Google's 7-11-4 Rule Explained
I heard about this for the first time and was like, “What?” Where has this been? In searching the Internet, it seemed like quite a mystery. Most tools relate it to the book Winning the Zerp Moment of Truth.
While not exactly explained in the book, many marketers have consumed that data and come up with the following:
Hours, Touchpoints, and Platforms
Google's 7-11-4 rule is a marketing framework designed to guide brands in building trust and converting prospects into customers in today’s digital landscape. The rule outlines the average level of engagement a potential customer needs before making a purchase decision:
7 Hours: A prospect should spend at least seven hours engaging with your brand’s content. This engagement can be spread across various formats—videos, blog posts, podcasts, webinars, etc.—and does not need to occur simultaneously. The goal is to build familiarity and trust by providing valuable, in-depth content over time.
11 Touchpoints: The prospect should encounter your brand in at least eleven separate interactions. These touchpoints can include social media posts, emails, ads, blog articles, website visits, and even in-person events. Each interaction offers an opportunity to reinforce your brand’s message and value.
4 Platforms: The interactions should occur across at least four different platforms or channels. This could mean your website, social media platforms (like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn), email newsletters, and physical locations or events. The idea is to meet your audience wherever they are and demonstrate a consistent presence.
Why the 7-11-4 Rule Matters
The 7-11-4 rule is based on research into modern buyer behavior, which shows that consumers rarely make purchasing decisions after a single exposure to a brand. Instead, they conduct extensive research, compare options, and seek out multiple sources of information before taking action. By ensuring your brand is present across multiple touchpoints and platforms, and by offering enough content to engage prospects for at least seven hours, you significantly increase the likelihood of building trust and ultimately driving conversions.
Practical Application
To implement the 7-11-4 rule:
Create a variety of content (videos, blogs, podcasts, webinars) to accumulate seven hours of engagement.
Diversify your touchpoints by using ads, emails, social media, and events to reach at least eleven interactions.
Expand your presence across at least four platforms or channels to ensure your brand is visible wherever your audience spends time.
This approach is not just about frequency, but about building meaningful, value-driven relationships with your audience over time, which is essential for both initial conversions and long-term brand loyalty.
Summary Table
| Rule Component | What It Means | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Hours | Total time spent with content | Builds familiarity and trust |
| 11 Touchpoints | Number of brand interactions | Reinforces the message and presence |
| 4 Platforms | Number of different channels | Ensures visibility and credibility |
Why Isn't My Product Selling?
This might help explain why some podcasters struggle to sell products. While you may have a loyal audience who has consumed more than seven hours of content, they have listened to more than 11 episodes, but you may be lacking on platforms. It may be time to start a blog, email list, and YouTube channel to boost your platforms.
The beauty of podcasting is that you can easily cut it up and repurpose it across many platforms. Rather than chop things into bits (like ripping a page out of a book and hoping it resonates with the audience), I prefer to take the topic that I've already vetted and easily record it in different formats for the different platforms.
