

Your competitors may not be directly doing anything against your company, but they are always working behind the scenes to be a better choice than anyone else. If you want to succeed, don’t ignore them. Learn about your competitors, who they are, and what they offer. Don’t think you’re too safe just because you have better prices for your products and services. Highlight the best strengths of your product and get ahead of the competition.

Think Like a Product

It may sound a little odd, but thinking like your product is important. It will allow you to put yourself in the shoes of what you’re selling and see if the features are enough for them. Think about the 3 things that would make them “superstars” to everyone else. Constantly look for ways to improve those strengths so they don’t become obsolete too soon.