In the world of marketing, the term ‘touchpoint’ refers to an interaction between customer and business that can be physical, sensory, or communicative. Touchpoints are essential in the strides a business endeavours to make towards creating important connections with their customer base.
Whether through physical human contact, through sensory means, or by way of a physical touchpoint object, the general purpose is to communicate a message that will “touch” the customer in some way.
Making good, lasting impressions on customers makes for good business, and through recognition of the influence touchpoints have on customers, the specific type of marketing dubbed ‘touchpoint marketing’ has risen. Touchpoint marketing focuses specifically on analysing the processes of touchpoints and creating strategies to best utilise them to produce satisfactory results and purpose in the customer life cycle; a concept that can be best explained as the cycle through which customers are first introduced to the business, to customer purchase, and then the eventual recommendation of the business’s services or products.
While non-physical touchpoints have grown in their numbers through the innovation of various digital technologies, as well as the rise of other digital marketing strategies, it is important not to forget the benefits physical touchpoints offer as well in efficient marketing strategy.
What are Physical Touchpoints?
Physical touchpoints refer to those touchpoints that are tangible and not merely restricted to digital interaction. Some, such as those discussed below, can also be printed and physically distributed in various locations for maximum reach.
Primary examples of efficient physical touchpoints for marketing purposes include:
● Personalised lanyards
● Brochures
● Flyers
● Samples
● Printed plastic cards
Depending on the nature of the business or company, certain touchpoints may serve as more effective than others. For a bakery, for instance, samples may be an especially efficient touchpoint to utilise to literally give customers a taste of what they can expect with the bakery’s products. However, even businesses selling office supplies may derive benefit in providing samples to customers.
Items such as flyers and brochures can also leave an impression on customers and any other passerby, depending on where the items are posted. Professional, creative designs may be especially imperative in these instances, as a creative or otherwise well-designed promotional item has the power to evoke a promising reaction from those encountering it. A poorly-designed flyer may not be as effective in attracting customers, but one that uses space, text, colour, and other design elements well can be an immensely purposeful tool in communicating a business’s mission and values. Proper utilisation of brochure and flyer design to communicate these important elements of a business gives customers a solid impression that they can appreciate.
Another benefit of utilising these touchpoints for marketing purposes is the flexibility of being able to post flyers and other similar communicative items at various locations. Posting these at the physical business location is essential, of course, but spreading your reach to other spots in the local vicinity is also beneficial for spreading word of a brand. The areas you may wish to post these items may, again, vary depending on the nature of the individual business. Target audience evidently serves as an important consideration. The target audience of a business may determine touchpoint design, but also informational content and locations for distribution.
In addition, personalised lanyards and printed plastic cards can prove effective as marketing touchpoints. As a type of promotional item, these can serve as physical, and preferably creative reminders of a business’s brand. Promotional items can be endearing and meaningful if design and production is executed well. Observe customer interaction with the promotional items produced, as initial reactions can help to best shape future production and distribution tactics.
Adam Bennett, from Digital ID a leading supplier of lanyards within the UK had this to say, “Offering customers something tangible at the first interaction is a great way to install a level of trust and confidence. We have seen a huge increase in the number of business opting to use printed cards and lanyards as a way of driving new exposure and leads into the business.”
Importance of Using Physical Touchpoints as Well As Non-Physical
Unlike online pop-ups, emails, or other communicative touchpoints that may be spread digitally, physical touchpoints – which, although not discussed above, may include a business’s physical location as well – serve as tangible reminders. Tangibility can be important, as you want thoughts of your brand to last longer than however many seconds it takes for an individual to click out of an email or online advertisement.
It is essential to use various means of touchpoint marketing strategies, yes – from physical to sensory to communicative – but important in the process of strategic planning is not to forget the physical. Compared to digital means of communication, physical touchpoints such as those listed above may appear obsolete to some, but buying into that mindset is a mistake.
The impression tangible promotional items can make should not be downplayed, and instead should be embraced and utilised to best spread positive, impactful communications of your business’s brand at locations that will best grab the attention of your target audience. Not to mention, items such as lanyards and flyers can be a relatively inexpensive means, in the grand scheme of things, to spread your brand.
Therefore, while the impact of touchpoints may not always necessarily be within the control of your business, your decision to explore the benefits of physical touchpoints and utilise them properly to best serve your marketing objectives is.