Understanding how a customer's journey affects your content strategy can help you create content that resonates with them

How A Customer Journey Influences Your Content Strategy

Understanding the Customer Journey

The customer journey is a pivotal aspect of your content strategy. It refers to the collective experiences a customer goes through when interacting with your brand. From the first exposure via an ad or referral, to making a purchase and beyond, every step influences their perception and decision-making.

Knowing this pathway gives you invaluable insights into an individual’s thoughts, emotions and queries at each stage. It enables you to step into their shoes and view your product or service from their perspective. More importantly, it equips you with the ability to create tailored content that genuinely resonates with them.

Think about it as taking a road trip; wouldn’t you be more comfortable and confident if you knew the route beforehand? Similarly, understanding the intricate phases of a customer journey helps steer your content strategy in the right direction.

Consider an online fashion retail store. They may map out their customer journey into stages like “discovery” (through social media ads or influencers), “research” (reading product reviews, comparison shopping), “purchase” (adding items to cart, checkout process), and “post-purchase” (receiving order updates, customer support).

During discovery, they can leverage eye-catching social media posts with celebrity endorsements for allure.
In the research phase, encouraging existing consumers to write honest reviews can build trust and influence decisions.
For purchasing, clear and concise product descriptions assisted by expressive images can drive conversions.
To enrich the post-purchase experience, they might send personalized thank-you emails or offer dedicated support.

Digging Into Customer Persona

A detailed customer persona is akin to having a compass on your brand expedition. It offers necessary guidance and informs the direction you should take for your content. This persona isn’t merely demographics but also includes characteristics like interests, challenges, motivations, and habits.

By examining whom you’re aiming to reach, you can create content that speaks directly to them. This personalized approach isn’t just engaging but also has the potential to foster a long-standing relationship between the brand and its audience.

Once you know the “who,” it becomes easier to figure out the “how” – how to address their concerns, how to resonate with their beliefs, and how to align your message with their needs.

Illustratively, a skincare company found through research that their target audience is primarily working women aged 25-35 who are environmentally conscious and prefer natural products. They could then shape their content strategy as follows:

Share blogs emphasizing the benefits of using organic skincare products.
Create infographics showing the environmental impact of beauty industry waste.
Spark conversations on social channels discussing daily skin challenges faced by working women.
Develop DIY mask tutorials using ingredients found in their customers’ kitchen, reinforcing the natural element.

Creating Compelling Content

Crafting compelling content isn’t only about showcasing your offerings; it’s about etching an indelible mark on your audience’s mind. To constantly get on their radar, your content must provide value, be relatable, and more importantly, stimulate action.

Remember, people aren’t interested in what you sell; they’re interested in how your product can solve their problems or enhance their lives. So, instead of focusing on product features, highlight the benefits or outcomes for the customer.

Through storytelling, you have the power to breathe life into what otherwise could be generic content. Relate your offerings to situations your personas encounter regularly so that it strikes a chord and resonates with them.

A fitness equipment manufacturer, instead of simply listing the features of its latest treadmill, might fashion a content strategy like so:

Talk about how the treadmill can help achieve fitness goals without leaving home.
Share inspirational transformation stories of real customers who’ve benefitted from their products.
Create workout challenge posts for users to participate in and fuel interaction.
Produce fitness guides and articles offering tips on maintaining consistency, overcoming plateaus, or managing time for workouts, providing valued content beyond mere product promotion.

Identifying Content Formats & Channels

You have an efficacious understanding of your customer journey and persona. You’re generating engaging, rewarding content. However, how you deliver this curated content is equally crucial. Understanding what formats your audience prefers and which channels they frequent can significantly impact your reach and engagement.

Does your audience like reading in-depth blog posts or prefer snackable, visual content? Is a podcast more appealing due to their busy lifestyle? These are nuances that should not be overlooked and consequently guide your content format decisions.

Moreover, identifying preferred social platforms allows your message to reach them naturally, fostering a higher likelihood of interactions and engagements.

Take for instance, a travel agency might find their target audience to be millennials who predominantly hang out on Instagram and enjoy visually-rich content:

Exclusive deals could be promoted using bold, colorful graphics or short video ads.
A weekly Instagram live session covering various travel tips and insights can be arranged.
Customer-generated content (like travel photos) can be leveraged for authenticity and relatability.
Start a hashtag campaign encouraging followers to share their unique travel experiences or bucket list destinations.