30 - How many times must you repeat yourself to be believed?

We know that repetition makes information feel more truthful (The Illusory Truth Effect). But how often do you need to repeat your core message before it sticks?

Research shows the biggest jump in perceived truth happens around the second time a statement is heard. After that, you see diminishing returns on the "truthiness," though advertising data suggests brand positivity peaks around 10 exposures.

However, this effect has a shelf life. Belief decays over weeks and months. If a lead hears your message once and doesn't encounter you again for six months, the trust signal fades.

In this micro-episode:

1. Why you shouldn't hammer the same point endlessly in a single episode
2. The science of "Time Decay" and why it necessitates a regular publishing schedule
3. Why saying the same thing in the same way builds more belief than varying your phrasing

Resources:

Episode on illusory truth effect (episode #26):

https://player.captivate.fm/episode/71ad2ea4-693f-419f-8282-4ed7da5bd61c/

Original 1977 study about repetition:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022537177800121

Overview and more studies:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illusory_truth_effect

Making up History: False Memories of Fake News Stories

https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/456

Maximum attitude in advertising:

https://www.newneuromarketing.com/want-to-get-your-brand-on-top-of-mind-here-s-how-often-you-should-show-your-ad and https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00913367.2015.1018460

Recogntition and recall in advertising:

https://asknigelhollis.com/blog/repetition-in-advertising-evokes-recognition-and-recall.html

Find more episodes and subscribe at stereoforest.com/minute.