The Customer Journey (And Content That Works For Each Stage)

The customer journey walks you through all the touchpoints a potential customer encounters with your brand—ideally from awareness of your brand all the way through post-purchase. Understanding your customer’s journey can help your brand to market content towards each stage of the process. It makes sense that you wouldn’t market to new customers and loyal customers in the same way, because there’s a different relationship, sense of trust, and knowledge of your product or service. The better you can cater your content to where a customer is along their own journey, the better chance you have of getting them to the next stage.

The basic customer journey incorporates 3 stages: awareness, consideration, and decision. But we believe that breaking down the process further (into 8 unique stages) will support even more effective content creation to attain and retain customers. Download a free customer journey map template from HubSpot. But before you do, take a look at each stage of the customer journey and what kind of content is most effective for each touchpoint.

8 Steps Of the Customer Journey

1. Awareness

During the Awareness stage, potential customers first become familiar with your brand, product, or service. This could come about through the Explore Page on social media, via word of mouth, or with targeted ads. Your potential buyer is trying to find a product or service to fix a problem or meet a need. At this stage, they’re looking for information that will help them make an informed decision.

Content: Blog posts, social media posts, and videos can be engaging introductions to your brand. Use captivating visuals, infographics, and more to share who you are, why you exist, and what separates you from other brands. Ask yourself, “What’s our target customer’s pain problem?” and demonstrate how YOU can solve that problem. To get your brand’s name out there, it’s also important to have a strong handle on SEO (search engine optimization).

2. Consideration

With Consideration, potential customers learn more about your offerings and compare you to your competitors. This stage includes exploring your website, looking up reviews and testimonials, and researching other options. You’re starting to build trust and a relationship with your potential lead.

Content: Educational content, comparison guides, and case studies will illustrate what sets you apart in your industry. Highlight your USP (unique selling proposition), make use of reviews and testimonials, and employ UGC (user-generated content) in your marketing.

3. Decision

At this point, the potential customer decides to purchase from your brand. They may be on the lookout for additional incentives and discounts to further support their purchase.

Content: This is the best time to share product or service demonstrations. Include more customer testimonials, discount codes, free shipping deals, or samples with purchase. You can also create a sense of urgency with limited time offers.

4. Purchase

Here, the potential customer converts into a customer by making an actual purchase.

Content: Marketing during the purchase phase is all about a seamless buying experience. Make sure product information is clear and the check-out process is easy to navigate. Live chats and chatbots can help ensure great customer service throughout the purchase process.

5. Post-Purchase Engagement

Post-Purchase Engagement is vital for customer retention. This is the stage of optimal customer service, where your brand ensures customer satisfaction and addresses any concerns.

Content: Post-Purchase marketing should include thank you emails, follow-up content (additional resources related to the item or service purchased), and customer support resources.

6. Advocacy

If Post-Purchase Engagement goes well, the customer is likely to share their positive experience in an online review or social media post.

Content: The Advocacy stage should highlight referral programs and exclusive content for loyalty customers. Encourage customers to create their own UGC (user-generated content) for the chance to be featured on your website or social media.

7. Retention

You should always be working towards retaining your customers through continued communication, customer service, and encouraging them to make additional purchases.

Content: Newsletters, exclusive offers, and personalized content will keep customers informed and excited about new offerings.

8. Loyalty

Loyalty is the ultimate goal of the customer journey. Not only has your customer become a repeat customer, but they essentially transform into brand ambassadors, contributing to the growth and success of your business.

Content: To cultivate loyal customers, create VIP programs, exclusive events, and personalized communication to reward your customers and strengthen the relationship.

Throughout the entire pipeline, alignment is critical between where your customer is in their journey and what kind of content will best resonate with them. Doing so will fortify your custom relationships and increase conversions.

Need help planning out your content strategy? Schedule a discovery call with Media À La Carte and learn how we can align your customer journey with your content calendar.