[Previous entry: "An Unusual Postcard Marketing Method that Works"] [Next entry: "Baby Boomers Mean Business."]

11/16/2004: "Use the Recency Effect to Your Advantage"

Do you think it's hot to be number 1 on Google? Well, it's impressive and it makes you tingle a bit. But does it help conversions? Perhaps to some extent. But most people looking for your service or product will dig a bit deeper to try and find the best deal for them.

That's where the recency effect will benefit you and it will pay to be somewhere in the top thirty but not number one or two.

The recency effect is simply the fact that we will tend to remember the last few things more than those things in the middle.

If you want something to stand out in a person’s mind, use it at the end of a conversation, a written list, etc. Don’t let it get lost in the middle. Repeat the message after a while, still with the key items at the end.

That's why I prefer to be the last person people call when they're looking for a copywriter, not the first. Chances are they won't hire the first person they call unless they're in a wild rush. In that case, I may not be able to help them anyway as I have lots of clients before them.

So, while I don't want you in the "deadly middle", it's a good idea to shoot for being the last person the prospect calls or hears from.