Put Your Marketing on Autopilot with a Touch System
If you’ve ever walked out of a networking event with a stack of business cards and no clear idea of what to do with them, you’re not alone. Most people just stuff them in a drawer and forget about them. Others have an expectation of making an immediate sales call without building a relationship first. Neither approach is likely to generate the sales you’re looking for.
I used to run a marketing consultancy in Seattle called Persuasive Communications, where I gave myself the title of “Princess of Persuasion.” I loved getting out and meeting people face-to-face, and I did a lot of networking for my business—and yes, I wore a tiara. My burning issue was figuring out how to turn contacts into contracts. So, I created a process, what I now call a “touch system,” that was a simple, consistent way to stay connected with contacts and nurture relationships over time.
What Is a Touch System?
A touch system, also known as drip marketing, is a consistent, repeatable process for staying in touch with the people you’ve met or who have expressed interest in your services. Instead of random outreach or waiting until you have time for a marketing campaign, a touch system lets you plan intentional communications that build trust and top-of-mind awareness.
The idea is built on the classic marketing wisdom: it takes 5 to 7 touches to motivate someone to take action. In today’s world, with so many resources vying for our attention, that number is more realistically a minimum of 12. That could be only one touch per month—completely doable with a little planning.
A touch system works because it creates that stickiness that is essential for building brand loyalty. The more a contact hears from you, the more they remember you and the more likely they are to buy from you. When I did this in my business, I was so consistent with my communications and built such an identifiable brand that by the time someone approached me for services, they knew they wanted to work with me. Because of the consistency of the touch system, I had an astounding 75% close rate on my sales!
What Counts as a Touch?
A touch is any direct communication between you and your contact. That might be:
- A postcard
- A phone call
- A personal note
- A newsletter
- An email
- A text message
- An in-person conversation
Notice what’s not on this list? Social media posts. While social media can be great in your overall awareness strategy, you can’t control who actually receives and sees the posts; so they don’t count as one-to-one communication.
Build Your Touch Matrix
The goal is to turn your touches into a systematic process, so you know what marketing activity you will be doing at any point in the business relationship. To make your system repeatable (and easier to manage), I suggest you map it out using a “Touch Matrix.” Think of it as your marketing calendar; it helps you decide how and when you’ll reach out, so you’re never stuck thinking, “I guess I should send something out.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula here. The key is to play to your strengths. If you’re great on video, record short updates. If you love to write, send a newsletter or blog post. You can rotate between different types of touches—a quarterly newsletter, a video, a helpful industry article—so each month your audience hears from you in a way that feels valuable and personal.
For that initial touch following up right after a networking event, I might send a LinkedIn invite with a short note: “It was great meeting you at the Chamber mixer. I loved your story about kayaking. I hope to see you at the next event. Let’s stay in touch.” Notice how there’s no ask, no pitch? It’s just pure relationship building.
Make It Valuable, Not Salesy
Not every communication should be a sales pitch. In fact, most shouldn’t be. Your content should be useful, interesting, and relevant. Examples of strong, value-packed content include:
- Industry tips or “Top 10” lists
- Case studies or success stories
- How-to videos
- Market research
- News or trends relevant to your clients
These touches position you as a resource—not just another person trying to sell something.
Don’t Forget Your Tools
A good system only works if you can keep track of it. That means using some kind of customer relationship management (CRM) tool. Whether it’s a basic Excel sheet or an industry-specific platform like Mindbody for wellness pros or Toast for restaurants, what matters is that you’re capturing your contacts and tracking your follow-ups.
The magic of a touch system is that it keeps your marketing running, even when your calendar is full. You don’t have to overthink it or reinvent the wheel each time. You just follow your system, plan ahead, add value, and keep the connection alive.
And before long? You’re not chasing leads anymore. You’re building a business on strong, trusted relationships.
Laurie Lonsdorf
Capital Regional Director
Lansing Community College