The hidden power of the Mere Exposure effect
Consistent visibility breeds trust
You heard it many times. Be everywhere. Post constantly online on social media. Create content continuously. Be in front of your prospects all the time, and they will eventually become customers.
Of course, it is not that easy, but there is something very powerful that most people do not know.
Why does appearing multiple times in front of prospects convert them into customers?
Most people would say that the more people get exposed to your message, the better they understand it. That is correct and reasonable. But it’s only part of the explanation. That is the rational part.
Interestingly enough, there is a deep, psychological, and largely subconscious aspect that explains why familiarity leads to trust.
Nobel Laureate Daniel Kahneman used to say, “A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth.”
In evolutionary psychology, thousands of years ago, when humans lived in caves, we developed an automatic association between familiarity and safety. If something appears to us multiple times without attacking us, it is most likely not a threat. This causes reduced amygdala activation, which is associated with vigilance and fear. There is also an increase in dopaminergic circuits, reinforcing approach behaviors, which brings trust.
Repetition is perceived as safety, safety is perceived as comfort, and comfort is perceived as trust.
We trust what we see repeatedly multiple times, not just because of rational reasons, but because of deep unconscious dynamics in our brains. Fascinating.
