"Why Repeating Yourself Isn’t Annoying—It’s Genius (Trust Me, I Learned the Hard Way)"

     You know how in marketing they always say, “Don’t stop repeating yourself”? Like, keep talking about your product, your service, who you are, what you do—over and over again. Honestly, for the longest time, I didn’t get it. Every time I’d watch a video or read a newsletter where someone kept repeating themselves, I’d get bored. Sometimes even annoyed. I’d think, Why? Why do you keep saying the same thing? I’ve been following you for months—I already know this stuff. But they just kept at it. And they always said, Don’t get tired of it. Just keep repeating yourself.

     At first, it made no sense to me. I mean, wasn’t that overkill? And I’ll admit, part of it was me finding an excuse to not put myself out there. See, I’m naturally shy. I’m not the kind of person who easily goes out into the world shouting, “Hey, everyone, look at me! This is who I am, this is what I do!” So when I’d see people repeating themselves over and over, I’d tell myself, Well, that’s just too much. I’m not doing that.

     For example, when I started posting videos on social media, every now and then, I’d think about making a video to introduce myself to my audience. Something simple, like, “Hi, this is my channel. I’m making these videos because I care about this topic, and I hope it helps someone.” But every time, I’d cringe at the thought. Who am I to put myself out there like that? I’d think. If people like my content, they’ll watch it. Why do I have to keep explaining myself?

     Then there was this one experience at a restaurant I worked at that completely changed my perspective. It was a new spot, and one of our big challenges was getting people to understand what we offered. So, we put up these huge visuals on the walls—pictures of the food, labels for vegetarian and gluten-free options, even a big sign that said Brazilian street food. It was all there, clear as day.

     One afternoon, this girl spent several minutes staring at the visuals, and then she came running up to us and asked, “What kind of food is this? What kind of kitchen?” I just stared at her, completely stunned. It’s written right there, I thought. Brazil. Big letters. Right on the wall.

     Then she asked, “Do you have vegetarian options?” And I was like, Seriously? It’s all written there too—vegetarian, gluten-free, everything! But in that moment, it hit me. People don’t always notice things. They don’t read the signs, even when they’re staring right at them.

     That’s when I finally understood the whole “don’t stop repeating yourself” thing. People forget. They skim past details. They’re distracted. And sometimes, they just need to hear it straight from you—the owner, the creator, the person behind the scenes.

     Now, when I see those marketers repeating themselves on videos or in emails, I’m not annoyed anymore. I get it. It’s not about nagging people or overdoing it. It’s about making sure your message gets across because, honestly, not everyone is paying as much attention as we think they are.

     And that’s okay. Because repeating yourself isn’t just about saying the same thing—it’s about making sure your story is heard.