The power of three, the magic of three, the science of three…

When thinking about key elements of stories, events, projects, and marketing campaigns (among other things) there is always a beginning (1), a middle (2), and an end (3).

Dave Wraith explored the importance of the number three in his article for Alive titled, “Why three is the magic number” and I encourage you to give it a read. In the article he reminds us that,

Research shows that our brains can comfortably process up to three ‘chunks’ of information in our short-term memory. Above that, they need to work much harder. This insight can help us devise campaign names and materials that have a far higher chance of being remembered.

https://www.alivewithideas.com/blog/three-is-the-magic-number/

Another great article to reference is Harnessing the Power of Three by Lindsay Taylor. She will also introduce you to the IMPACT Model and KISS – both of which I refer to daily.

A campaign must be cohesive – must do more than advertise – it must tell a story across all of your marketing channels. As marketers, we need to recognize that our campaigns are our stories – the first elements act as the introduction, the second generate excitement and confidence, and the third provide a kind of conclusion where we ask consumers to take action.

Let’s explore this idea a bit further …

Introduction

First impressions make an impact.

The first time a consumer engages with your company or content, you want them to either identify with it or become interested enough to remember the name.

Today, visuals are everything and digestible video content [that’s also compelling] is going to be key.

Generating Excitement and Confidence

In the second engagement, you want them to continue identifying with your brand and become excited or interested enough in what you represent to think about becoming more involved. This is also the time when they might begin exploring your website or social channels – depending on what they find, they will either decide to continue pursuing or lose confidence in your brand and move on.

With everyone in Quarantine, brief online and Instagram Live events are becoming an increasingly popular engagement tool.

Actionable Conclusion

By the third interaction, your consumer has either committed to you or has broken off their relationship with your brand. This is the point when they’ve either continued to an action – maybe a follow, signup, or purchase – or becomes a cold prospect.

You want to make sure each campaign has a specific, measurable goal that you can track to determine its level of success.

How Does This Help Me?

Thinking about your marketing campaigns as unabridged stories with three distinct stages will bring life and meaning to the forefront. People buy for two general reasons, either your product or service directly answers a need or they feel compelled to buy your product or service because they’ve connected with the story you tell. In short, make sure you’re telling a good story with a beginning (1), a middle (2), and an end (3).