The Santa Barbara Web Design and Marketing Blog

In today’s highly competitive digital landscape, the relationship between you and your prospects is at the core of successful marketing. Many think the magic happens as soon as a potential client or customer becomes aware of you, but the reality is quite different. It’s not simply awareness that drives a prospect to act, but a gradual build-up of trust, value, familiarity, and preference, cultivated through what are known as “touch points.”

Understanding the psychology behind marketing connections can reshape your entire approach. Instead of seeing your audience as faceless numbers or aggregate clicks, you’re more effective when you see each interaction as part of an ongoing relationship—a series of meaningful touch points that, over time, create what we can call “relational equity.”

But how many interactions does it take for someone to move from total stranger to committed customer? Industry research consistently points to a powerful standard: between 7 and 13 touch points. In other words, someone generally needs to encounter your brand several times—through distinct interactions—before they’ll confidently engage with your offer. So, let’s explore what these touch points are, why they matter, and how you can intentionally map them out in your marketing process to achieve maximum results.

Why Touch Points Matter: The Core of Human Relationships

Humans are built for connection and repetition. Psychological studies show that repeated exposure to a person, brand, or message makes it more familiar and, in many cases, more likable. The principle of “mere exposure”—first explored by psychologist Robert Zajonc—explains why we gravitate toward things we see frequently. Applied to marketing, each meaningful interaction—an email, a social media post, an insightful article, a helpful response to a question—is a touch point that pushes you closer to the subconscious preference zone in your prospect’s mind.

Think about this in your own life. Are you more likely to buy from a company you’ve only seen once in a random ad, or from a trusted name you’ve interacted with on multiple platforms, read reviews about, and perhaps even received direct communication from? The answer is almost always the latter.

When you focus on building relational equity through intentional touch points, you’re laying the groundwork for preference and ultimately, action.

What are Touch Points?

A touch point is any instance where a prospective customer encounters your brand, directly or indirectly. Touch points can be both online and offline and include (but are not limited to):

- Reading a blog article on your website.

- Liking or commenting on your social media post.

- Receiving your email newsletter.

- Attending your webinar or online event.

- Seeing your ad on Facebook, Instagram, or Google.

- Hearing about you from a friend or reading a review.

- Engaging in a live chat on your website.

- Downloading a helpful guide or resource you offer.

- Watching a short training video or course preview.

- Meeting you at a community event or networking group.

Each one of these moments builds awareness and trust. Each one offers an opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, personality, and genuine intent to serve.

The Magic Number: 7 to 13 Touch Points

So why 7 to 13? While the exact figure can vary by industry or audience, the range of 7 to 13 interactions has been found again and again in marketing research as the average number necessary for conversion—moving a person from awareness to action. This is not set in stone, but it’s a reliable rule of thumb for any robust marketing campaign.

With so much competing for our attention—thousands of marketing messages hitting consumers every day—your brand must be seen, trusted, and valued multiple times before someone’s ready to say “yes.” If you expect to land a customer after only one or two interactions, it’s far more likely you’ll be overlooked or forgotten.

Mapping Your Touch Points: Strategic Planning for Relationship Marketing

To see results, you must intentionally map out these key moments in the customer journey. That means going beyond random posting or occasional outreach—you need a plan that corresponds with your audience’s needs, behaviors, and decision-making process.

1. Start by Defining the Stages of Your Customer Journey

Typical stages might look like this:

- Awareness: The prospect first encounters your brand.

- Interest: They want to learn more and engage.

- Consideration: They’re evaluating whether your solution is right for them.

- Decision: Ready to take action (book, buy, sign up, etc.).

- Retention: Relationship doesn’t stop after the first transaction—ongoing connection ensures repeat business and referrals.

2. Align Touch Points with Each Stage

For each stage, what types of interactions are best? Here are examples:

A. Awareness Stage

- A well-placed social media ad targeting your ideal audience.

- A guest article or podcast appearance.

- An SEO-optimized blog post that solves a common problem for your market.

B. Interest Stage

- Inviting visitors to subscribe to your newsletter for valuable insights.

- Offering a downloadable checklist, guide, or free mini-course.

- Engaging with comments and messages on your social channels.

C. Consideration Stage

- Sending case studies or testimonials via email.

- Hosting a Q&A or live stream to address audience’s top questions.

- Personalized follow-up messages or calls.

D. Decision Stage

- Clear, direct calls-to-action (schedule a consult, buy now, enroll today).

- Special offers or time-limited bonuses.

- Simplified checkout or booking process.

E. Retention Stage

- Thank you notes, emails, or surprise value add-ons.

- Inviting feedback or reviews.

