What Is a Touchpoint in Marketing?

Most digital marketers now use multi-touch attribution analytics as a key metric of success, so touchpoints must be important. However, this raises the question: What is a touchpoint in marketing?

You’re likely also wondering how you can use touchpoint marketing to boost your overall success. Let’s dive into the details to help you nail this part of your strategy.

Breaking Down What a Touchpoint in Marketing Is

A marketing touchpoint refers to any interaction between a prospective or existing customer and your business. Every touchpoint allows you to reinforce your brand message, build trust, and influence your audience to make a purchase. 

That means you need to actively engage with your target audience through all stages of the customer acquisition funnel and beyond. What is a marketing touchpoint able to do at each of these stages?

• Before the sale, you build awareness of your product or service and why the person needs it.
• During the sale, you facilitate a smooth transaction and create opportunities for upselling and cross-selling.
• After the sale, you offer helpful assistance or content that keeps the buyer engaged with your brand and ready to purchase from you again.

Any of these are effective on their own, but they’re most powerful when they work together as multiple touchpoints in your marketing.

What Is an Example of a Touchpoint? 

Examples of touchpoints include:

• Your website home and product pages
• Entertaining or insightful social media posts
• Timely email marketing and newsletters
• Informative or educational content on your blog
• In-person interactions, such as at a brick-and-mortar store or trade show

Ads, reviews, forums, testimonials, and loyalty programs are other touchpoint examples you can use in marketing.

What Is the Touchpoint Marketing Theory?

Touchpoint marketing theory centers on the idea that you should create and capitalize on meaningful interactions with your target audience. By making the most of each contact, you can strengthen their perception of your brand and encourage loyalty. 

For example, useful content that teaches a prospect something without focusing exclusively on selling something positions you as a thought leader to your target audience. This type of touchpoint in marketing is what builds trust and credibility.

Maximizing Engagement on Touchpoints With Best Practices 

An undefined touchpoint marketing strategy will be ineffective. Implement these best practices for repeatable success. 

Use Multiple Touchpoints in Marketing Across the Customer Journey

Using multiple marketing touchpoints across different channels keeps you present and relevant with potential customers. Notice what each touchpoint in marketing is doing in the following scenario:

A person reads an article your team wrote explaining how to solve a common problem. The individual then browses your site to learn more about what you do or clicks an internal link that leads to other interesting posts and product pages.

Afterward, retargeting ads or follow-up emails remind the reader about the services they viewed. Additional engaging content motivates the person to sign up for your newsletter or notifications for special promotions.

When the person decides to purchase, they interact with your web pages and point-of-sale materials. Attractive packaging and labeling also serve as positive touchpoints.

After the sale, you send a thank you email and a customer satisfaction survey. You could even send SMS text messages about other items you offer and share links to content that teaches them more about how to get the most from their purchase. 

Each communication and interaction is a touchpoint that builds loyalty if you do it right. Just make sure the messages complement each other and are consistent for each segment you’re targeting.

Personalize the Content

Personalization is what makes a touchpoint in marketing the most motivating. Now, automation makes it easier to provide personalized content to specific customers. 

Start by segmenting customers into different categories. For instance, a software as a service company can have specific content in touchpoints for nonprofits. Another segment of its content can be primarily for startups.

Then, have sales and support agents enter as much relevant data as possible about each prospect and customer into your CRM. Using AI-assisted martech tools and templates, your email, text, and app messages can provide deals and content specific to that individual or company.

Set Touchpoint Workflows That Respond to Triggers

Use marketing software that can automatically initiate interactions when prospects and customers take a specific action. HubSpot and ActiveCampaign are two you might try.

For instance, if a customer abandons a cart, that can trigger a reminder to complete the transaction. Website visitors or app users who view specific products can go to a list that sends information about promotions for those items. Someone who attends a webinar can trigger a content campaign that provides additional information or asks for feedback.

Optimizing Your Marketing Touchpoints With KPIs and Attribution Models

What touchpoints in marketing will be most effective for you? You can only find out by using them and analyzing key performance indicators (KPIs), including:

• The number of visitors to your website: Tools like Google Analytics can track and analyze traffic.
• Social media engagement: Keep track of likes, comments, and other forms of engagement on social media with software like Sprout Social or Hootsuite.
• Content effectiveness: Semrush and Moz can help you determine if your content is resonating with your audience.
• Conversion rates: Calculate conversion rates, such as how many site visitors fill out a Contact Us form and the number of forms that lead to sales. 

Regarding conversions, use attribution models. These are programs that determine which marketing touchpoints lead to each conversion. 

As mentioned, the multi-touch method is popular even though it’s complex. This system assigns weighted credit to relevant touchpoints throughout the customer journey. As a result, you understand which touchpoints in your marketing are contributing to the greatest success. 

Are You Ready To Make the Most of Your Touchpoint Marketing? 

Providing multiple touchpoints through marketing drives engagement, builds trust, and improves SEO. Consequently, you’ll create positive brand awareness that attracts new customers and retains existing ones. 

What is a touchpoint in marketing you can start using now to drive high rates of success? Informational blogs have a proven track record of being a great return on investment. To see it in action, contact us at BKA Content so we can show you how SEO blogging is an effective part of your touchpoint marketing.