What Are Customer Journey Touch Points and Why Are They Important?

Apr
25

What Are Customer Journey Touch Points and Why Are They Important?

My friends,

Today we’re diving deeper into client experience and discussing the need for photography customer journey touch points. These touch points are part of the overall Client Experience and including them into your business correctly can make all the difference to your clients!

So, what exactly are photography customer journey touch points?

I like to define them as points of contact or recognition between you, the photographer, and your client.

Potential journey touch points can include:

  • A questionnaire to get to know your client better.
  • A guide of some sort to help prepare them for their photoshoot.
  • A special gift to thank them for working with you.

Touch points can also change depending on the type of photoshoot your client has booked with you. Let’s discuss Weddings first, then Lifestyle/Family.

Photo Credit: StyledStockSociety

Weddings/Elopements Touch points:

I recommend at minimum three touch points throughout the “planning” period. Photographers are one of the first things couples book when they start their wedding planning. Although there may not be much of a need to communicate with your couple from the time they book to their wedding day, touch points can make all the difference between a good experience and a stressful one for your couple. Keeping in contact between booking and their wedding day ensures to your couple that they made the right choice in choosing you, while they plan everything else in the coming months. And as a potential bonus to you, it can make for a great client review!

My favorite customer journey touchpoints for Weddings include:

  • Bride Guide – Help your couple with planning! What should the following steps be after booking with you? What are some tips on things to look out for? 
    • Alternatively, Elopement Guide – How to plan for an elopement? How to cope with disappointment from family and friends?
  • ‘Get To Know You’ Couple Questionnaire –  Use the information from this questionnaire to assist you in buying the couple a personalized gift, blog about their story, know quirks to look for and catch on the big day and understand what they love most about each other.
  • Welcome Gift – Some ideas for you include: Vow books, travel accessories (great for elopements!), a countdown calendar, or a disposable camera that they can use while planning but won’t get to see until after the wedding!
  • ‘Month Out’ Questionnaire – This questionnaire should have timeline details, portrait photo requests, names of family members, vendor details and things to look out for specifically on their wedding day.
  • Ultimate Confirmation Email – This email should include all the information you ask for in the Month Out Questionnaire! Beat the couple to sending it so they know they don’t have to worry about you. Couples are extremely stressed during planning. Give them confidence that you’re the professional and they can just focus on all the excitement with you instead!
  • Bonus After Wedding Day – A thank you gift can go a long way! This couple invested in you and trusted you with the biggest day of their lives. Consider mailing a couple prints and a thank you note, give a print credit, or send a reel you made of their wedding day that they’re able to save and share!
Customer journey touchpoints

Tacos y Tequila

This incredible session with Fur&Lace Photography is something that my partner and I brag about constantly. Aja created this beautiful concept designed specifically for us.

Her touch points included:

  1. A deep dive questionnaire getting to know us and our perfect date night.
  2. Styling suggestions and help choosing our outfits
  3. A full studio setup included with margaritas and tacos.

Photo Credit: Fur and Lace Photography

Lifestyle/Family:

Having two touch points before a lifestyle or family shoot can really put an extra OOMPH to your overall client experience! But, if you’re only booking photoshoots out a week in advance, two touch points can feel like a lot. So, balance the steps you choose with the amount of time you have between booking and the shoot.

My favorite customer journey touchpoints for before a Lifestyle/Family shoot include:

  • Style Guide – What should they wear? What props should they bring the day of?
  • Location Lists – Send over a list of all your favorite locations for shoots and make the choice together!
  • ‘Get To Know You’ Questionnaire – If you didn’t dive deep into this during your Inquiry Process, choose this time to discover more about them. Why do they really want this photo session? Encourage them to go deeper than “It’s just for Christmas cards”.

During the session for a little something extra!

  • Family – Bring a disposable camera for the kids! Develop the photos for them and include it in your package. Allow the parents to see the day through their kids’ eyes!
  • Lifestyle/Boudoir – Take a polaroid! Show your client/s how dang good they look without any edits and get the print in their hands same day.
  • Picnics – Bring extra props, snacks and break the ice with a small activity you plan.

These little added touches can make the world of difference to your clients. It may not seem like the biggest thing, but communication and care goes a long way. These photography customer journey touchpoints can be the difference between working with ideal clients, repeat clients and glowing reviews. 

So, how are you going to enhance your Client Experience? 

Interested in diving deep into your Client Experience Workflow? Check out this blog here.

For the month of May I’m offering only 8 Client Experience Design Sessions. In these sessions we’ll be auditing your current client experience, up-leveling it & redesigning to create your signature offer, strategizing how to systemize the backend work for you, creating a marketing plan, and more. Check out the offer here.

Here for you always,

Savannah Bell

@systematicbell

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Systematic Bell | branding session

Hey, Hey Photographers!

Savannah here!

Some call me a business strategist, systems specialist, OBM, Lighting Designer or even Project Manager.

But my goal here is to make a connection and provide support. No one is in this alone, so let’s grow together.

Keep Learning!

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