“Each interaction a customer has with your brand shapes their perception of [your business] and those perceptions translate to dollars spent…” – Toni Clayton-Hine, CMO at EY Americas¹
1. Leverage Multiple Touchpoints
Several touchpoints are required to convert a customer or create brand awareness:
- Consumers have to see your brand name multiple times before they can remember you.
- Target specific audiences and consistently stay in front of them.
2. Focus on Branding rather than just Data Alone
Rethink expecting an immediate response from people – any results from marketing campaigns are a fraction of your success:
- It can take eight or more touches to be remembered, recognized and to educate consumers.
- You never really know what brought you a lead: they saw your ad, recalled your brand, and took action.
3. Prioritize Customer-Centric Marketing and Providing Value
The closer your customers are to the top of the funnel, the more touchpoints it will take to move them to the bottom:
- Nurturing customers long-term helps bring them to the bottom of the funnel.
- It’s a good idea to have consistent and helpful interactions/messages.
4. Map Out Your Customer Journey
Create valuable touchpoints and weave them into the customer journey:
- Understand what people are trying to accomplish and how you can help them.
- There are usually one or two key benefits that a prospect cares about – identify the areas where you can provide value.
For small businesses, every touchpoint is an opportunity to make an impression and convert a potential customer into a loyal one.
Source: Young Entrepreneur Council@yec-Solomon Thimothy, President of OneIMS, reported by Inc.com; ¹Salesforce.com; ²StrategyBeam.com