Someone asked me the other day how many touches would make an effective marketing campaign.
Marketing “gurus” have suggested three touches as the ideal. For the people who follow them, that number is now the golden mean.
But I question the logic of saying every marketing campaign should have the same number of touches, the same structure, or the same anything.
After all, doesn’t the uniqueness of your product come into play?
How many touches is the ideal marketing campaign?
It depends…
For small- or medium-ticket products, one touch is probably fine, especially if you can create immediate connection with your prospects. You might get better results with one or two more touches, but they may not be necessary.
Large ticket products or events likely need more touches, say three to seven (or even more). You need to address objections and minimize the perceived risk of spending so much money.
You also need to keep people from taking the “I’ll think about it tomorrow” stance. Postponing decision-making is the most common way to deal with difficult choices. (That’s why direct response copywriters often build urgency into their messaging.)
But the price of the product isn’t the only factor you need to consider.
How long is your sales cycle?
If it takes four to six months to move a prospect from inquiry to sale, then ideally, you need six month’s worth of touches to fill out your sales funnel. Each touch should be customized for the spot in the funnel where it will make the biggest impact, renewing the prospect’s interest in your company and/or product, and moving them to the next stage in the sales process.
Not all touches will be sales messages. Some will be direct response. Some will be blog posts, special reports or how-to pieces. Still others will be case studies and “I saw this and thought of you” nudges.
The key is your sales funnel.
- Ask your sales team to identify the questions that almost always get asked and where in the sales process they come up.
- Then prepare content and collateral that answers these questions.
- Finally, make it a point to deliver these touches at the point the question will likely be asked.
There’s no hard and fast rule about how many touches will work for your product.
The answer is as unique as your own business. Take time to evaluate your sales process, and create touches that address every objection so you can keep people from falling out and keep them moving smoothly toward the sale.
What works best for your company? Have you found that a particular kind of content or collateral works better than the others? Share your ideas in the comments below.
