The term “touchpoints” has been used in marketing for a long time. But the concept of it is still lost on some people. Every interface you have with your target audience – be it your web site, signage, Twitter page, business card, an advertisement, print materials, phone call, hold message, voice mail … these are all touchpoints; and they are all opportunities to present your message.
Stop for a moment and think about how many of these touchpoints you experience as you go through your day. If you live in a busy city, this could reach into the tens of thousands. But how many of those really made an impression on you? How many do you remember? How many would you act upon? If you want any chance of breaking through that barrage of messages that we all face every day, it is absolutely CRITICAL that you develop a strong message and keep it consistent. You may get tired of it, because you are living and breathing it as a good marketer or business owner should. But when you throw your message out there into the vast ocean of other messages, even a slight deviation from your core messaging will diminish the impact of every touchpoint opportunity you have.
That is why it is so important to decide up front who you are, what you do and what differentiates you from your competition. What is the personality of your organization? Why would someone do business with you instead of someone else? All of these questions should be answered in a positioning statement before your first touchpoint ever occurs.