Consumer experience and engagement is an area of marketing every company should consider and cultivate. Improving the brand experience at every touchpoint is one way to create and retain a strong brand relationship with consumers. A customer touchpoint is any place where consumers come in contact with a brand, any place where a consumer experiences a brand.
In today’s environment of social media and internet marketing, consumers come into contact with brands in many ways. At times, the number of touchpoints can seem overwhelming. From websites, blogs, emails, newsletters and brochures to sales presentations, actual product delivery and customer service, every touchpoint provides an opportunity to optimize the experience of the consumer with the brand.
At any time during the touchpoint chain, the experience of a consumer can be influenced for good or ill. To maximize the use of touchpoints in your business, take the aspects below into consideration.
Consider purpose first. Think about the goal of each touchpoint. Do you want to introduce the brand, identify a prospective consumer, influence brand perception, support a brand transaction, resolve a consumer problem or do something else? Then consider the value of the touchpoint. Not all touchpoints are equal. A bad experience at one touchpoint might cause a consumer to dismiss the brand, while a bad experience at another touchpoint might simply be a temporary irritation. Ask yourself where the touchpoint is typically encountered during the consumer experience. Is it the first thing a customer hears from the company? First impressions matter.
Determine effectiveness and impact. Determine how effective the touchpoints are at meeting their respective purposes. How you do this will depend on your field. Possible methods could include surveys, monitoring social media, advertisement tracking, call center recording or any other way of gathering information.
Be brave and take action. Once you have figured out where touchpoints fit into your business and how effective they are, keep doing the things that are effective. Redevelop the touchpoints that aren’t.
Armand Colson is a freelance writer. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
