The Power of Three

Good things come in threes and marketing is no different. We grew up with 3’s; The Three Little Pigs, a tricycle, and Charles Dicken’s ghosts of Christmas past, present and yet to come. Even our rights in the U.S. Declaration of Independence come in three Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. In classical ballet, steps are commonly repeated 3 times in choreography. In business we have “location, location, location,” top three lists (short attention spans) and the “problem-solution-call to action” formula.  

What’s so magical about the number three?  

Grouping things in threes aligns with the “Rule of Three” which says that a trio of events or characters is more humorous, satisfying, or effective than other numbers. This is because humans process information through pattern recognition and three is the smallest number of elements required to create a pattern. Net, net: A sequence of three gets things stuck in people’s heads.  

InvoiceCloud clients have also discovered the magic of “three” 

Several clients have recently implemented multi-prong marketing campaigns that include inserts, Facebook ads, press releases, sweepstakes, QR Codes on printed invoices, direct mail postcards or envelope teasers. Here are some exciting results: 

• One longtime client achieved a 50% increase in paperless registrations through a Press Release, Facebook ad and Sweepstakes campaign. 
• Cumulative data from Facebook ads combined with another marketing activity (a compelling offer is important here) indicates that 21% of Facebook respondents are new online payers. 
• Another client has launched a multi-prong campaign that includes a direct mail QR code postcard to non-online payers which has driven hundreds of scans. 

As you move forward in your marketing efforts with customers, remember the rule of three. It gets powerful results.