Hi, I’m Laura, a creative brand designer and I am excited to talk to you about branding touch points.
Now hold on, I know what you are thinking “Branding touch point? Yawn!” But don’t scroll off yet, let me tell you a story.
I used to hate looking at my emails. I mean, how many boring promotional emails flood your inbox daily? But then one day that all changed. I was scrolling through my inbox deleting another bunch of dull emails with uninteresting titles, but one email caught my attention.
It wasn’t your typical sales pitch but a funny, quirky and downright entertaining email and you know what, I read the whole email to the end. As I kept reading, I realised that this business had turned their email into a super strong “brand touchpoint” But what the heck is a brand touchpoint and why should I care I hear you ask?
“Your brand is the sum total of how someone perceives your organization. Branding is about shaping the perception.” - Ashley Friedlein, Founder of Econsultancy.
A brand touchpoint is any contact your client/customer has with you or your business that helps shape that perception.
Every single interaction you have is a touchpoint and it is moulding how your customer feels, thinks and more importantly if they will become a fan of your business and spread the word to attract more clients.
Are you creating a winning customer experience?
If someone asks for x (insert your zone of genius here) do they instantly think of you and your business? No? Maybe? Then you might need to spend some time elevating your brand touchpoint.
Now, back to the email that caught my attention. The brand had used humour, OK, sarcasm, they knew their target market and sarcasm is my love language! They added their personality, which not only made me laugh but made me remember them and made me want to find out more and it had a great call to action that I clicked on.
I know, that’s great for them but what about my business Laura? A good brand touchpoint will evoke a feeling or move your client along your purchase path. But how do we do that, I hear you ask.
For starters, it’s important to look at every touchpoint you have and use them to your advantage. But that’s a massive task and you don’t have time for it! Don’t worry I have a simple process for you. Building a strong brand is like stepping stones. Take it one step at a time and you will cross the river.
Let’s start with mapping out your customer journey (see map) I usually like to do this on a large piece of paper and Post-it notes, or you can print off this blank version as a PDF and add your own notes if you prefer.
1. What was the reason for the interaction?
2. How did you want the client to feel? How did they feel?
3. Was it on brand?
4. Do you have any sticking points in your customer journey?
5. How can you level up the touchpoint? Add more value?
6. How can you move the client closer to making the purchase?
Let me tell you about the best £50 a branding client of mine spent on her business and yes you’ve guessed it was a brand touchpoint but not one you would expect.
A car sign, yep that’s it. This simple “Wedding cake on board” sign she uses, it covers the whole of her car’s back window and was created to help her when driving slowly delivering her wedding cakes. It stopped her from being honked at and being cut up when delivering her stunning cakes. This was a touchpoint she didn’t realise until she started tracking how her customers found her.
“Oh, I saw your car sign outside a venue”, “Oh I was sitting in traffic and saw your sign”. Yep, a simple removable sign with her website and Instagram name has helped reach a local network of people. She has now invested in a better on-brand version.
Another brand touchpoint we created for a client was for a local milk dairy, we created a range of business cards that his team can handout with different cow jokes on them. These not only bring a smile to your face, even if they are cheesy, and make the kids laugh but they are memorable. Now he runs a competition for new cow jokes on his social media.
Now, don’t panic. Your touchpoints don’t have to be funny to be memorable. In a world where getting a human to respond to an email is a novelty simply keep track of your customer interests and add them to your emails. This is a perfect touchpoint and also one the larger companies can not do!
Are you looking for a list of branding touchpoints to build on in PDF format? No, I haven’t got that, I have a better list!
A tried and tested list that you can do in 5min, 10min or 30 min that will improve your business touch points and client journey. It will also help to build on the know, like and trust values and help your customers have an excellent time with you. Here are some examples of 5min touchpoints you can do.
Answer phone messages - You don’t have to have the simple “leave a message” Boring!
How about adding a call to action? Or adding some personality to the message?
“Sadly I am unable to take your call right now because I’m out saving the world one design at a time. But don’t fret! Leave a message after the beep and I’ll get back to you faster than you can say ‘Comic sans’. Or if you’re feeling adventurous, check out my website with frequently asked questions at LauraAnnedesign.com. If this is a Pantone emergency, drop me an email at [email protected].
Now that sounds so much better and your client has a call to action to follow.
Automatic response - Along similar lines as your answer phone message what about your automatic response to a DM on socials- often gets overlooked and boring. These messages can turn a client off. Add in some fun details about you/your business or a link to a brochure/FAQ page that might answer the question they were about to ask.
Email titles - Don’t be lazy and send generic email titles, use your imagination or chat GPT to come up with some creative email titles that get your clients opening every email you send. While we talk about titles do this for any documents/ attachments you send too.
Email Signature - The email signature is a gold mine and should reinforce your brand identity, why not add a link to a free handout? Bringing your client one step closer to purchasing from you.
Replying to customer reviews - Take a few minutes to respond to a recent review on Google. Make it personal to them so future clients see how much you care and talk about the problem you solved for them.
Pre-meeting information email - Have a meeting booked? Send out a welcome meeting email the day before (I have just started doing this) but keep it personal to you. Mine talks a little about my career (building trust, I know what I am doing) my mom’s proudest moment, my dog Eddie ( Getting them to like me, who doesn’t like a proud mom or dog story) and a section on my dream to be a digital nomad (getting to know me). This humanises me to my client, gives us a common ground and something to talk to in that awkward 5mins and builds the know, like and trust factor.
Just finished a meeting? - Then be the first to send an email within half an hour! A book recommendation, a hot tip, or a link to an interesting blog you have written (have these already saved in your drafts) This keeps you top in your client’s mind. Snail mail is great for this too, a postcard with a quick note on goes a long way.
Pre-meeting gift - Is your client likely to write notes via the meeting? How about a branded notepad and pencil? Every time they pick it up guess whose business they will be thinking of? Simple touchpoints that work.
The business card is not dead - Some people will have you believe the business card is no longer needed. Well, I am here to tell you it can be a handy tool. Are you sending a parcel? Drop in your business card. Off networking? Meet someone on the school run? (This happened to me) you need a business card to hand. Find yourself walking into a face-to-face meeting and forgetting your business cards. Do not panic! A quick Canva tip you can make interactive business cards with a QR code, that your client can scan leading them straight to your website about your page.
Looking for more touchpoint ideas then download this simple guide here.
Finally, brand touchpoints are crucial to building a strong and memorable sticky brand and can have a big impact on your business. Each interaction you have with your customer, whether it is an email, social media message or invoice builds a strong brand and keeps them engaged with your company. By using the map and seeing your customer journey you can add more value and create a memorable brand experience that your customers will remember and recommend.
If you would like to find out more about me and how I can help you to work on your business brand and touchpoints please do visit my website www.lauraannedesign.com
Laura Anne Design - Strategy-led brand design studio
Email:[email protected]