Research shows that the average marketing strategy now involves six touchpoints before a customer makes a purchase. This statistic highlights the increasingly complex journey that consumers take, interacting with various platforms, channels, and content formats before deciding to buy.
The data was gathered by analysing consumer journeys across diverse brands and industries, revealing how each touchpoint plays a role in brand awareness and conversion.
What does this tell us?
For affiliate marketers, the six-touchpoint finding is crucial. If you’re only using blogs in your affiliate program, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities to engage your audience across other key points in the journey.
Consumers aren’t just relying on blogs for information; they’re also looking to social media posts, email newsletters, comparison sites, video content, and influencer recommendations.
By limiting your affiliate program to one format, you risk missing potential customers who prefer other ways to research products. Expanding your content types and channels doesn’t just increase your reach; it also reinforces your brand message across various formats, making it more likely to resonate and stick.
What does it mean for your affiliate program?
To maximise your program’s potential, it’s essential to include a variety of affiliates that cover all major touchpoints in the customer journey. That means working with bloggers, but also including influencers, email marketers, content creators on social platforms, and affiliates who run comparison sites. Each type of affiliate serves a different purpose in moving the customer closer to a purchase.
A blog post might be the first introduction to your brand, but it’s the repeated exposure through an influencer’s Instagram post, a recommendation in an email, or a product review on YouTube that solidifies brand familiarity.
By combining multiple touchpoints in your affiliate strategy, you create a multi-channel experience that meets customers wherever they are, giving them the confidence to move forward in their journey with your brand.
Why an incrementality focus could limit brand awareness
While many affiliate programs focus on incrementality—that is, driving new customers—this approach can unintentionally limit brand awareness.
Focusing solely on last-click conversions may mean you’re missing out on partners who could build valuable exposure, even if they aren’t driving immediate sales. Brand awareness plays a major role in increasing sales, with studies showing that brands with high visibility enjoy a substantial boost in overall revenue.
According to research from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, brands that increase awareness by 1% see a 0.5% to 1% uplift in sales. Similarly, Nielsen’s study on brand awareness indicates that 60% of consumers prefer to buy from familiar brands.
These statistics underline the importance of brand visibility throughout the journey, not just at the final conversion point.
Limiting your affiliate program to last-click or high-incrementality partners may mean fewer opportunities to build awareness and establish your brand in the minds of potential customers.
Why now is the time to diversify
Given the importance of multiple touchpoints, now is the ideal time to diversify your affiliate strategy and reach customers through a variety of partners. Working with a mix of affiliates allows you to connect with your audience across all the channels they use, increasing the likelihood of brand recall and engagement. Here’s how to approach it:
- Incorporate influencers: Partnering with influencers provides social proof and helps build trust. Influencers bring their dedicated audiences, who view their recommendations as genuine and valuable.
- Use comparison sites: These sites offer consumers an easy way to evaluate options, helping them see how your product stacks up against competitors.
- Leverage email affiliates: Email campaigns can keep your brand in front of potential customers, serving as gentle reminders that drive engagement over time.
- Invest in video content affiliates: YouTube reviews, unboxing videos, and product demonstrations provide rich content that captures attention, especially for customers who like visual information.
By combining all these channels, you create a robust affiliate strategy that engages consumers at different points in their journey. Each touchpoint adds to the overall customer experience, ensuring that by the time they’re ready to make a decision, your brand stands out in their minds.
In a world where consumers rarely make purchases on the first interaction, building a diverse affiliate network isn’t just a good idea; it’s essential. Take action to broaden your program’s reach, and watch as the six-touchpoint journey works in your favour, boosting both brand awareness and sales.
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