- Ongoing tips, updates, and invitations to events or trainings.

3. Sequence and Diversify Your Touch Points

It’s not just about frequency, but variety and relevance. Mixing up your touch points keeps things fresh and engages different types of learners and decision-makers. Someone might ignore three emails but respond to a webinar invite or a compelling video.

Plan your sequence so that over the course of a few weeks or months, each prospect receives a balanced mix. For example:

- Day 1: Initial social media ad impression (awareness)

- Day 2: Visits your website, downloads lead magnet (interest)

- Day 4: Receives “thank you” email with bonus content (interest/consideration)

- Day 7: Invited to attend a live Q&A (consideration)

- Day 10: Sees a case study in another email (consideration)

- Day 14: Receives a video invitation to book a free consult (decision)

- Day 18: Gets reminded of a special offer expiring soon (decision)

- And so on…

Over multiple touch points, you’re not just selling, you’re educating, entertaining, and building trust.

4. Measure and Refine

The beauty of digital marketing is that nearly everything can be measured. Track how often and where your prospects engage. Are they responding more to social posts or emails? Do webinars get better attendance than downloadable guides? Refine your map based on real-world results, and keep experimenting with new types of touch points.

Building Relational Equity: It’s About Value, Not Just Volume

Some marketers focus so heavily on the number of touch points that they forget the most important element: value. Relational equity doesn’t grow through repetition alone, but through consistent delivery of insight, relevance, and genuine care for your audience’s needs.

If your touch points are generic, uninspired, or always “salesy,” prospects will tune out—even after 20 interactions. But if each touch point offers something useful, entertaining, or authentic, you’ll stand out from the crowd and earn your prospect’s trust.

This can include:

- Sharing actionable tips that help prospects solve a real problem.

- Showing behind-the-scenes content that humanizes you and your brand.

- Answering questions or responding thoughtfully to comments.

- Delivering customer stories or testimonials that inspire confidence.

- Offering value without always asking for the sale.

When and How to Ask for Commitment

With ample touch points and relational equity built up, you’ve earned the right to ask for the commitment—whether that’s a purchase, a sign-up, a meeting, or another form of engagement. When you finally make your offer, it doesn’t feel abrupt or pushy. Instead, it’s the natural next step in an ongoing relationship.

You’ll discover that your audience is far more receptive to your offers when they trust and like you, and when they have seen, through multiple interactions, that you genuinely have their best interests at heart.

7 to 13 is Minimum—But More Can Be Better

Don’t see the 7 to 13 figure as a ceiling. Some prospects will need even more reassurance, especially with expensive or high-stakes purchases. That’s why top marketers and brands often maintain ongoing touch points long after the initial sale: newsletters, exclusive updates, free resources, community engagement, and continued education.

If you can go beyond the bare minimum—without overwhelming your audience or sacrificing value—do so. But never lose sight of the quality and relevance of each interaction.

Practical Steps to Mapping Your Marketing Touch Points

1. Audit Your Current Touch Points

List out all the places prospects encounter your brand: social media, email, events, your website, ads, and more. Are there gaps? Are any stages of the journey neglected?

2. Create a Touch Point Map

For each stage of your marketing and sales process, plot at least 2-3 intentional touch points. Aim for a mix so that, over time, every prospect gets 7-13 or more touch points before you ask for the commitment.

3. Automate Where Possible

Use tools for email automation, retargeting ads, and scheduled content posting to ensure touch points happen even when you’re busy. Automation ensures consistency, but always add in personal touches where possible.

4. Personalize and Segment

Personalization deepens the relationship. Tailor your messages based on what you know about your segments: interests, behaviors, readiness to buy, etc.

5. Monitor and Adjust

Use analytics to see which touch points are most effective at moving prospects forward. Eliminate what doesn’t work and double down on what does.

In Conclusion: Think Relationships, Not Transactions

Modern marketing isn’t about pushing for an immediate sale. It’s about crafting an authentic, multi-step relationship where each touch point builds preference, trust, and value.

Whether you’re in web development, marketing consulting, or any other service or product-based business, your prospects are people first, and people crave connection before commitment.

By planning out your 7 to 13 (or more!) powerful, high-value touch points, you:

- Make your brand memorable and trustworthy.

- Warm up your audience for the “ask.”

- Maximize your conversions in a way that feels good for both you and your future clients.

It’s a time-tested approach that’s more vital than ever in a world flooded with noise and options. Start today: audit, map, and enhance your touch point strategy, and watch your marketing relationships—and your results—reach new heights.

That’s the core principle for building marketing preference: touch points matter, and how you plan them is the difference between fading into the background and becoming your prospect’s preferred choice.